Week 19 (psychopathology 1) READING 2

Question 1

Biological vulnerabilities

Answer 1

Predisposition for a disorder based on genetics / neurology

Question 2

Psychological vulnerabilities

Answer 2

predisposition for disorder based on previous experiences (in childhood usually)

Question 3

Specific vulnerabilities

Answer 3

How we cannel / focus anxiety based on previous experiences

Question 4

Generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 4

Excessive worrying about things that don’t need that much worry

Symptoms have to last for at least 6 months

(5.7%) of the population has experienced it at some point

sometimes ppl with GAD worry as a way of control over their life?

Question 5

Worrying gets reinforced

Answer 5

If you worry and then everything is ok you think things are ok because you worried.

Moral of the story: ur gonna mis out on fun things if u worry too much

Question 6

Fight or flight

Answer 6

Biological response to get out of stressful situation

Question 7

Panic Disorder (PD)

Answer 7

Strong, regular, unexpected panic attacks (fight or flight kicks in)

May cause worry about next attack too

Must also include intense anxiety / avoidance for at least a month

Question 8

Internal bodily or somatic cues

Answer 8

Physical sensations that are triggers for anxiety/ reminders of past traumatic events

Question 9

Interoceptive avoidance

Answer 9

Avoiding triggering things that give same physical sensations during a panic attack or intense fear response

interoceptive means perception inside the body.

Ex: guy stops wearing tight shirts that remind him of tightness in his chest during panic attacks

Question 9

External cues (for panic)

Answer 9

Stimuli in the outside world that serve as triggers for anxiety or as reminders of past traumatic events.

Question 10

Agoraphobia

Answer 10

Anxiety disorder: feelings that a place is uncomfortable / unsafe because it is significantly open / crowded and a potential escape is not readily available.

(e.g., that woman not leaving her house for 20 years OR girl who didn’t wanna go to watch a choir)

about 4.7% have agoraphobia (or PD)

Question 11

5 types of specific phobias

Answer 11

1) (BII) blood injury injection
——-Reaction: drop in blood pressure / heart rate (might faint)
2) situational (elevator, enclosed spaces, planes)
3) Natural environment (heights, storms, water)
4) Animal type

plusss the 5th category (like vomiting or getting sick or something else)

—–most phobias have surge of sympathetic nervous system (blood pressure / heart rate go up and panic attack can occur) EXECT FOR BII TYPE

12.5% of Americans have specific phobia disorder (one of the most common disorders)

Question 12

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) LOL

Answer 12

Really intense fear of social interaction / situations
BOTH performance based and one on one!!

“SAD performance only”, is self explanatory

92% of adults with this have been bullied as kids.

also the panic caused in a SAD situation can become conditioned (associated with the situation) and make things worse :))

Question 13

PTSD

Answer 13

intrusive intense fear, triggered by past traumatic events (reliving the trauma).

• feelings of isolation and emotional numbing / avoidance
• may be jumpy / easily startled /hypervigilant
• 6.8% of population
• combat / sexual assault are most common traumas
• used to be part of anxiety disorder but then got reclassified

Question 14

Flashback

Answer 14

Sudden, intense re-experiencing of a previous event, usually trauma-related.

Question 15

OCD

Answer 15

Behaving excessively or compulsively in hopes of reducing anxiety (cuz of obsessive thoughts / compulsions)

• doubting thoughts
• thoughts of contamination
• aggressive thoughts or images
• 1.6% of population

previously diagnosed as an anxiety disorder –> recently reclassified

Question 16

anti anxiety drugs / medications

Answer 16

Relapse is high after going off of them and some of them cause dependability.

Question 16

Thought - Action Fusion

Answer 16

Overestimating the relationship between a thought and an action

E.g., thinking a “bad” thought is the equivalent of a “bad” action

in context of OCD

ex: the woman who thought she would hurt her daughter & cut off contact with her

Question 16

Exposure-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Answer 16

TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY

Taught to identify / change problematic thought processes. / behaviors / beliefs

• educated about why they think this way and why its bad
• exposure exercises

50% to 80% of patients receiving drugs or CBT will show a good initial response
(with the effect of CBT more durable)

Question 17

Internal bodily or somatic cues

Answer 17

Physical sensations –> triggers for anxiety or as reminders of past trauma