Pschological Disorders and Psychotherapy

Question 1

Define Abnormal Behavior.

Answer 1

Abnormal Behavior is any behavior that deviates from normal.

Question 2

Give the extension of DSM.

Answer 2

“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”

Question 3

Briefly describe the four axes of DSM-IV.

Answer 3

Axis I. Clinical Disorders
Axis II. Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation
Axis III. General Medical Condition
Axis IV. Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
Axis V. Global Asessment of Functioning.

Question 4

Define Psychological Disorders.

Answer 4

A psychological disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

Question 5

What is Psychotherapy?

Answer 5

Psychotherapy is the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, etiology and treatment. The term psychotherapy can also refer to the manifestation of a psychological disorder.

Question 6

List the disorders categorized under Anxiety Disorders.

Answer 6

Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder.

Question 7

What are Phobias?

Answer 7

A Phobia is an immediate feeling of intense fear, anxiety and panic when exposed to or even thinking about the source of the fear.
Awareness that your fears are unreasonable or exaggerated but feeling powerless to control them. Worsening anxiety as the situation or object gets closer to you in time or physical proximity.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of Phobias?

Answer 8

A person’s phobia is defined by their irrational thinking towards the object or situation.
For example, a person with arachnophobia may believe that all spiders are poisonous, despite the fact that all spiders in the UK are actually deadly.

Question 9

What are the causes of Phobias?

Answer 9

1. Negative Experiences
2. Genetics & Environment
3. Brain Function

Question 10

What are the symptoms of Phobias?

Answer 10

1. A specific phobia includes an intervene, persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual risk.
2. Common categories of specific phobias are a fear of:
   a. situations such as airplanes, unclosed spaces or going to school.
   b. nature, such as thunderstorms or heights.
   c. animals or insects, such as dogs or spiders.
   d. blood, injection or injury, such as needles, accidents or medical procedure(s).
   e. others, such as choking, vomiting, loud noises or clowns.

Question 11

Give the extension of OCD.

Answer 11

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Question 12

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Answer 12

Obsessive Compulsve Disorder is a disorder characterized by repititive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions.)
Although people with OCD may know that thier thoughts and behaviors dont make logical sense, they’re unable to stop them.

Question 13

What are the causes of OCD?

Answer 13

1. Compulsions are learned behaviors, which become repititive and habitual when they are associated with relief from anxiety.
2. OCD is due to genetic and hereditary factors.
3. Chemical, structural, functonal abnormalities in the brain are the cause.
4. Distorted beliefs reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.

Question 14

What are the signs of Obsession?

Answer 14

1. repeated unwanted ideas
2. fear of contamination
3. aggressive impulse
4. persistent sexual thoughts
5. images of hurting someone that you love
6. thoughts that you might case others harm.