Anxiety Disorders - GAD, Phobias, PTSD, OCD

OCD

• characterized by the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions

• Obsessions are recurrent and persistent intrusive and unwanted thoughts, urges, images

• Compulsions; repetitive acts/rituals/behaviors that an individual feels driven to perform in response of an obsession

DSM 5 Symptoms of OCD

• Presence of Obsessions and Compulsions

• Obsessions are recurrent and persistent intrusive and unwanted thoughts, urges, images - cause anxiety/distress

  • Individuals attempt to ignore them

• Compulsions; repetitive acts/rituals/behaviors that an individual feels driven to perform in response of an obsession

  • aim to reduce anxiety or distress caused by the compulsion

• Obsessions or compulsions are time consuming and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning

• OCD symptoms must not be attributed to affects of a substance

• OCD symptoms must not be associated by symptoms of another mental disorder (obsessively counting calories - body dysmorphic disorder)

Effects of OCD

• Isolation

• Resentment

• Depression and Low-self esteem

• Anger

• Physical effects

• Involving family members

Phobias

• overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance.

• not under voluntary control- triggered by a specific stimulus/set of circumstances

Types of Phobias + brief outline

• animal type → symptoms emerge in childhood - often fear multiple types of animals

• situational → symptoms emerge mid-20s, more panic attacks then other phobias, (being in a plane, close spaces)

• nature → emerge childhood (fear of storms/heights)

• blood/injection/injury → symptoms emerge in childhood/hereditary - extreme arousal then drop in bp

DSM - 5 Symptoms of Phobias

1. Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation

2. Phobic situation/stimulus almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety

3. Phobic Object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense fear/anxiety

4. Fear is out of proportion to actual danger posed by specific object

5. Causes distress

6. not better explained by symptoms of another mental disorder

7. Fear/Anxiety is persistent - lasting over 6 months

Social Anxiety Disorder

• individual is fearful/anxious/avoidant of social interactions and situations that involve the possibility of being scrutinized

  • meeting unfamiliar people

  • individual performing in front of others

Generalized vs Specific

• Specific - limited to one type of social performance (presenting)

• Generalized - fears all social situations

Characteristics of SAD

• decreased self esteem

• sensitive to criticism

• fear of not living up to expectations

• anxious about tests - being judged for performing badly

• may blush,tremble,stutter - making the person more prone to social rejection, increasing the anxiety, increasing the symptoms

Agoraphobia

• fear about….

• using public transportation, being in open spaces, being in enclosed places, standing in line or being in a crowd

• being outside of the home alone in other situations

afraid in crowded spaces they cant escape in the event of developing panic like symptoms etc - often require the presence of a companion

Impact/Effect of Phobias

• life limitations

• isolation

• embarrassing situations

• feeling out of control

• helplessness

Panic Disorder

• characterized by spontaneous and uncued panic attacks the frequency of which can vary from several attacks per day to only a few attacks per year

DSM 5 Criteria

• Recurrent/unexpected panic attacks

  • palpitations

  • sweating

  • trembling

  • nausea/abdominal distress

  • paresthesias

  • derealization/depersonalization

  • fear of dying

• followed by a minimum of 1 month of

  • maladaptive change in behavior to avoid having panic attacks

  • persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks.

• not attributed to physiological effects of a substance

• disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder

Effects of panic disorders

• absence from school

• problems w employment

• depression or alc/drug use to cope

• avoid normal, everyday activities

What makes people more susceptible to panic attacks

• trauma

• causes of anxiety disorders - eg. too much glutamate bla bka