Anxiety Disorders l Fear of real or imagined

Anxiety Disorders

l. Fear of real or imagined danger l. Out of proportion to the situation l 19 million Americans (c. 2001) l. Personal inadequacy, avoidance, mood swings

Types l General anxiety disorder – Continual, vague apprehension – Trap themselves in a cycle of worry l Phobic disorder – Fear focused on an object, situation or person – Specific or social (speaking, eating…) – Hemophobia, acrophobia, logizmechanophobia

l Panic disorder – Sudden, helpless, terror of inevitable doom – Attacks range from minutes to over an hour l OCD – Anxious thoughts + repeated coping behaviors – Problem when it interferes with what you need to do – Possible genetic basis

l Post Traumatic Stress disorder – Severe, long lasting effects of an event – Military vets, war victims, natural disaster victims, violent crime victims – Flashbacks, nightmares – Insomnia, guilt

Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders

Somatoform l. Physical symptoms brought on due to psychological distress l. No apparent physical cause l“Hysteria”

l Conversion disorders (rare) – Emotional difficulty creating loss of physiological functions – Loss of movement or speech l Hypochondriasis – Imaginary ailments – Looks for signs, misinterprets – Repressed emotions expressed with physical symptoms

Dissociative (rare) l Normal = lost in a daydream l Dis. Amnesia – Memory loss w/o biological explanation – Attempt to escape or block out traumatic events l Dis. Fugue – Amnesia + flight to a diff. environment – last from days to decades – New identity possibly est. – Escape from conflict

l Dis. Identity Disorder – (multiple personality disorder) – Eve (22), Sybil (16) – 2 or more separate and distinct identities – May or may not be aware of each other – Common cause is severe abuse at a young age

Schizophrenia & Mood Disorders

Schizophrenia l Affects the working memory l Random, unrelated thoughts & sentences l Delusions, hallucinations l Incoherence l Disturbances of affect (inappropriate emotions for the situation) l Deterioration in movement, functioning, & diverted attention

Types l Paranoid l Disorganized (grandeur or persecution) l Catatonic l Remission l Undifferentiated

Causes l Genetics (psych’s l Poor family unable to pinpoint details) l Chemical imbalances relationships and interactions

Mood disorders (intense & long lasting) l Major depressive disorder – Markers = issues eating, sleeping, thinking, concentrating, decision making, lacking energy, thoughts of suicide, feelings of guilt or worthlessness – Need 4 of the above – Reduced ability to function & interact

l Bipolar disorder – Excessively & inappropriately happy or unhappy – Manic l High energy, loud, optimistic, irresponsible – Depressive l Lethargy, despair and unresponsiveness

Seasonal Affective l Become depressive in response to seasonal changes l Sleep & eat excessively l Linked to increase in melotonin

Suicide & depression l Not always linked l 1 suicide every 20 minutes l Attempts higher in women l Success higher in men l More common in elderly l Many times cause is unknown

Personality Disorders

l Antisocial – Disregard of others w/o remorse l Dependent – Submissive, needy l Histrionic – Excessive emotions, attention seeking l Obsessive Compulsive – “perfectionist”, control, orderly l Paranoid – Distrusts, suspicious of others l Schizotypal – Intense discomfort in close relationships, eccentric behavior

Drug Addiction

l Psychological dependence – Restless, irritable, uneasy – M. j. , alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines – Leads to physiological dependence – Tolerance increases usage – Withdrawal: mind & body revolt against lack of drug

Alcoholism l Depressant l 50% of h. s. seniors in the last month l 40% of auto deaths, murders l Reduces inhibitions l Systematically shuts down psych & phsyio functions l Factors: size, past experience, speed, family history