Chap 7 : psychological disorders and treatment techniques

Question 1

what is psychopathology ?

Answer 1

its the study of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders (schizophrenia or depression) that make people unhappy and impair their personal growth, their symptoms , causes and treatment.

Question 2

what is abnormality ?

Answer 2

it the deviation from the average or societal norm.
it refers to the behaviors’ that rarely occur in a specific society.
it could be acts such as violating norms and regulations of the society
it causes them distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives
1. distressing to self or others
2. violates social norms
3. dysfunctional for person or society

Question 3

what is Maladaptiveness?

Answer 3

its a behavior that creates social , personal and occupational problem on those who exhibit the behaviors, that start after a major life change ( illness, traumatic event)
they stop the individual from adapting to new or difficult circumstances.

Question 4

what is personal distress

Answer 4

refers to feelings of extreme and dangerous anxiety, stress, tension and other unpleasant emotions determine whether we have a psychological disorder, they can arise by the problem itself or by events that happened to us.

Question 5

what are the causes of psychological disorders ?

Answer 5

1. the biological perspective
2. psychoanalytic perspective
3. learning perspective
4. cognitive perspective

Question 6

what is the biological perspective ?

Answer 6

it focuses on the nervous system, hormones and genetics. it sees psychological disorders as linked to biological phenomena, such as genetic factors, chemical imbalances and brain abnormalities

Question 7

what is dopamine and what is serotonin ?

Answer 7

• dopamine controls voluntary movements and is associated with the reward mechanism in the brain
• serotonin controls pain, sleep cycle and digestion, it stables mood, if its too low = depression, too much = excessive nerve cell activity

Question 8

what is the psychoanalytic perspective

Answer 8

by: freud sigmund
he believes in the interaction of the id, the ego and the superego in the mind.
so abnormal behavior is caused by the ego’s inability to manage the conflict between the id and the super ego.
symptoms: extreme anxiety , obsessive thoughts, compulsive behavior, depression, distorted perceptions and patterns of thinking and paralysis or blindness for which there is no physical cause

Question 9

what is the learning perspective

Answer 9

it states that most mental and emotional disorders arise from inadequate or inappropriate learning. people acquire abnormal behaviors through the various sources of learning like parents or kids on the street or classmates

Question 10

what is the cognitive perspective ?

Answer 10

the main idea is that self deating thoughts lead to development of negative emotions and self destructive behaviors , a disturbance in our thinking will manifest in emotions and behaviors as well, so it is recommended to switch negative thoughts with positive ones

Question 11

what are the 3 types of psychological disorders?

Answer 11

1. Mood disorder
2. anxiety disorder
3. and personality disorder

Question 12

what are mood disorders?

Answer 12

they are psychological disorders in which there is a primary disturbance of mood.
they are characterized by serious change in mood that causes disruption to life activities
it can include cognitive, behavioral and physical symptoms
therapy, antidepressants and self care can help treat mood disorders

Question 13

what is clinical depression

Answer 13

its a mood disorder where the individual suffers from lack of pleasure in life.
its characterized by diminished interest in activities previously enjoyed, weight disturbance, sleep disturbance, loss of energy

Question 14

what is Dysthymia

Answer 14

its a lesser but more persistent form of depression, the feeling of sadness lasts a longer time.
it begins in childhood or early adulthood.

Question 15

what is bipolar disorder ?

Answer 15

its a mood disorder characterized by extreme mood swings , where the individual alternates between hopelessness, depression and overexcited feelings ,that include episodes of mania.
there are sub types:
1. extreme hyper manic episodes
2. moderate hypomanic episodes

Question 16

what is Cyclothymia

Answer 16

its a lesser form of bipolar disorder, its common for people with this to go untreated since the symptoms are mild enough that they do not seek treatment.

Question 17

what are anxiety disorders

Answer 17

they involve an emotional state of excessive fear and worry. Its a very common disorder and treatable.
an individual who is diagnosed must:
- be our of proportion to the situation or age inappropriate
- hinder your ability to function normally

Question 18

what is a panic disorder

Answer 18

its characterized by a series of panic attacks of intense fear or discomfort.
the symptoms can include:
heart palpitations, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and a feeling of helplessness

Question 19

what is Agoraphobia

Answer 19

its an anxiety disorder involving intense fear of being in places from which escape might be difficult if a panic attack might occur.
the limitations are that individuals restrict their normal activities , and have a tendency to avoid public places and prefer to stay at home where they feel safe

Question 20

what is phobia , specific phobia and social phobia

Answer 20

phobia: it represents an intense fear and often avoidance of a specific situation , person, place etc..
specific phobia: involves the fear of specific things like of an object, or situation
social phobia: involves the fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations

Question 21

what is OCD

Answer 21

its an anxiety disorder in which compulsive thoughts lead to obsessive behaviours
the subtypes of ocd are:
1. cleaning compulsions
2. obsessions without visible compulsions
3. checking compulsions
4, hoarding
5. symmetry obsessions

Question 22

what is ptsd

Answer 22

its a type of anxiety disorder triggered by exposure to a catastrophic event that posed serious harm or threat.
once exposed it develops into an intense , fear of related situations, avoidances, reoccurring nightmares , flashbacks and heightened anxiety
The symptoms are :
1. re-experiencing trauma
2.avoiding activities which leads to distancing and emotional numbing
2. difficulty sleeping, irritability

Question 23

Generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 23

its the state of a person being pervasive and excessive anxiety lasting at least 6 months , its not tied to a specific threat

Question 24

what are personality disorders

Answer 24

it refers to a pattern of behavior that leads to significant impairment in social functioning. its also a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking functioning and behaving , they have trouble relating

Question 25

what are the treatment techniques for psychological disorders

Answer 25

they can take various forms such as medication , therapy or both

Question 26

what are the components of psychotherapy

Answer 26

1. positive, healthy relationship between a patient and a trained psychotherapist
2. recognizable mental health issues
3. agreement on the basic goals of treatment
4. working together as a team to achieve these goals

Question 27

what are treatment approaches to consider ?

Answer 27

1. having empathy : understanding their feelings
2. being non judgmental
3. having unconditional positive regard: accept and value their patient

Question 28

what are the different kinds of therapy ?

Answer 28

1. cognitive therapy : best for depression and it is used in treating dysfunctions and difficulties that arise from irrational and faulty thinking.
2. behavioral therapy : best for phobias.
   it applies the principles of classical and operant conditioning to help change bad behaviors, they look at problems arising from our behaviors which we have learned to perform over years of reinforcement
3. dynamic: it attempts to reduce suffering by exploring the unconscious mind, look at issue beginning in early childhood which then motivate us as adults at an unconscious level
4. Eclectic therapy : its an integrative form of psychotherapy that adapts to the unique needs of each specific client depending on the problem, the treatment goals, the person’s expectations and motivation.

Question 29

what is group therapy

Answer 29

its a form of therapy where individuals suffering from similar illnesses or having similar issues meet together with 1 or 2 therapists. it satisfies the need to belong, feel understood and know that there is hope.