Psychological Disorders Abnormal Psychology Study Guide When taking classes in abnormal psychology it is important to be aware that we all experience disturbing impulses thoughts and fears from time to time so don t be alarmed as you learn about the conditions as many are probably extremes of psychological difficulties we all experience on occasion A valid diagnosis o Distinguishes that diagnosis from other similar diagnoses o Predicts diagnosed individual s performance on laboratory tests including personality measures neurotransmitter levels and brain imaging findings o Predicts diagnosed individual s family history of psychiatric disorders o Predicts diagnosed individual s natural history that is what tends to happen to them over time o Predicts diagnosed individual s response to treatment DSM diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Definition criteria for mental disorders diagnostic system containing the American Psychiatric Association APA Explains symptoms of disorder and important information concerning the characteristics Currently on the fifth version called DSM 5 Does not explain causes DSM 5 warns diagnosticians about physical or organic meaning first rule out Provides a reliable measure for diagnosticians medical causes of a disorder when diagnosing psychological conditions General Anxiety Disorder GAD Anxiety related disorders Definition across many areas of life functioning continuing feelings of worry anxiety physical tension and irritability Characterized by excessive uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry 1 3 of people with GAD develop it following a major stress event ex a wedding an illness death of a relative ect More likely to be female than male Spend an average of 60 worrying a day compared to the average 18 of a normal person Typically worries about he some things in life People with GAD often experience other anxiety disorders including phobias and panic disorder GAD may be the core anxiety disorder out of which all others develop comorbid Comorbid is the presence of one or more additional disorders or diseases co occurring with a primary disease or disorder or the effect of such additional disorders or diseases The additional disorder may also be a behavioral or mental disorder Symptoms o Restlessness o Constant fatigue o Distraction o Irritable o Muscle Tension o Sleep problems Qualifications to be diagnosed o Six months of anxiety and worry o Inability to control worry o Six months 3 symptoms o Pervasive Panic Attack with agoraphobia Definition brief intense episode of extreme fear characterized by sweating dizziness light headedness racing heartbeat and feelings of impending death or going crazy Can occur only rarely or can occur on a daily basis for weeks months or even years Agoraphobia at a time Peak within 10 minutes ends within 30 minutes Frequently occurs with another disorder Panic Attacks with Agoraphobia embarrassing or in which help is unavailable in the event of a panic attack Symptoms fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult or o Palpitations o Sweating o Trembling o Shaking o Shortness of Breath o Choking Feeling o Nausea o Dizziness o Loss of reality o Fear of going crazy o Fear of dying o Numbness o Chills or hot flushes Panic Disorder Definition repeated and unexpected panic attacks along with either persistent concerns about future attacks or a change in a personal behavior in an attempt to avoid them It is when panic attacks are repeated and unexpected and involves excessive concern about attacks Phobia Definition its actual threat Symptoms intense fear of an object or a situation that s greatly out of proportion to o Persistent excessive or unreasonable fear in response to a cue flying heights injections blood etc o Exposure to cue creates anxiety response or attack o Avoids fear at all costs o Interferes with normal functioning Many people have minor fears for example fear or spiders but to be diagnosed as a phobia it must restrict our life create considerable distress or do both Phobias are the most common of all anxiety disorders Examples of specific phobias o Animal o Natural world water storms etc o Blood injection o Situational planes small spaces o Other illness choking sounds etc Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Definition immersion in obsessions compulsions or both condition marked by repeatedly and lengthy at least one hour per day Extremely disturbed by their thoughts Obsession persistent idea thought or urge that is unwanted causing marked distress o Unwanted thoughts impulses images o Exceeds real life problems o Attempts of suppression Compulsion repetitive behavior or mental act performed to reduce or prevent stress o Repetitive behaviors o Aim to prevent or reduce stress of a situation Common rituals of OCD include o Repeatedly checking door locks windows electronic controls and ovens o Performing tasks in set ways like putting one s shows in a fixed pattern o Repeatedly arranging and rearranging objects o Washing and cleaning repeatedly and unnecessarily o Counting the number of dots on a wall or touching and tapping objects Trauma and stressor related disorders Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PSTD marked emotional disturbance after experiencing or witnessing a severely Definition stressful event It is no longer in the Anxiety Disorder classification Experienced threat death including as a witness or serious injury AND response involved intense reaction Contact with a stimulus relating to the event can cause a flashback PSTD in the brain o Trauma experienced o Reliving the experience o Psychological and physiological reaction to Cues Who can get PSTD o Anyone who was a victim o Survivors of violent acts o Car accidents disasters o Combat veterans o People that experienced a death o Children who are abused More frequent worldwide tragic events are happening today in time thus PSTD is becoming more prominent Example 9 11 Virginia Tech Campus shooting Columbine school shooting Symptoms o Efforts to avoid thoughts feelings places objects and conversations that remind the person of the event o Recurrent dreams of the trauma o Increased arousal reflected in difficulty sleeping and startling easily Symptoms must be shown for more than a month to be diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder MDD Mood disorders A key feature of major depressive disorder is major depressive episodes Major depressive episode
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