Abnormal Behaviours and Treatment

Generalized anxiety disorder

Excessive and uncontrollable anxiety and worry lasting for more days over at least 6 months.

Symptoms of PTSD

nightmares/unwanted memories, avoidance of situations that bring back memories, heightened reactions

Phobic disorder

 irrational fear of an object that interferes with normal functioning

PTSD

Re-experiencing stress from a traumatic event, causing panic attacks and avoidance behaviors.

Panic disorder

Uncontrollable panic attacks lasting for an extended period, with symptoms like shortness of breath and racing heart. (> 2 weeks)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Cluster C; Obsessive stress leading to ritualistic behaviors to alleviate anxiety, seen in various conditions like Tourette’s and eating disorders.

Major depressive disorder

Profound sadness, loss of interest in previous pleasures, and changes in sleep, appetite, and energy levels lasting for more than 2 weeks.

Bipolar Disorder

Episodes of mania and depression, with symptoms like inflated self-esteem and high energy.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Presence of two or more distinct personality states, often a reaction to trauma.

Schizophrenia

Affects clear thinking, feeling, and behavior, with symptoms like hallucinations and social withdrawal.

Personality disorders

Clustered into A, B, and C types, affecting behavior and relationships differently.

Psychotherapy

Insight therapies like psychoanalysis and humanism, focusing on uncovering unconscious conflicts and personal growth.

Cognitive therapies

Treat anxiety, PTSD, and depression by altering thought patterns and behaviors.

Biomedical therapies

Include medications like SSRIs and antipsychotics, as well as treatments like electroconvulsive therapy and neurostimulation.

Humanistic therapy

Focuses on self-image, personal growth, and client-centered approaches to examine true nature and reduce distress.

Triggers for PTSD

 exposure to actual/threatened death and serious injury or sexual violations

Symptoms of panic disorder

 shortness of breath, racing heart, unfocused feeling of out of control -> can come on rapidly

What is OCD seen in?

Tourette’s, chronic tic disorder, eating disorders, ADHD

Symptoms of major depressive disorder

changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration, daily behaviour, self-esteem, thoughts of suicide, unable to engage in basic behaviour for > 2 weeks

Who is more vulnerable?

Abnormalities at norepinephrine + serotonin synapses, reduced hippocampal volume + suppressed neurogenesis (forming new neurons), hormonal changes resulting overactivity along HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal), learned helplessness

Manic episodes

inflated self-esteem, high energy, racing thoughts

Somatoform disorders

Suffers from some form of physical ailment, when there is no real cause for that ailment to occur

Conversion Disorder

convert stress into some physical ailment

Hypochondria

believes that he has major medical malady, but doctors find nothing physically wrong; Patient seeks treatment for an ailment that he believes exists

Anorexia nervosa

refusing to eat

Bulimia nervosa

cannot stop eating + self-induced compensations

Binge-eating disorder

eats a lot in ONE episode

Causes for DID

reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories

Psychogenic or dissociative fugue state

 forgetting past and creates new history

Psychogenic amnesia

forgets past but realizes it is forgotten

Symptoms for schizophrenia

touch with reality, disorganized speech, decreased daily participation, difficulty with concentration and memory

positive symptoms for schizophrenia

presence of problematic behaviours; Hallucinations, Delusions, Wild flights of ideas

negative symptoms for schizophrenia

absence of healthy behaviours; Flattened emotions, Social withdrawal, Apathy

Cluster A

odd behaviour

Paranoid

Cluster A; mistrust of others

Schizoid

Cluster A; lack interest in social relationships

Schizotypal

Cluster A; odd beahviour or thinking

Cluster B

dramatic

Antisocial

Cluster B; disregard for the law and rights of others

Borderline

Cluster B; instability in relationship

Histrionic

Cluster B; pervasive attention-seeking

Narcissistic

Cluster B;  need for admiration

Cluster C

anxious

Avoidant

Cluster C; social inhibition

Dependent

Cluster C; pervasive on others

Ego-dystonic

they know they have a problem and is distressed

Ego-syntonic

do not believe they have any issues

Psychotherapy

insight therapies

Psychoanalysis

help patient uncover unconscious conflicts that give rise to anxiety; 1 hr/day several days a week for several years

Humanism

Provide a sounding board for people to voice their thoughts; Active listening and parroting

Behaviorism

Create environmental context in conflict with behaviours demonstrated