Lecture 3: Anxiety, OCD, and Related Orders Flashcards
fear
emotional and physiological response to a perceived threat to your well-being
anxiety
emotional and physiological response to a vague sense of threat or danger
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
excessive feelings of anxeity and worry about numerous events and activities
checklist for generalized anxiety disorder
- for 6 months or more, the person experiences disproportionate ongoing anxiety and worry about multiple matters
- the symptoms include at least three of the following: edginess, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep problems
- significant distress or impairment
sociocultural perspective on GAD
disorder occurs because of dangerous ongoing social conditions (e.g. poverty, race, ethnicity)
psychodynamic perspective on GAD
- Freud: all children experience anxiety and use their ego defense mechanisms to cope with it; however, some children experience high anxiety levels or their defense mechanisms are inadequate, and they may develop a generalized anxiety disorder
- realistic anxiety when facing actual danger
- neurotic anxiety when prevented from expressing id impulses
- moral anxiety when punished for expressing id impulses
- short-term psychodynamic therapy is very effective
humanistic perspective on GAD
arises through denial of someone’s true thoughts and emotions
- Rogers: people without unconditional positive regard from caretakers develop conditions of worth (overly critical self-views), which set the stage for GAD
- client-centered therapy has little research support
cognitive-behavioral perspective on GAD
caused by problematic behaviors and dysfunctional thinking
- old explanations: basic irrational assumption (Ellis), and silent assumptions (Beck)
- new explanations: metacognitive theory, intolerance of uncertainty theory, avoidance theory
basic irrational assumptions (Ellis)
irrational beliefs that make people act in unsuitable ways
silent assumptions (Beck)
e.g. “it is always best to assume the worst”
metacognitive theory
people with GAD implicitly hold both positive and negative beliefs about worrying
- they see worrying as useful way to deal with threats
- but society tells them that worrying is a bad thing
- develop beliefs that worrying is harmful and they start worrying about worrying (meta-worrying)
- net effect is GAD
intolerance of uncertainty theory
people with GAD are unable to tolerate the possibility (however small) that negative things may occur
avoidance theory
people with GAD have a greater bodily arousal (higher heart rate, perspiration, respiration)
- worrying reduces this arousal by distracting them from their unpleasant physical feelings
cognitive-behavioral therapies for GAD
- rational-emotive therapy: changing maladaptive assumptions
- mindfulness-based, acceptance and commitment therapy: breaking down worrying, clients are helped to become aware of their streams of thoughts and to accept them rather than try to eliminate them
biological perspective on GAD
explains the disorder through biological factors
- fear reactions are tied to brain circuits
- GAD is caused by a hyperactive fear circuit, in which the neurotransmitter GABA plays an important role
- Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety by binding to receptors for GABA (GABA has an inhibiting function and benzodiazepines mimic this function)
biologogical perspective treatment for GAD
- drug therapy
- relaxation training
- biofeedback
drug therapy
- barbiturates (sedative-hypnotic drugs): drugs that calm people down and help them fall asleep
- benozodiazepines
- antidepressants and antipsychotics