Chapter 15: Flashcards
What is a psychological Disorder?
An varation on normal cognitive or behavioral responses that is..
Exaggerated (more intense or extreme)
Maladaptive ( in conflict with healthy functioning)
What are the two models for psychological disorders?
- The medical approach: psychological conditions as a form of disease. ( chemical or electrical imbalance within the brain)
- The psychological approach: disorders are the interaction of biological, cognitive, social, and behavioral factors.
T/F: unusual behaviors alone are inherently a sign of diagnosable psychological disorders?
false, they a not inherently a sign of diagnosable psychological disorders.
Clinicians look for an individual to exhibit signs of psychological disturbances such as:
- Distress: experiencing unusual or prolonged levels of anxiety.
- Maladaptiveness: acting or thinking in ways that interfere with the well-being of him/herself.
- Irrationality: acting or speaking in ways that do not make sense to others
- Unpredictability: Erratic or inconsistent behavior across situations or over time.
- Unconventionality/Undesirability: Behaving in ways that violate social norms or laws in disruptive or dangerous ways.
How are psychological disorders classified?
The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
- most widely used and accepted system of classification in the United States
- The current edition is the DSM-5
What is comorbidity?
When an individual is experiencing multiple disorders occurring simultaneously in one individual.
- Ex: substance abuse is often comorbid with depression
Major depressive disorder?
Severe form of depressive disorder involving deep depression that impairs regular functioning:
- Depressed mood ( prolonged sadness)
- Loneliness
- Apathy, or loss of interest in pleasurable activates
- Rumination on negative thoughts
- May involve suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Seasonal affective disorder?
Depression believed to be caused by deprivation of sunlight.
- sunlight causes the release of neurotransmitters which in the fall and winter is repressed and can lead to depressive thoughts.
Bipolar disorder?
A disorder involving alternating periods of depression and mania ( extreme elation or excitement)
- periods of frantic activity and productivity
- often occurs delusions of grandeur
- suicidal or self-harming behavior can occur during manic periods.
Anxiety disorders?
-Generalized anxiety disorder:
persistent, pervasive feelings of anxiety:
- intense, negative, and persistent worry
- occurs without external stimulus
- Anxious outburst can occur out of proportion to external stressors
Panic Disorders?
- Experiencing frequent panic attacks with no obvious external trigger.
- generally anxiety-free between panic attacks
- Often involves anticipatory anxiety
- Occasional panic attacks do not mean a person has panic disorder
What is a panic attack?
Sudden burst of ( short burst) disabiling anxiety.
- SOB
- inability to control thoughts or actions
- Out of body experiencing
- may mistake for a heart attack
Phobias:
Agoraphobia?
Social Anxiety disorder:
- Specific phobias: Disorder involving a pathological fear of a specific stimulus ( e.g., an object or situation)
- Some phobias are very common and may even be evolutionary
- Phobias are debilitating and prevent you from doing general things.
- Agoraphobia- fear of public places or open spaces
- Social anxiety disorder: A common form of phobia that affects million of people
What is Obsessives-Compulsive-Disorder?
A disorder involving patterns of persistent, unwanted thoughts or behaviors
- Obsession’s: repetitive thoughts, images, and impulses
- Compulsion: repetitive, purposeful behaviors
- Appears to have genetic basis ( can run in families)
- Also evidence that OCD can be learned via rein enforcement.
What are the Somatic symptom disorders talked about in lecture?
Illness anxiety disorder: excessive debilitating concern about personal health or disease.
- pervasive concern that one is suffering from serious maladies
- commonly known as hypochondriasis
What are the Dissociative disorders talked about in lecture?
- Variety of relatively ( to very rare) disorders
- involves “ fragmentation” of one’s memories or personality
( pieces of one’s personality become blocked, broken, or no longer present)
What is Dissociative Amnesia?
Why can it occur?
- ) Loss of memory for specific events ( segments of an episodic memory)
- ) Can occur for many reasons, including injury, stroke, intense stress or trauma, or heavy alcohol consumption
What is dissociative Fugue?
Involves amnesia for specific memories or information as wall as fugue ( flight)
- A person abruptly forgets some aspects of his/herlife and leaves
What is dissociative identity disorder?
A condition which an individual displays at least two distinct identities
- Formerly known as “ multiple personality disorders”
- may be triggered by traumatic events
- but mechanisms aren’t clear.
