Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD

Question 1

Behavioural characteristics of Phobias

Answer 1

Avoidance of the object

Freeze/faint
-fight or flight (or freeze) response
-freezing is an adaptive response because a predator may think that a prey is already dead

Question 2

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 2

Fear that is persistent and irrational. Accompanied by anxiety and panic
-Cued by the presence of the specific object or situation

The fear is out of proportion to the amount of actual danger the object poses

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 3

Irrational thinking and resistance to rational argument

The person often recognises that the fear is unreasonable, unlike other disorders like schizophrenia

Question 4

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 4

Increase OR decrease in activity levels

Tiredness and wanting to sleep

Sometimes become agitated and restless- even insomnia

Picking at skin

Increased OR reduced appetite

Question 5

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 5

Formal diagnosis requires at least 5 symptoms
-must include sadness, or loss of interest in normal activities

-Sadness, including low self-esteem

-Loss of interest and pleasure, including feelings of despair and a lack of control

-Anger, directed at themselves or others

Question 6

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 6

Negative self-esteem
- guilt, worthlessness

Negative view of the world and expect things to go badly
-can be self-fulfilling
-these beliefs are irrational originally, but can become self-fulfilled

Question 7

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 7

Compulsions

-these are done to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions
-they are repetitive and unconcealed

They are usually carried out to ‘prevent something awful from happening’ which creates anxiety of they aren’t done

-they are done even though they are not related to the obsessions in a realistic way and are clearly irrational

Question 8

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 8

Anxiety and stress caused by the obsessions/ compulsions

Shame and embarrassment due to knowing that their behaviour is excessive

Disgust sometimes, due to a common obsession being germs

Question 9

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

Answer 9

Obsessions

-recurrent, intrusive thoughts/ impulses
-Often perceived as inappropriate or forbidden

Some examples: germs, doubts, impulses, sexual images fleeting in their thoughts

These obsessions seem uncontrollable which creates anxiety

At some point, people with OCD realise that the obsessions are excessive