WEEK 2 - Anxiety/OCD/trauma Flashcards
What manual is used to define abnormality?
DSM-5
What defines abnormality?
Statistical infrequency Personal distress Functional impairment Violation of norms Biological dysfunction
What disorder includes sudden feelings of terror, anxiety and panic attacks? Agoraphobia May be diagnosed with it.
Panic disorder
What is the prevalence rate for panic disorders?
2% for men and 5% for women
Name four or more symptoms that influence a diagnoses of panic disorders.
Criteria states that it should peak within 10min and involve 4 or more of the following symptoms
- palpitations
- got/cold flushes
- sweating
- trembling
- dizziness
- nausea
- choking sensation
- numbness/tingling
What constitutes GAD (general anxiety disorder)?
Chronic anxiety that lasts for at least 6 months. Characterised by 3 of the following: - restlessness/on edge - easily fatigued - difficulty concentrating/mind going blank - irritable - muscle tension - sleep disturbance
What is the prevalence rate for GAD?
2% male
3.5% female
What is agoraphobia?
A fear of being in places that are difficult to escape in the event of having unexpected panic-like symptoms
What diagnoses would you give someone who had a fear of social or performance situations where they could receive possible scrutiny from others in an embarrassing matter?
Social phobia
Exposure to heated social situation provoked anxiety which can cause panic attacks
What are specific phobias?
Chronic excessive fear due to the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation. Fear may resemble a panic attack.
Eg. Animals, planes, environment
Specific phobia patients often know that their fears are ________ and _________.
Excessive and unreasonable
Name the 3 theories (learning processes) of anxiety.
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Modelling (observing someone else’s fear)
How is classical conditioning described?
Where a previously neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that automatically elicits a response
What is operant conditioning?
Includes the use of reinforcement and punishment.
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
What is reinforcement in operant conditioning?
Consequences or events that increase the likelihood of repeating that behaviour.
Positive: pleasant consequence following behaviour. Therefore, repeating the behaviour to get pleasant reward
Negative: removal of unpleasant stimuli when desired behaviour occurs. Increases likelihood of behaviour by avoidance of negative stimulus
Describe how punishment works in operant conditioning.
Punishment is a stimulus that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring.
Positive: introduction of unpleasant stimulus following the behaviour. Behaviour decreases as a result of avoiding negative experience
Negative: removal of pleasant stimuli. Organism will try to maintain behaviour to receive stimuli.
What can classical conditioning explain?
How phobias develop through pairing of neutral and scary stimuli. Becoming conditioned to fear.
What do we do if we experience (or expect to experience) fear?
Avoid it (remove unpleasant stimuli) negative reinforcement
Avoidance behaviour is rewarded and increases (operant)
Anxiety/fear is maintained
What are the 3 theories of anxiety?
Cognitive processes
- interpretation of info/physiological arousal
- coping strategies/personality type
- appear important in most anxiety disorders
Environmental factors
- stressful life events associated with anxiety disorders eg. Panic disorder and PTSD
Genetic factors
- different gene types influence biology/physiology of brain. Eg. Increase brain reactivity to threats
- important in OCD GAD and some phobias
Post traumatic stress disorder is categorised as a ________ and _________ related disorder.
Trauma and stressor
What are the 4 basic criteria that need to be met to reach a diagnoses of PTSD?
- Exposure to traumatic event which results in immense fear, helplessness or horror
- Persistent re-experiencing of event eg. Nightmares
- Persistent avoidance of stimulus associated with event and numbing of general responsiveness
- Persistent symptoms of heightened arousal
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Mind is overwhelmed by persistent and uncontrollable thoughts that compels the individual to repeat certain acts and cause significant distress and interference with everyday functioning
Describe Obsessions in relation to OCD.
- Intrusive and persistent ideas, impulses or images that are unwanted and cause distress
What are compulsions in relation to OCD?
- Repetitive behaviour that the person feels driven to perform
- Aimed at preventing or reducing stress of a dreaded event or situation
How is a depressive disorder characterised?
Disturbances to mood/emotion
- Negative/lowered mood state
What is mania in relation to depressive disorders?
An intense and unwarranted mood state of elation
Name at least 4 symptoms of depression.
- Sad, depressed, most of the day (everyday)
- Loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities
- Loss of energy and fatigue
- Poor appetite and weight loss
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
- Shift in activity level
What are the symptoms of mania in relation to bipolar?
- Flight of ideas (racing thoughts)
- Increased activity level (work, social, sexual)
- Unusual talkativeness/ rapid speech
- Less than usual amount of sleep
- Distractibility
- Involvement in pleasurable activities that have undesirable consequences
