Anxiety Disorders and Related Disorders

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to anxiety disorders and their treatments.

Fear

A reaction to immediate danger.

Anxiety

Apprehension over an anticipated fear or problem.

Specific Phobias

Disproportionate fear caused by specific objects or situations, often leading to avoidance.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Persistent and unrealistically intense fear of social situations, often fearing negative evaluation.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent panic attacks that are unrelated to specific situations.

Agoraphobia

Anxiety about situations where escape might be difficult or embarrassing if symptoms occur.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive, uncontrollable worry about minor things, often starting in adolescence.

Neuroticism

Tendency to experience frequent or intense negative affect, predicting anxiety disorders.

SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

Antidepressants such as Paxil and Zoloft used in treatment.

Obsessions

Recurrent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts or urges.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or thoughts performed to prevent stress or dreaded events.

E R P (Exposure and Response Prevention)

A specialized form of CBT deemed the gold standard for treating OCD.

Acute Stress Disorder

A short-term, intense stress reaction occurring within 4 weeks of a traumatic event.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

A condition characterized by prolonged symptoms following exposure to a traumatic event.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A disorder where a person has at least two distinct personality states (alters).

Somatic Symptoms Disorder

A condition marked by extreme anxiety over physical symptoms that cause significant distress.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

Excessive and irrational fear of having or developing a serious undiagnosed illness.

Factitious Disorder

A condition motivated by an internal need to assume the sick role, unlike malingering which is for external gain.

Eating Disorders

Mental health conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits, such as anorexia and bulimia.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Characterized by repeated binge eating episodes without compensatory behaviors.

Dopamine Hypothesis

Proposes that excess levels of dopamine contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Cognitive Theory of Dissociation

Suggests that stress enhances the encoding of central features of negative events.

Family Therapy Goal for Schizophrenia

To reduce expressed emotion, a risk factor for relapse.