Panic, Anxiety & Their Disorders Flashcards
Anxiety
Complex
Normal reaction to stress
Helps deal/prepare for tense situation
Excessive= disorder
Fear
Basic emotion enabling a quick response when faced with imminent threat
5 major types of anxiety disorders
Generalised anxiety disorder OCD Panic disorder PTSD Social phobia
Treatment for anxiety disorders
Medication
Psychotherapy
One, other or both
Treatment of phobia
Just psychotherapy
Medications to treat anxiety
SSRIs
Tricyclics
MAOIs
Benzodiazepines
Types if psychotherapy
Change thinking patterns
Cognitive behavioural therapy (good for panic disorder/social phobia)
Teach how to reinterpret symptoms- as anxiety not heart attack
Describe the behavioural component of CBT
Change peoples reaction to anxiety provoking situations
Key = exposure
Confront things they fear
Describe Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Chronic or excessive worry
Heritable
Runs in families
What NTs play a role in GAD?
GABA
…….
Causes of GAD:
Conflict between id & ego
Life experiences- a lot of stress/uncontrollable events/unpleasant events
Info processing: If anxious, tuned to monitoring danger/ frightening things
Phobia
Persistent & disproportionate fear of some specific object or situation that presents little or no actual danger
3 types if phobia
……
Acrophobia
Heights
Incidence of blood injection injury phobia
3-4%
Incidence of phobias in men & women
Women 16%
Men 7%
Causes of phobias
Traumatic conditioning of fear
Genetic & temperamental factors effect speed & strength of fear response
Evolutionary preparedness
Evolutionary preparedness
Easier to develop fears for some things than others (eg snakes easier than flowers- almost impossible)