Week 5 Anxiety Flashcards
Specific phobia
Specific phobia is characterized by fear or anxiety specific to an object or a situation and individuals can experience fear of more than one object.
Generalized anxiety
‘In general I have anxiety’
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by an underlying excessive worry related to a wide range of events or activities and an inability to control their worry through coping strategies.
- Cant help but to worry
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is characterized by intense fear related to situations in which the individual is in public situations where escape may be difficult, and help may not be able to come.
Social anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by fear or anxiety related to social situations, especially when evaluation by others is possible.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by a series of recurrent, unexpected panic attacks coupled with the fear of future panic attacks
What is Fear:
- The DSM says that fear is an emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat which leads to “…surges of autonomic arousal necessary for flight or flight, thoughts of immediate danger, and escape behaviors.”
What is Anxiety:
- Anxiety, on the other hand, is the anticipation of a future threat leading to, “…muscle tension and vigilance in preparation for future danger and cautious or avoidant behaviors” (APA, 2022, pg. 215). The anxiety disorders differ from one another in the types of objects or situations that lead to fear, anxiety, or avoidance behavior.
COMORBIDITY NOTES
COMORBIDITY
- Many anxiety disorders are comorbid with one another.
- Other common comorbid disorders include depressive disorders and substance-related disorders.
- Agoraphobia has a high comorbidity with PTSD and panic disorder with general medical symptoms.
- Most anxiety disorders are associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but not always deaths.
