Abnormal Psychology Anxiety Disorders + obsessive compulsive disorders

What is Russell's circumplex model?

A model that shows the spectrum of emotions

• x axis=valence, unpleasant to pleasant

• Y axis=arousal, deactivation to activation

How does the psychodynamic model describe anxiety?

Anxiety comes in response to the egos attempt to protect against those threats

How does the biopsychosocial perspective view anxiety?

Anxiety disorders consist of syndromes with overlapping patterns in behavior andsymptoms

What is the process of differential diagnosis?

The process of determining which of two or more diseases or disorders with overlapping symptoms a particular patient has

What is the primary characteristic of separation anxiety?

worry about being separated from primary attachment figure

What is the primary characteristic of phobias?

specific target of anxiety

What is the primary characteristic of social anxiety?

Sx specific to social situations and the possibility of being scrutinized/negatively evaulated

What is the primary characteristic of agoraphobia?

Sx specific to social situations and the possibility that escape may not be possible

What is the primary characteristic of panic disorder?

recurrent panic attacks and anxiety about having more panic attacks

What is the primary characteristic of generalized anxiety disorder?

broad worry/anxiety about many different things

What is the primary characteristic of substance/medication induced anxiety?

Sx secondary to substance or medication use

What is the neurobiology of GAD?

• neurotransmitters: GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine

• Genetics: heritability between 15% and 40%

What are obsessions?

thoughts, images, or impulses that regularly occur and feel outside of the person’s control

What are compulsions?

repetitive behaviors or thoughts to neutralize or counteract the obsession

What is the OCD cycle?

a person has an obsessions, which causes severe anxiety, which becomes so severe that they have to engage in compulsions, which causes short lived relief

What are the common OCD themes?

Harm: fear of harming self/others and fear of harm coming to self/harm

Health anxiety: fear of having an illness

Scrupulosity: obsessions about right and wrong, going against religious belief/teachings, being a bad person

Pedophilia: intrusive thoughts about others

How does the Humanistic perspective conceptualize GAD?

People try to meet harsh self-standards, repeatedly distorting and denying their true thoughts and experiences

How does the cognitive-behavioral perspective conceptualize GAD?

People believe positive and negative thoughts about worrying, and the negative thoughts cause them to worry about worrying

How does the biological perspective conceptualize GAD?

It is caused chiefly by biological factors

What is the metacognitive theory?

Suggests that people with GAD implicitly hold both positive and negative beliefs about worrying

What is intolerance of uncertainty theory?

some people cannot tolerate the knowledge that negative events may occur, even if the possibility of occurrence is very small

What is avoidance theory?

people with GAD have greater bodily arousal than other people and that worrying actually serves to reduce this arousal

How is GABA associated with the development of GAD?

GABA carries inhibitory messages, so when it is received at a receptor it causes the neuron to stop firing, so many researchers believe that GABA activity may be deficient in those with GAD

Which psychotropic meds word on the GABA system?

gabapentinoids

What is a specific phobia?

a persistent fear of a specific object or situation

What is agoraphobia?

a fear of being in public places or situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable if they experience panic or become incapacitated

How does conditioning relate to phobias?

two events that occur close together in time become strongly associated with each other in a person’s mind, and the person then reacts similarly to both of them

What treatment is used for specific phobias?

exposure treatment - an approach in which people are exposed to the objects or situations they dread

What treatments are used for agoraphobia?

exposure treatment

What is a panic attack?

a periodic, short bout of panic that occurs suddenly, reaches a peak within minutes, and gradually passes

What are the key symptoms of panic attacks?

palpitations of the heart, tingling in the hands or feet, chest pains, choking sensations, faintness, dizziness, and feeling of unreality

What is the neurobiology of panic disorder?

in the panic circuit, the amygdala stimulates the other structures in the brain circuit (the hippocampus, ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus, central gray matter, and locus coeruleus), and this tends to be hyperactive in people who display panic disorder

How does the cognitive-behavioral perspective conceptualize panic attacks?

full panic reactions are experienced only by people who further misinterpret the physiological events that are taking place within their bodies

How does the psychodynamic perspective conceptualize OCD?

the battle between anxiety provoking-id impulses and anxiety-reducing defense mechanisms is not buried in the unconscious but is played out in over thoughts and actions

How does the cognitive-behavioral perspective conceptualize OCD?

everyone has repetitive, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts, but those with OCD typically blame themselves for such thoughts and expect that somehow terrible things will happen. To avoid negative outcomes they try to neutralize the thoughts

How does the biological perspective conceptualize OCD?

The cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit is hyperactive in people with OCD, making it difficult for them to dismiss their impulses, needs, and related thoughts

What are the obsessive-compulsive-related disorders?

hoarding disorder: need to save items and become distressed if they try to discard them

trichotillomania: repeatedly pull out hair from their body

excoriation disorder: keep picking at skin, resulting in significant sores or wounds

body dysmorphic disorder: become preoccupied with the belief that they have a particular defect or flaw in their physical appearance