Ch 4: Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders

fear

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to well-being

anxiety

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger

generalized anxiety disorder

a disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities

client-centered therapy

the humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by being accepting, empathizing accurately, and conveying genuineness.

basic irrational assumptions

The inaccurate and inappropriate beliefs held by people with various psychological problems, according to Albert Ellis

rational-emotive therapy

a cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis that helps clients identify and change the irrational assumptions and thinking that help cause their psychological disorder

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

Incorporates traditional aspects of cognitive therapy with mindfulness and mindfulness meditation which involves becoming aware of all incoming thoughts and feelings, accepting them, but not reacting to them.

family pedigree study

a research design in which investigators determine how many and which relatives of a person with a disorder have the same disorder

benzodiazepines

the most common group of antianxiety drugs, which includes Valium and Xanax

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

a neurotransmitter whose low activity has been linked to generalized anxiety disorder

sedative-hypnotic drugs

a drug used in low doses to reduce anxiety and in higher doses to help people sleep

relaxation training

a treatment procedure that teaches clients to relax at will so they can calm themselves in stressful situations

biofeedback

a technique in which a client is given information about physiological reactions as they occur and learns to control the reactions voluntarily

electromyograph (EMG)

a device that provides feedback about the level of muscular tension in the body

specific phobia

a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity, or situation that is severe enough to interfere with daily living

agoraphobia

an anxiety disorder in which a person is afraid to be in public situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable if panic-like or embarrassing symptoms were to occur

classical conditioning

a process of learning in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become tied together in a person's mind and so produce the same response

modeling

A process of learning in which a person observes and then imitates others. Also, a therapy approach based on the same principle.

stimulus generalization

a phenomenon in which responses to one stimulus are also produced by similar stimuli

preparedness

a predisposition to develop certain fears

exposure treatments

behavioral treatments in which persons are exposed to the objects or situations they dread

systematic desensitization

a behavioral treatment that uses relaxation training and a fear hierarchy to help clients with phobias react calmly to the objects or situations they dread

flooding

a treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless

social anxiety disorder

a severe and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur

social skills training

a therapy approach that helps people learn or improve social skills and assertiveness through role playing and rehearsing of desirable behaviors

panic attacks

periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks

norepinephrine

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to panic disorder (too high) and depression (too low)

locus coeruleus

A small area of the brain that seems to be active in the regulation of emotions. Many of its neurons use norepinephrine.

biological challenge test

a procedure used to produce panic in participants or clients by having them exercise vigorously or perform some other potentially panic-inducing task in the presence of a researcher or therapist

anxiety sensitivity

a tendency to focus on one's bodily sensations, assess them illogically, and interpret them as harmful

obsessions

a persistent thought, idea, impulse, or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive, and causes anxiety

compulsions

a repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety

obsessive-compulsive disorder

a disorder in which a person has recurrent and unwanted thoughts, a need to perform repetitive and rigid actions, or both

exposure and response prevention

A behavioral treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder that exposes a client to anxiety-arousing thoughts or situations and then prevents the client from performing his or her compulsive acts.

neutralizing

a person's attempt to eliminate unwanted thoughts by thinking or behaving in ways that put matters right internally, making up for the unacceptable thoughts

serotonin

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders

orbitofrontal cortex

a region of the brain in which impulses involving excretion, sexuality, violence, and other primitive activities normally arise

caudate nuclei

structures in the brain, within the region known as the basal ganglia, that help convert sensory information into thoughts and actions

hoarding disorder

a disorder in which individuals feel compelled to save items and become very distressed if they try to discard them, resulting in an excessive accumulation of items

trichotillomania

a disorder in which people repeatedly pull out hair from their scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other parts of the body

excoriation disorder

a disorder in which people repeatedly pick at their skin, resulting in significant sores or wounds

body dysmorphic disorder

A disorder in which individuals become preoccupied with the belief that they have certain defects or flaws in their physical appearance. Such defects or flaws are imagined or greatly exaggerated.

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

metacognitive theory

suggests that people with generalized anxiety disorder implicitly hold positive and negative beliefs about worrying. The negative beliefs about worrying result in the disorder

stress management program

an approach to treating generalized and other anxiety disorders that teaches clients techniques for reducing and controlling stress

intolerance of uncertainty theory

Certain individuals consider it unacceptable that negative events may occur, even if the possibility is very small; they worry in an effort to find "correct" solutions

avoidance theory

Worrying serves a "positive" function for those with GAD by reducing unusually high levels of bodily arousal