stress disorders Flashcards
stressor
event that creates demands exceeding perceived resources
stress response
reaction to stressor’s demands
physiology of fight or flight
- hypothalamus stimulates sympathetic nervous system to produce physical response
- parasympathetic nervous system returns to normal state
trauma
direct or indirect actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence
trait arousal
level of anxiety/fear arousal on a daily basis
fear pathways in PTSD
- minor danger cues trigger fight or flight response
- stress response circuitry not well integrated into prefrontal cortex
RESULT: more response in fear circuit, less able to control
PTSD criteria
- trauma exposure
- intrusive distressing symptoms related to trauma event
- avoidance of stimuli
- negative cognitive/mood changes
- arousal/reactivity
PTSD vs. Acute Stress Disorder
Appears 1 month after traumatic event vs. 3 days-1 month
PTSD stats
- more women than men
- majority ASD develop into PTSD
- affected greatly by severity, duration, proximity of trauma exposure
biological risk factors
- over-reactivity of brain-body stress pathways pre- and post-trauma
- dysfunction in brain-stress circuit
- inheritance
personality risk factors
- more anxious personality
- pessimism
Information Processing Theory
schemas, inappropriate assimilation, over-accommodation results in inability to process trauma
schemas
pre-established beliefs and expectations, ways of thinking about things
inappropriate assimilation
same belief gets magnified in maladaptive ways
over-accommodation
dramatically changing pre-existing belief upon encountering something that goes against it
