Psychological Disorders, Part 2

Anxiety disorders

• Anxiety disorder is when anxiety is significantly impacting functioning 

• Isn’t always problematic 

Phobic disorder

• Phobias are intense fear of an object of situation greatly out of proportion to the actual threat 

• Ex: Situational type (flying, bridges) animal type (spiders, dogs) 

• Often leads to avoidance 

Panic disorder

• A pattern of recurrent, most often unexpected panic attacks 

• Period of intense anxiety that onsets abruptly 

• Bodily symptoms: sweating, reaching heat, dizziness, nausea, numbness, heat or chills 

• Normally peak at 10 minutes 

• Psychological symptoms: fear of dying or losing control 

• Followed by a fear of having more panic attacks 

Panic attack vs Panic Disorder 

• Arrack: may occur during predictable situations (more common) 

• Disorder: Attacks are unpredictable. Worry about having another

Generalized anxiety disorder

• Persistent worry interferes with functioning for at least 6 months 

• Feel as if cannot control the worry 

• Several of these symptoms: 

  • Restlessness, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, irritability, sleep disturbance 

Mood disorders

• Strong emotional states that intrude on everyday living 

Major depressive disorder

• A severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability 

• Persistent symptoms: Mood, bodily, cognitive 

  • Several symptoms nearly every day for 2 weeks: 

  • Dysphoria - extreme sadness 

  • Anhedonia - lack of pleasure 

  • Sleep disturbances 

  • Eating disturbances 

  • Psychomotor symptoms 

  • Feelings of worthlessness 

  • Poor concentration 

  • Fatigue, lack of energy 

  • Suicidality 

Bipolar disorder

• Periods of depression, along with periods of mania of hypomonia 

Mania

Elevated (or irritable) mood, increased activity or energy, more talkative, racing throughs, less sleep, inflated self esteem.

Hypomania

Mild form of mania (high spirits, happiness, self-confidence) does not lead to considerable function impact

Disorders that impact childhood

Persist throughout lifetime not just during childhood 

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Characterized by inattention and / or hyperactivity 

• Symptoms present by age 12 

• Symptoms negatively impact functioning

• Primarily inattentive type 

• Primarily hyperactive / impulsive type 

• Combined type 

Inattentive symptoms

• Careless mistakes 

• Difficulty sustaining attention

• Doesn’t seem to be listening

• Fails to finish tasks

• Difficulty with organization

• Forgetful, loses things 

Hyperactive / Impulsive symptoms

• Fidgets/taps

• Leaves seats

• Runs/climbs

• “On-the-go”

• Butts in

• Blurts out/talkative 

Autism Spectrum Disorder 

• Deficits in social communication combined with restricted interests and behaviors 

• Characteristics present in early developmental period

• Characteristics impact functioning 

• Autistic people communicate just as effectively with each other (so perhaps not a communication deficit) 

Shifting from using this language:

• “Person with autism” (identified the person fist, before the label") Person fist language 

• To this:

• “Autisitc person” (many autistic people note that being autistic is an integrated part of who they are and we wouldn't say a “person with femaleness) Identity fist language

Social communication

• Reduced use or understanding of nonverbal social cues

• Reduces sharing of interests and emotions 

• Reduced eye contact. Reduced pointing / response to pointing (especially to share interest) 

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors

• Repetitive movements 

• Insistence on sameness 

• Highly restricted, fixed interests 

• Walking one toes, hitting head 

Comorbidity

• The presence of two or more disorders in the same person 

• Ex: Anxiety and depression, depression and OCD, autism and ADHD