Obsessive-Compulsive & Post Traumatic Stress Disorders

Lecture 7

Nosology and its characteristics

Nosology: study of how medicine classifies illness

Characteristics: causes of illness, classified according to symptoms

2 key issues of Symptom-Based overlap

1. Symptom overlap: some symptoms are common in many mental illnesses

2. Heterogeneity: 2 people with the same diagnosis may have symptoms present differently

Obsessions and Compulsions (OCD)

Obsessions: disruptive, anxiety-producing thoughts that are hard to control

Compulsions: repetitive actions that are done to relieve anxiety

Similarities and differences between OCD and PTSD

Similarities: anxiety, avoiding triggering situations, can manifest after trauma, treatment

Differences: OCD doesn’t involve flashbacks or has to be triggered by trauma like PTSD

Somatic Symptom Disorder

someone who has a fixation of certain symptoms (e.g,, headache)

Illness anxiety disorder

excessive worry about illness

Somatic symptom disorder VS Illness anxiety disorder

In both, people intensely utilize the healthcare system

Positivist framework

sees our knowledge as always improving. Assumes we will eventually discover more info about mental illness

Constructivist framework

sees knowledge as fluid & contextual. Current unanswered questions might never be solved

2 defining symptoms of PTSD and PTSD DS

PTSD: Hyperarousal & re-experiencing of events

PTSD DS: Depersonalization & derealization

“Social trajectory” of a disorder

How it “emerges” or comes to attention in society

TRUE or FALSE - the presence of both obsessions & compulsions is needed as part of meeting diagnostic criteria for OCD

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE - PTSD extends beyond the context of war & can follow the experience of any type of stressful or traumatic event

TRUE

TRUE or FALSE - all people experiencing PTSD today would meet diagnostic criteria for shell shock

FALSE