Mini-Activities - Ch 15: Psychological Disorders Flashcards
What are some of the symptoms Jennifer has of Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
- She believes she is disfigured; that her face has coloured and hideous splotches and scars
- She thinks other people see these “scars” as well
- She has obsessively copied the clothes, accessories and other aspects of envied peers
- She believes everyone else sees the disfiguring scars she does on her face;
- Continuous obsession about her looks, her appearance;
- Obsessions about others that seemingly look ‘perfect’;
- Emulating others’ seemingly perfect lives, actions, behaviours;
- Lack of self-esteem, disapproval about one’s looks;
Which psychological disorders does Jennifer’s therapist claim she meets the criteria for?
Major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, borderline personality disorder
Jennifer claims she feels happier, as a result of…
Undergoing cosmetic surgery, including a nose job
What brain circuits are involved in the fear response?
Two separate pathways!
Amygdala sends automatic responses: Sweaty palms, increased heart rate
Circuit going through the cortex: Gives us a false alarm, a slower pathway that inhibits the amygdala
Which area is impaired in PTSD patients?
The circuit through the cortex, that shuts down the automatic fear responses when not needed.
Why can’t PTSD patients control their fear responses?
They dwell on memories, see their traumatic memories extremely vividly, while they can only vaguely recollect recent memories.
What other brain structure is important in the fear inherent in PTSD patients?
The hippocampus, which plays a vital role in memory.
It is visibly smaller in volume, compared to a normal individual.
Constant terror has changed the structure of his brain!
Nearly ____ of Vietnam combat veterans returned from the war traumatized.
20%
What are some of the PTSD symptoms Dennis experiences?
- Intrusive, repetitive memories of the traumatic event that he has little control over
- Nightmares of the traumatic event
- Jumpy, easily startled, hypervigilant
What part of Dennis’s PTSD-bound brain seems to be affected?
- The mechanism that shuts down the fear responses; so in Dennis’s case, even a small fear stimulus leads to terror
- Part of the reason for this may be that Dennis’s terrifying experiences may have altered his hippocampus in such a way to make his long-ago memories of the war dominate his thinking and emotions, so much so that his memories of current events in his life is impaired
What is schizophrenia?
A brain disease, with its defining characteristic being psychosis - out of touch with reality.
Delusions and hallucinations = Hallmark
Disorganized thinking, speech = Incoherence
Associations that may sound alike, but don’t make sense: “Word salad”
Delusions: Definition
Fixed and false believes that are not responsive to evidence.
Hallucinations: Definition
False sensory experiences
The schizophrenic mind is not split, but __________.
Shattered
Where does schizophrenia present itself?
Across a wide range of socioeconomic status.
What are some examples of delusions and hallucinations Elyn Saks has experienced?
- Delusions: She’s had the delusion that she’s killed hundreds of thousands of people with her thoughts or that nuclear explosions are about to be set off in her brain
- Hallucinations: She once turned around and thought she saw a man with a raised knife
What are “loose associations”?
Putting words together that sound alike but don’t make sense, aka ‘word salad’
For example: “I think someone’s infiltrated my copies of the cases. We’ve got to case the joint. I don’t believe in joints, but they do hold your body together
