week 3 Flashcards
What is anxiety?
A diffuse, highly unpleasant, often vague sense of apprehension or foreboding, often accompanied by changes in bodily responses and behaviour
What is pathological anxiety?
The anxiety is more frequent, more severe, and more presistent than the individual is accustomed to or can tolerate
Fear
An immediate alarm reaction to impending danger or pain
Biological causes of anxiety disorders
Neurotransmission shennanigans: GABA, serotonin, noreadrenaline, CRF.
Some genetic influence
problems with the BIS (from RTS theory) reflected in limbic system issues
Psychological and social causes of anxiety
Attatchment, sense of control, learning
Social: life is fucking stressful x
Avoidance
Common strategy to manage anxiety short term relief long-term perpetuation of problem functional impact safety behaviours
THe big DSM anxiety disorders
GAD
panic disorder (with/without agororaphiba)
Phobia-specific/simple
SAD (social phobia).
NB: not a complete list, but the ones we’re studying
DSM critieria for the GAD
Excessive or ongoing anxiety and worry, occuring on more days than not, over a period of at least 3 months.
THe person finds it difficult to control the worry
The anxiety and worry are regularly associated with three or more of the following;
1. restless and on edge
easily fatigued
difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
irritabiltiy
muscle tension
sleep disturbance
D) the anxiety, worry or symptoms are causing distress or impairment
E) not attributable to drugs
Prevelance of GAD
4% of population, but few seek treatment. women x2 likely than men, onset in early adulthood but can come through at any age
Panic disorder and the DSM
Recurrent panic attacks
at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month or more of one or both of the following: a) persistent concern or worry about additional panic attakcs of their consequence. b) a significant maladaptive change in behaviour related to the attacks.
the disturbance is not attirubtable to another physiological condition (brain tumour etc), or drugs etc
the disturbance is not better explained by another disorder
Whats the connection between PD and Agoraphobia?
Individuals experience severe, expected (cued) or unexpected (uncued) panic attacks, with or without agoraphobia. Person begins to avoid two or more situations that person believes could cause a panic attack, a response to fearing situations that are ‘unsafe’ or cannot be escaped from. Seperable from panic, but often intertwined.
Panic attack symptoms
Shortness of breath, heart palpatations, persperation, trembling, weakness, choking, cant breath, fear of dying
Prevalence of panic disorder
prevelance, approximately 3.5% of the population
Onset: often occurs in early adult life, frmo mid adolesence to about 40 years of age, mid age is 25-29 years. 75% female
Panic disorder n genes
genetic link for sure, as well as some biological shit (the old classics, serotonin and GABBA issues).
What is nocturnal panic?
a panic attack that occurs during sleep, with no trigger. happens to 60% of panic disorder patients.
Wake up with same sympoms of a panic attack, NON-rem sleep, delta wave., sensation of letting go
