P: Phobias, depression and OCD Flashcards
Behavioural characteristics of phobias.
PANIC: may involve a range of behaviours such as crying, screaming or running away from the phobic stimulus.
AVOIDANCE: considerable effort to avoid coming into contact with the phobic stimulus. This can make it hard to go about every day life, especially if the phobic stimulus is often seen e.g. public places.
Emotional characteristics of phobias.
ANXIETY & FEAR: fear is the immediate response when a phobic encounters or thinks about the phobic stimulus. Fear leads to anxiety.
RESPONSES ARE UNREASONABLE: response is widely disproportionate to the threat posed e.g. an arachnophobic will have a strong emotional response to a tiny spider.
Cognitive characteristics of phobias.
SELECTIVE ATTENTION TO THE PHOBIC STIMULUS: the phobic finds it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus e.g. a pogonophobic (fear of beards) cannot concentrate on a task if there is a bearded man in the room.
IRRATIONAL BELIEFS: e.g. social phobias may involve beliefs such as ‘if I blush people will think I’m weak’ or ‘I must always sound intelligent’.
Behavioural characteristics of depression.
ACTIVITY LEVELS: sufferers of depression have reduced levels of energy making them lethargic. In extreme cases, this can be so severe that the sufferer cannot get out of bed.
DISRUPTION TO SLEEP AND EATING BEHAVIOUR: sufferers may experience reduced sleep (insomnia) or an increased need for sleep (hypersomnia). Appetite may increase or decrease, leading to weight gain or loss.
Emotional characteristics of depression:
LOWERED MOOD: more pronounced than the daily experience of feeling lethargic or sad. Sufferers often describe themselves as ‘worthless’ or ‘empty’.
ANGER: on occasion, such emotions lead to aggression or self-harming behaviour.
Cognitive characteristics of depression.
POOR CONCENTRATION: sufferers may find themselves unable to stick with a task as they usually would, or they might find simple decision making difficult.
ABSOLUTIST THINKING: ‘black and white thinking’, when a situation is unfortunate it is seen as an absolute disaster.
Behavioural characteristics of depression.
COMPULSIONS: actions that are carried out repeatedly, e.g. handwashing. The same behaviour is repeated in a ritualistic way to reduce anxiety.
AVOIDANCE: the OCD is managed by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, e.g. sufferers who wash repeatedly may avoid coming into contact with germs.
Emotional characteristics of OCD.
ANXIETY & DISTRESS: obsessive thoughts are unpleasant and frightening, and the anxiety that goes with these can be overwhelming.
GUILT & DISGUST: irrational guilt, for example over a minor moral issue, or disgust which is directed towards oneself or something external like dirt.
Cognitive characteristics of OCD.
OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS: about 90& of OCD sufferers have obsessive thoughts, e.g. recurring intrusive thoughts about being contaminated by dirt or germs.
INSIGHT INTO EXCESSIVE ANXIETY: awareness that thoughts and behaviour are irrational. In spite of this, sufferers experience catastrophic thoughts and are hypervigilant, i.e. ‘over-aware’ of their obsession.
What percentage of OCD sufferers encounter obsessive thoughts?
About 90%.
