Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Begin in childhood, affect learning, behavior, or functioning

ADHD

Trouble paying attention, controlling behavior; no cure, but meds and therapy help

ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Trouble with communication, social skills, and repetitive behaviors; very different from person to person

Schizophrenia Spectrum

Involves delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech/behavior, or flat emotion

Psychosis

Loss of contact with reality

Delusions

Strong, false beliefs.

• Delusions of persecution - the belief that someone is being mistreated, spied upon, or harmed by others

• Delusions of Grandeur - a belief that one is more influential, powerful, or important than reality

Hallucinations

Seeing/hearing things that aren’t there

Word salad

Jumbled, meaningless speech

Catatonia

Movement problems (frozen or strange movements)

Flat affect

No emotional expression

Catatonic stupor

No movement or speech

Negative vs Positive Symptoms

Dopamine hypothesis

Too much/little dopamine may cause psychotic symptoms

Depressive disorders

Ongoing sadness or irritability that affects daily life

Major Depressive Disorder

Severe depression for at least 2 weeks

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Milder symptoms lasting 2+ years

Bipolar disorders

Mood swings between highs (mania) and lows (depression)

Manic episode

Very high energy, elated or irritable mood

Depressive episode

Sad, hopeless, tired

Bipolar I

At least one manic episode

Bipolar II

Hypomania (less sever manic episode) + depression.

Cycling

Shifting between mood episodes

Anxiety disorders

Excessive fear or worry

Specific phobia

Fear of a specific thing (e.g., spiders)

Agoraphobia

Fear of open or crowded spaces

Social anxiety disorder

Fear of being judged by others

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Constant worry about many things

Panic disorder

Sudden intense fear or panic attacks

Panic attack

Sudden surge of fear with physical symptoms

Ataque de nervios

Cultural panic response (Latin cultures)

Taijin kyofusho

Fear of offending others (Japan)

Obsessions

Repetitive unwanted thoughts

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety

OCD

Obsessions + compulsions causing distress

OCPD

Extreme perfectionism and control (not always distressing)

Hoarding disorder

Trouble getting rid of items, causing clutter

Dissociation

Disconnection from memory, identity, or reality

Dissociative disorders

Escaping reality in unhealthy ways

Dissociative amnesia

Forgetting due to trauma (not brain injury)

Fugue

Sudden travel or loss of identity

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Two or more distinct identities due to trauma

Trauma-related disorders

Caused by extreme stress or trauma

Hypervigilance

Always on alert

Flashbacks

Reliving a traumatic event

Insomnia

Trouble sleeping

Emotional detachment

Feeling numb or disconnected

PTSD

Lasting stress after trauma (e.g., war, assault)

Feeding/eating disorders

Unhealthy eating habits that harm health

Anorexia nervosa

Extreme food restriction, fear of weight gain

Bulimia nervosa

Binge eating followed by purging

• these behaviors occur at least once a week for three months

Personality disorders

Long-lasting behavior patterns that are harmful or disruptive

Cluster A

Odd/eccentric behavior

• Paranoid - pattern of distrust and suspicion

• Schizoid - avoidance of social activity and interaction with others

• Schizotypal - add ways of thinking, perceiving, and communicating

Cluster B

Dramatic/emotional behavior

• Anti-Social - disregard for others with no remorse/guilt

• Histrionic - excessive attention-seeking behavior

• Narcissistic - inflated sense of self-importance

Cluster C

Anxious/fearful behavior

• Avoidant - feeling of inadequacy and being socially judged; leads to avoiding interpersonal contact

• Dependent - feeling of helplessness and a need to be taken care of and reassured

• Obsessive Compulsive - excessively focused on order and perfection