Module 49 Flashcards
anxiety disorders
brain danger-detection system becomes hyperactive; distressing; persistent anxiety or by dysfunctional anxiety-reducing behaviors
social anxiety disorder
becoming extremely anxious in social settings where others might judge them
acute anxiety disorder
anxiety in response to a specific stressor
generalized anxiety
person is continuously tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal; 66% women; focused on potential threats; lack of concentration; can lead to physical problems; jittery; rarer with age; free-floating
free-floating
person can’t identify, relieve, or avoid stressor
panic disorders
unpredictable episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations; followed by worry over possibility of another attack or experiencing one in public
agoraphobia
fear of avoidance of public situations from which escape might be difficult; can develop from fear of public panic attacks
phobia
persistant, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation; some can avoid triggers, others may be disabled by trying to do so
OCD
unwanted, repetitive thoughts, actions, or both that persistently interfere with life
hoarding
cluttering one’s space with acquired objects one can’t let go; stress about it can increase with early onset and increased severity; can affect social life
doorbell dread
fear of other people seeing inside their home
body dysmorphia
preoccupation with perceived body defects
trichotillomania
hairpulling
excoriation disorder
excessive skin picking
PTSD
haunting memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and or insomnia; common in soldiers, sexual assault victims, etc
survivor resiliency
recovering after severe stress
posttraumatic growth
growing after a traumatic event
cognition behind anxiety
learn to fear what others fear via observation; past experiences shape expectations, interpretations, and reactions
hypervigilant
people with anxiety attend to more threatening stimuli, more often interpret unclear stimuli as threatening, and more often remember threatening events
genetics behind anxiety
17 gene variations behind anxiety; may regulate brain levels of serotonin and glutamate
hyperactive danger detection system
overarousal of brain areas involved in impulse control and habits; can be caused by trauma-induced fear circuits in amygdala
anterior cingulate cortex
monitors actions and checks for errors; esp likely to be overactive
natural selection behind anxiety
biologically prepped to fear threats from ancestors; people fearless about certain things were less likely to survive and reproduce; compulsive acts exaggerate behaviors that contribute to our species’ survival
