Cognitive and behavioural theories of anxiety and depression Flashcards
Why is anxiety important?
Involved in the flight or fight response for our survival. With anxiety, there is a rise in adrenaline and cortisol levels and activation of the sympathetic autonomic system which inhibits digestion.
What are the physical symptoms of anxiety?
Sympathetic autonomic activation so muscles are tensed and this can cause headaches, pain and fatigue as well as hyperventilation. This can lead to respiratory alkalosis and cause hyperkalemia that leads to dysrhythmia, hypocalcaeimia which reduces nerve transmission. There is increased heart rate and blood pressure.
What are the physical symptoms of anxiety?
Sympathetic autonomic activation so muscles are tensed and this can cause headaches, pain and fatigue as well as hyperventilation. This can lead to respiratory alkalosis and cause hyperkalemia that leads to dysrhythmia, hypocalcaeimia which reduces nerve transmission. There is increased heart rate and blood pressure.
What are the psychological symptoms of anxiety?
Fear of the future, worries about the impact of your anxiety
What behaviours do people with anxiety present?
Pacing and wringing their hands, self-medicating, seeking reassuracne from a GP or a friend, acting out safety behaviours like always carrying a weapon, and avoiding fear-provoking sitiations
How is anxiety treated?
Using SSRIS, benzodiazepam in extreme cases for limited period, Educating the patient about their symptoms, CBT and relaxation techniques.
What are key questions to consider in clincial assessment of anxiety?
Is it a reaction to stress, is it secondary to another condition such as depression or hypothyroidism, is there a trigger for it, is it free-floating or specific and if it is free-floating, how persistent it is.
What is the cognitive model for panic disorder?
Person feels panic over something such as a physical symtom and they begin to experience the symptoms associated with activation of the sympathetic autonomic system. They either engage in safety behaviours like holding onto something, avoidance by not exercising, or hypervigilance. These symptoms are misinterpreted due to fatalistic attitudes.
What is learning?
Learning is a change in behaviour due to an experience
Which part of the brain involves learning?
Amygdala, a structure in the temporal lobes which is involved in emotional memory
What is learning that certain events go together?
Associative learning: this includes classical and operative conditioning
What is complex learning?
Complex learning involves social learning and emotional learning. Social learning is imitating the behaviour of others and emotional learning is understanding how to interpret, respond and manage emotions of yourself or others
What are the types of association learning?
Classical and operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
A specific stimuli induces a specific response. We introduce a previously neutral stimuli, like a sound, with the same response as a inducive specific stimuli. This is the origin of phobia.
What is operant conditioning?
Using positive or negative reinforcement, punishment or extinction to promote or repress certain behaviours. This is involved in maintaining phobias
