Psychiatric Nursing: Anxiety, Phobias, and Stress-Related Disorders

A set of vocabulary flashcards derived from psychiatric nursing lecture notes covering anxiety levels, psychopharmacology, DSM-V anxiety classifications, OCD/compulsive disorders, and stress-related disorders.

Adequate Sodium Intake for Lithium

A required daily intake of $2-4\,g/day$ of sodium to maintain therapeutic lithium levels, as increased sodium decreases lithium (non-therapeutic) and decreased sodium increases lithium (toxic).

Mild Anxiety

A level of anxiety characterized by 'butterflies in the stomach', sharpened senses with quick reflexes, and increased focus.

Moderate Anxiety

A level of anxiety characterized by 'automatisms', normal-level increased vital signs, and tolerable pain.

Severe Anxiety

A level of anxiety characterized by 'ritualism', abnormal-level increased vital signs, and intolerable pain.

Panic Level Anxiety

The most severe anxiety level characterized by fight, flight, or freeze responses, suicidal behavior, psychosis, and feelings of doom.

Benzodiazepines

Minor anxiolytics ending in common suffixes -zepam and -zolam (e.g., Valium) that function as GABA agonists suppressing the CNS with immediate effect.

IV Flumazenil

The prescribed antidote that should be available at the bedside for benzodiazepine toxicity causing respiratory depression (respiratory rate less than $8$ and patient difficult to arouse).

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent severe anxiety lasting throughout the day for at least $6\text{ months}$, managed with SSRIs, PRN anxiolytics, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Sepanx Disorder

Separation anxiety disorder triggered by being left or separated from a person of attachment, diagnosed in patients with a minimum age of $6$.

Selective Mutism

A rare disorder characterized by anxiety attacks triggered by an inability to talk, treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Cynophobia

An irrational fear of dogs.

Ailurophobia

An irrational fear of cats.

Claustrophobia

An irrational fear of closed spaces.

Acrophobia

An irrational fear of heights.

Hydrophobia

An irrational fear of water.

Cacophobia

An irrational fear of ugly.

Hexakosiokhexakontahexaphobia

An irrational fear of $666$.

Agoraphobia

Irrational fear of public places and crowds stemming from fear of not being able to escape and dying, treated with implosion/flooding therapy or virtual reality.

Social Phobia

Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, an irrational fear of public humiliation, performance anxiety, or stage fright.

Panic Disorder

A condition with recurrent panic attack episodes lasting between $15-30\text{ minutes}$ each, averaging $3-5\text{ episodes}$ daily, recognized as the most life-threatening anxiety disorder.

Obsession

Persistent, intrusive thoughts that raise anxiety levels, serving as the cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Compulsion

Repetitive, ritualistic behavior that relieves anxiety (primary gain), serving as the effect of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Response Prevention Therapy

A form of CBT used when anxiety is lower (mild to moderate) where the therapist challenges compulsions/rituals and replaces them with a better coping mechanism.

Trichotillomania

A compulsive disorder characterized by hair pulling.

Dermatotillomania

A compulsive disorder characterized by skin picking.

Onycophagia

A compulsive disorder characterized by nail-biting.

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

A stress-related disorder arising from fresh trauma that occurred less than $4\text{ weeks}$ prior.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A chronic stress-related disorder arising from old trauma that occurred more than $6\text{ months}$ prior.

Flashbacks

The most significant manifestation of the stress-related disorder triad where the patient re-experiences traumatic events as if real, triggering panic attacks even while asleep.

Hyperarousal

Excessive response to typical, mundane stimuli caused by trauma making it difficult to differentiate between threatening and non-threatening stimuli.

Hypervigilance

Excessive guarding and monitoring caused by trauma-induced increased anxiety, resulting in suspiciousness.