Psychological Disorders Part 3

Question 1

anxiety disorders

Answer 1

a category of disorders involving fear or nervousness that is excessive, irrational and maladaptive

Question 2

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Answer 2

a disorder involving frequent elevated levels of anxiety, generally from the normal challenges and stresses of everyday life

Question 3

what is GAD associated with?

Answer 3

unstable, irritable moods, experience difficulty concentrating and sleep problems. associated with increased activity in the amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus and several cortical regions. increase norpinephrine release. decrease serotonin release

Question 4

panic disorder

Answer 4

an anxiety disorder marked by occasional episodes of sudden, very intense fear

Question 5

panic attack

Answer 5

brief moments of extreme anxiety that include a rush of physical activity paired with frightening thoughts

Question 6

agoraphobia

Answer 6

an intense fear of having a panic attack in public (as a result, individual may begin to avoid public settings)

Question 7

phobia

Answer 7

a severe, irrational fear of a specific object or situation

Question 8

causes of phobias

Answer 8

• negative experiences
• modelling by another person (parent)
• personality factors - shy and inhibited people are prone to phobias
• genetic link-it is possible to breed fearful lab rats

Question 9

social anxiety disorder

Answer 9

a very strong fear of being judged by others or embarrassed or humiliated in public

Question 10

psycopharmocotherapy

Answer 10

the use of drugs to attempt to manage or reduce clients symptoms

Question 11

exposure

Answer 11

when a person with an anxiety disorder is repeatedly in stages expose to the object o his fear so that he work past his emotional reactions

Question 12

virtual reality exposure

Answer 12

a treatment that uses graphical displays to crete an experience in which the client seems to be immersed in an actual environment

Question 13

features of PTSD

Answer 13

• exposure to traumatic event
• re-experiencing
• avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
• increased arousal
• symptoms must persist for 6 months or longer

Question 14

causes of PTSD

Answer 14

• many PTSD patients also suffered childhood trauma
• overactive amygdala and left hippocampus
• memories trigger emotional response, which leads to autonomic nervous system activity and the feeling of stress and panic

Question 15

obsessive compulsive disorder

Answer 15

a disorder in which sufferers are plagued by unwanted, inappropriate and persistent thoughts (obsessions), and tend to engage in repetitive almost ritualistic behaviours (compulsions)