chapter 5: anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, trauma, and stressor-related disorders

anxiety

state of apprehension, tension, and worry

fight-or-flight response

physiological changes in the body that occur in response to a perceived threat

autonomic nervous system

controls bodily functions not consciously directed

adrenal-cortical system

responds to stress to determine fight-or-flight reactions

panic attacks

short, intense periods during which an individual experiences symptoms of anxiety

panic disorder

disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks

anxiolytic

a medication that reduces or alleviates symptoms of anxiety

locus coeruleus

area of the brain stem that plays a part in the emergency response and may be involved in panic attacks

anxiety sensitivity (AS)

the tendency to believe that anxiety and its symptoms harm the body

interoceptive signals

sensitivity to stimuli arising from within the body

interoceptive conditioning

symptoms of anxiety that have preceded panic attacks become the signals for new panic attacks

conditioned avoidance response

behavior that is reinforced because it allows individuals to avoid situations that cause anxiety

separation anxiety disorder

syndrome marked by the presence of abnormal fear over becoming separated from one's caregiver

separation anxiety

a state of extreme distress caused by separation from the primary caregiver

behavioral inhibition

set of behavioral traits including shyness, fearfulness, irritability, cautiousness, and introversion

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety in daily life

emotion regulation

strategies individuals use to manage and control their emotions to achieve desired emotional states

social anxiety disorder

anxiety disorder where the individual experiences intense fear of public humiliation or rejection

specific phobias

extreme fears of specific objects or situations

animal-type phobias

extreme fears of specific animals

natural environment type phobias

extreme fears of events or situations in the natural environment

situational type phobias

extreme fears of situations such as public transportation, tunnels, bridges, etc.

blood-injection-injury type phobias

extreme fears of seeing blood or an injury

agoraphobia

anxiety disorder characterized by fear of places and situations in which it would be difficult to escape

exteroceptive conditioning

involves the classical conditioning of external stimuli from the environment with psychological responses

negative reinforcement

process in which people avoid being exposed to feared objects

prepared classical conditioning

theory that evolution has prepared people to be easily conditioned to fear objects or situations that were dangerous in ancient times

applied tension technique

technique used to treat blood-injection-injury type phobias in which the therapist teaches the client to increase their heart rate to prevent fainting

obsessive-compulsive disorder

anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions

obsessions

uncontrollable, persistent thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that an individual feels intrude on their consciousness

compulsions

repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels they must perform

hoarding disorder

a compulsive disorder characterized by the inability to throw away unneeded possessions

trichotillomania

disorder characterized by recurrent pulling out of the hair resulting in noticeable hair loss

excoriation

a disorder characterized by recurrent picking at scabs or places on the skin, creating lesions that often become infected

body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

an obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by excessive concern about physical appearance

exposure and response prevention

type of therapy in which individuals with anxiety symptoms are exposed repeatedly to the focus of their anxiety but are prevented from avoiding it

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

anxiety disorder characterized by repeated mental images of experiencing a traumatic event, emotional detachment, and hypervigilance

acute stress disorder

disorder similar to PTSD but occurs within 1 month of exposure and does not last more than 4 weeks

flashbacks

vivid, sensory experiences during which a person may experience sensations that mirror what they experienced during the traumatic moment

PTSD with prominent dissociative symptoms

form of posttraumatic stress disorder in which the individual experiences feelings of being detached from their mental processes or body

adjustment disorder

stress-related disorder that involves emotional and behavioral symptoms that arise within 3 months of the onset of a stressor

reactvie attachment disorder

results from significant neglect or trauma; affected children have difficulty forming emotional attachments to others

disinhibited social engagement disorder

involves the development of inappropriate and overly familiar behavior with adult strangers associated with neglectful and abusive experiences

prolonged grief disorder

characterized by this intense and persistent grief that causes problems and interferes with daily life

cortisol

hormone that helps the body respond to stressors

stress-inoculation therapy

a form of cognitive-behavior therapy that focuses on developing skills that allow the individual to cope with stress