Disorders 2 Flashcards
What is generalized anxiety disorder?
A general worry about nothing specific. Though it’s not specific, you still spend a considerable amount of time worrying
Its immensely difficult to control
Things associated with it:
- tension headaches
- muscle aches
- insomnia/fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
How do you diagnose Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Excessive worrying and anciety > 6 months
Difficulty controlling worrying
Experience 3 or more:
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- being easily faituged
- difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- irritability
- muscle tension
- sleep disturbance
(worrying not accounted for by another disroder)
(Symptoms cause clinically significant distress)
(symptoms are not due to drugs/medication)
What’s the life time prevelance for General Anxiety Disorder?
Life-time prevelance: 5.7% (~6%)
Females>Males
What causes generalized anxiety disorder?
Mild genetic component (15-20%)
Early tramumatic experiences
Family history
What is panic disorder?
frequent panic attacks.
How do you diagnose panic disorder?
TWO MORE MORE RECURRENT UNEXPECTED PANIC ATTACKS WITHIN 2 WEEKS
1 month or more of the following:
- persistent concern about having more attacks
- worry about implications of the attack
- significant change in behaviour
Symptoms are not related to drugs/medication
What is the life time prevelence of panic disorder?
23% of population will experience 1 panic attack
Life time prevelnece: 4.7%
Female>Male
What causes panic disoder?
Moderate genetic component: 43%
locus coeruleus (lots of neurotransmitter, norepinephrine is made here)
Classical conditioning
What is specific phobia?
a phobia is an irrational fear of a particular object or situation
It interferes with daily life/functioning
The person may or may not be aware that their fear is irrational
It’s difficult to control
how do you diagnose a specific phobia?
Stimulus:
- persistent fear that is unreasonable / excessive
- anxiety response (panic attacks) > 6 months
- recognition that the fear = disproportionate
- steps are taken to avoid (interfere with normal daily living)
What is the lifetime prevelence of phobias?
12.5%
What causes specific phobias?
Classical conditioning
Ex/ If someone has a panic attack due to being winded going up the stairs, then they could start associating going up the stairs with panic attacks, and develop a phobia of stairs
What do we develop phobias towards?Why?
Fears are learned.
- Were more likely to develop phobias towards things that are not really dangerous to us
Why?
- We have been conditioned over centuries to fear stimuli that looks a certain way
