Chapter 12 Psychological disorders: Module 38 Flashcards
Anxiety disorder
The occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning.
Phobias
Intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations.
Panic disorder
Anxiety disorder that takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hours.
Generalized anxiety disorder
The experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
A disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions.
Obsession
A persistent, unwanted thought or idea that keeps recurring.
Compulsion
An irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some act that seems strange and unreasonable.
Somatoform disorders
Psychological difficulties that take on physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause.
Hypochondriasis
A disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health.
Conversion disorder
A major somatoform disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete partial inability to move an arm or a leg.
Dissociative disorders
Psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person’s personality that are normally integrated.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)
A disorder in which a person displays characteristics of two or more distinct personalities.
Dissociative amnesia
A disorder in which a significant, selective memory loss occurs.
Dissociative fugue
A form of amnesia in which the individual leaves home and sometimes assumes a new identity.
Mood disorder
A disturbance in emotional experience that is strong enough to intrude on everyday living.
Major depression
A sever form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability.
Mania
An extended state of intense, wild elation.
Bipolar disorder
A disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoric feelings of mania and periods of depression.
Schizophrenia
A class of disorders in which severe distortion of reality occurs,
Dopamine hypthesis
Suggests that schizophrenia occurs when there is excess activity in the areas of the brain that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter.
Personality disorder
A disorder characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society.
Antisocial personality disorder
A disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others.
Borderline personality disorder
A disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are.
Narcissistic personality disorder
A personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance.
