THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH - EXPLAINING SPECIFIC PHOBIAS: STRESS / PHOBIA / ANXIETY / ON A MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM

Question 1

DEFINITION: STRESS

e. g. A shy person giving an oral presentation to the class
e. g. A shy person at a party can be stressful

Answer 1

• It is a state of mental or physical tension

- When an individual must adjust or adapt in their environment but they do not feel they have the capacity to do so.

Question 2

DEFINITION: ANXIETY

e.g. Waiting to take a test that you are unprepared for

Answer 2

• Feelings of apprehension, dread, or uneasiness

- In response to an unclear or ambiguous threat

Question 3

DEFINITION: ANXIETY DISORDER

• High levels of physical signs of anxiety
• Restrictive, self-defeating behaviour patterns
• Tendency to use avoidance responses to get through he day
  e. g. When intense or persistent anxiety prevents people from doing what they want to do (Uneasy near water. A person is unable to go to a water theme park with her friends)

Answer 3

• When feelings of dread, apprehension, or uneasiness are out of PROPORTION to a situation.
• Specific recurring fears in response to something specific. The individual is able to recognize the recurring fear as irrational, unrealistic and intrusive.

Question 4

DEFINITION: PHOBIA

Answer 4

• A persistent, irrational and intense fear of a particular object or event which interferes with a person’s social functioning

Question 5

STRESS + PHOBIA + ANXIETY = ON A MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM

• Healthy (Normal healthy functioning)
• Reacting (Common and reversible distress)
• Injured (Significant functional impairment)
• Disorder (Significant mental disorder. Severe and functional impairment)

Answer 5

Healthy (Normal healthy functioning)

• Normal fluctuations in mood, fear and anxiety
• Normal levels of stress
• Normal sleeping patterns
• Socially active
• No treatment required

Reacting (Common and reversible distress)

• Nervous, irritable and anxious
• Trouble sleeping, tired, low energy levels
• Decreased social activity
• Procrastination
• Some professional psychotherapy

Injured (Significant functional impairment)

• Anxiety, pervasive and irrational fear
• High levels of stress
• Social avoidance and / or withdrawal
• Professional psychotherapy

Disorder (Significant mental disorder. Severe and functional impairment)

• Excessive anxiety and fear
• Extremely high levels of stress
• Unable to perform duties
• Professional psychotherapy and possible medication