Anxiety and Obsessive-compulsive Disorders

Panic Disorder

Repeated episodes of intense anxiety or panic

accompanied by physical symptoms (Pounding heart, shortness of breath), feelings of sheer terror or imminent danger, and an urge to escape the situation

Lifetime Prevalence of 5.1%

Biological Factors of Anxiety Disorders

Genetic predispostion, unusually sensitive alarm system or fear network in the brain, low levels of GABA in parts of brain

Cognitive factors of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety sensitivity (Fear of fear itself)

Treatment for Anxiety disorders

Drug Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Antidepressants counter anxiety by normalizing neurotransmitter activity

CBT provides relaxation training, direct exposure, coping skill training, and breath retraining

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety not limited to one object, situation, or activity

Uncontrolled worrying, worrying about everyday/minor things, avoidance of situations in which they expect something bad to happen, marked emotional distress or significant impairment in daily functioning

Lifetime prevalence of 5.7%

Specific Phobia

Fear of an object or situation that is disproportionate to the threat it poses, specific to a particular object or situation

Lifetime prevalence 12.5%

Social Anxiety

Excessive fear of social interactions/situation

underlying problem is an excessive fear of negative evaluations from others

Lifetime prevalence 12.5%

Agoraphobia

Fear of being out in the open orin busy areas

structure lives around avoiding exposure to fearful situations

May become household bound for months or years

often comorbid with panic disorder

Lifetime prevalence of 1.4-2%

Ethnic Differences in Anxiety Disorders

African Americans and Latino populations have lower rates of Anxiety Disorders

Psychodynamic perspective of anxiety disorders

Anxiety is a danger signal

Indicates that threatening impulses of a sexual or aggressive nature are nearing the level of awareness

Ego mobilizes its defense mechanisms to fend off threatening impulses

Freudian defense mechanism of projection comes into play

Cognitive perspective of anxiety disorders

Oversensitivity to threatening cues

overprediction of danger

self-defeating thoughts and irrational beliefs

Obsessive compulsive and related disorders

Characterized by a pattern of compulsive or repetitive behaviors that are associated with significant personal distress or impaired functioning

OCD

A type of disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both

OCD Epidemiology

General prevalence 1-3%

Higher rates among those divorced/unemployed

Affects genders equally

Typically begins in adolescence/early adult hood

Often comorbid with anxiety/mood disorders (Depression, 80%)

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated physical defect in appearance causing individuals to feel they are ugly or disfigured

Treated with exposure therapy

Hoarding disorder

Accumulation of and need to retain unnecessary and seemingly useless possessions, causing personal distress or making it difficult to maintain a safe, habitable living space

Trichotillomania

Hair pulling disorder

Excoriation

Skin picking disorder