Psychological Disorders 08 06 2012 All know Cultures experience psychological disorders o Psychological disorders have genetic components Nature nurture issue But we all do crazy things sometimes so how do we decide when it is abnormal Psychological disorder o A harmful dysfunction where behavior is emotionally distressing maladaptive leads to personal distress or harm or harm to others interferes with a person s ability to function and adapt to the stresses and everyday demands of life Does it screw with your ability to live a normal day to day life Unjustifiable no identifiable and reasonable external cause Anxiety disorders fearfulness that impairs normal functioning persistent excessive or unrealistic anxiety and o So worried you cant leave your house etc interferes with normal function o Includes maladaptive self medicating behaviors that reduce anxiety e g alcohol and drug use Generalized anxiety disorder o free floating unrealistic anxiety chronic worrying lasting over 6 months persistent high autonomic nervous system arousal may involve physical problems such as diarrhea Panic disorder o Recurrent discrete episodes or attacks of extremely intense terror or dread I feel like I m dying really does Many physical symptoms such as chest pains choking Panic attacks Can be triggered by specific phobias OR can be spontaneous Phobia irrational persistent fear of something Can be object situation or social activity IMMEDIATE TERROR o Example phobia of dogs big or small Obsessive Compulsive Disorder o Persistent uncontrollable repitive thoughts obsession and the need to perform some action to relieve the obsessive thoughts compulsion Examples excessive cleaning using a new bar of soap every time everyday checking Lock your car with remote check anyway Gets bad when you cant even go in store because you want to turn around and check again Youtube video what its like to be OCD OCD s cannot disengage attention from the obsession Very high frontal lobe activity red Bio Psycho Social perspective culture bound o Assumes hat biological cognitive and sociocultural factors combine and interact Some anxiety disorders are culture bound Cultures that overvalue US are linked to high rates of anorexia and bulimia Body dysmorphic disorder person perceives a huge flaw where the flaw is really minor or nonexistent Mood Disorders Depression Depression is a normal response to loss o Psychological hibernation time to slow down re evaluate redirect energies and this is adaptive o Major depressive disorder is maladaptive why Major depressive disorder o Mood disorder in which a person for no rational reason experiences persistent depressed moods feelings of worthlessness o Women s risk of depression is double that of men s Cultural gender roles often devalue women 08 06 2012 08 06 2012
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