U4 Flashcards
anxiety definition
future oriented mood state characterized by psyical tension and apprehension
fear definition
immediate rxn to danger
panic definition
sudden overwhelming terror
panic attack
abrupt experience of intense fear or discomfort w physical symptoms
2 categories of panic attacks
expected and unexpected
biological contribution to anxiety
genetic vulnerability
diathesis stress (contribution from genes and environment)
decrease in what neurotransmitter is involved in anxiety disorders
GABA
corticotropin releasing factor
increases likelihood vulnerable genes will turn on
(activates HPA axis)
limbic system is ___________ to info in ppl w anxiety and ______ isn’t down regulated
over responsive
amygdala
behavioural inhibition system
activated by brainstem during unexpected events
where is fight or flight system located
spans from brainstem through midbrain structures
psychological contributions of anxiety
- awareness that events aren’t always in our control
- impacted largely by our parents actions early in life
social contributions to anxiety
stressful life events can trigger vulnerabilities to anxiety
triple vulnerability theory
generalized bio vulnerability (inherited)
generalized psych vulnerability
(ideas of no control)
specific psych vulnerability
(early experience)
how do types of anxiety differ
differ in focus
how are types of anxiety similar
- cooccur
- share common characteristics and vulnerabilities
- affect more women then men
GAD
focus on events from everyday life
accompanied by physical symptoms
diagnostic criteria for GAD
- excessive worry more days then not for at least 6 months over different things
- difficult to control worry
diagnostic criteria for all psychological disorders
- disturbance isn’t contributed to a substance or other mental disorder
- causes significant distress
physical symptoms of GAD
- muscle tension
- fatigue
- irritability
- trouble sleeping
GAD has a ________ onset beginning _______
insidious
early adulthood
cognitive characteristics of GAD
- intolerance to uncertainty
- poor problem orientation
- cognitive avoidance
treatment for GAD (meds)
benzodiazepines
(short term, issues w impairment and dependance)
paroxetine and venlafaxine
(long term)
Panic disorder
severe unexpected panic attacks
agoraphobia
fear and avoidance of situations where a person feels unsafe and unable to escape in the event of developing panic symptoms
diagnostic criteria for panic disorder
- recurrent unexpected panic attacks that reach peak discomfort in minutes
- at least 1 attack has. been followed by either worry about panic attacks/concequences or significant changes in behaviour due to pa
diagnostic criteria for agoraphobia
- fear of 2+ situations
- avoidance
- persistant (6m+)
nocturnal panic disorder
- in deepest phase of sleep
- individual begins to panic as they sink into sleep (letting go) then suddenly wake up panicked
isolated sleep paralysis
- occurs in transitional period between sleep and wake
rem sleep spills into wake causing lack of muscle strength (inability to move) and vivid hallucinations
common cause of agoraphobia
normally begins after a person has an unexpected panic attack
causes of panic attacks
inherited vulnerability to stress and anxiety
confusion between internal and external cues (interpret normal physical sensations as catastrophic)
learned alarms
cues related to internal and external stimuli that can predict pa through. learning
treatment for panic attacks and agoraphobia
SSRI
benzodiazepines
cognitive behavioural therapy
gradual exposure paired w calming exercises
specific phobia
unreasonable fear of a specific object or situation that interferes with daily functioning
diagnostic criteria for specific phobias
marked fear about a situation
active avoidance
fear is out of proportion
6m+
blood injury injection phobia
severe physiological reaction compared to other phobias
- bold, injury, injection
situational phobia
- fear of public transport/enclosed places
no panic attacks out of context
natural environment phobia
heights, storms, water
often paired together
animal phobia
animals
other phobia
illness etc
specific phobias often take a _________ course and often go _______
chronic
untreated
causes of specific phobias
- direct experience of a true alarm
- info transmission (watching someone else experience the fear)
- being told about danger
- experiencing a false alarm
- inherited tendency to fear dangerous situations and anxiety
treatment of specific phobias
structured consistent exposure based exercises (VR)
separation anxiety disorder
fear in children that harm will come to them or there parents while they are apart
social anxiety disorder
fear and avoidance of social and/or performance situations
diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder
- fear about situation where individual is exposed to possible scrutiny
- fear they will be negatively evaluated
- avoidance
- fear is out of proportion
causes of social anxiety disorder
inherited tendency to fear angry faces
generalized/specifc vulnerability
direct experience of true or false alarms
watching experience
treatment of social anxiety disorder
- cognitive behavioural group therapy
- social mishap exposure
- SSRI, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor
selective mutism
childhood disorder characterized by lack of speech in certain situations driven by SAD
more common in girls
similar treatment to SAD
cognitive behavioural therapy
keeping mind thoughts, feelings, and behaviour aims to challenge thoughts and cognitive distortion
