Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions related to anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder as discussed in the lecture.

Anxiety

Central nervous system’s physiological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities.

Fear

Central nervous system’s physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to one’s well-being.

Sociocultural Perspective

GAD is more likely to develop in people faced with dangerous ongoing social conditions or highly threatened environments.

Obsessions

Persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images that seem to invade a person’s consciousness.

Compulsions

Repetitive and rigid behaviors or mental acts that people feel they must perform to prevent or reduce anxiety.

Panic Disorder

Periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass.

Specific Phobias

Marked, persistent, and disproportionate fear of a particular object or situation that lasts at least six months.

Agoraphobia

Fear of being in at least two delineated situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable.

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy

Therapy that seeks to correct people’s misinterpretations of their bodily sensations and reduce anxiety.

Biological Perspective

Posits that GAD and other disorders can be attributed to underlying biological factors such as neurotransmitter activity.

Humanistic Perspective

Suggests that GAD arises when individuals stop looking at themselves honestly and acceptingly.

Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective

Focuses on how maladaptive behaviors and thinking patterns contribute to the development of psychological disorders.

Systematic Desensitization

A treatment for phobias involving gradual exposure to the feared object or situation.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A disorder characterized by the occurrence of repeated obsessions, compulsions, or both that cause significant distress or impairment.