Chapter 5 Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders

Panic attack

an episode of intense fear accompanied by symptoms such as a pounding heart, trembling, shortness of breath, and fear of losing control or dying, should not be a result of other factors (such as medication or another medical condition) nor should they be a response due to another mental disorder

Interoceptive conditioning

when internal bodily sensations of fear and anxiety that have preceded panic attacks serve as signals for new panic attacks

Generalized anxiety disorder

a condition characterized by persistent, high levels of anxiety and excessive worry over many life circumstances

Obsessive compulsive disorder

a condition characterized by intrusive, repetitive anxiety producing thoughts or a strong need to perform acts or dwell on thoughts to reduce anxiety

Obsessions

an intrusive, repetitive thought or image that produces anxiety

Compulsions

the need to perform acts or mental tasks to reduce anxiety

Hoarding disorder

a condition involving congested living conditions due to the accumulation of possessions and distress over the thought of discarding them

Body dysmorphic disorder BDD

a condition involving a preoccupation with a perceived physical defect or excessive concern over a slight physical defect

Muscle dysmorphia

a belief that one's body is too small or insufficiently muscular

Trichotillomania

recurrent and compulsive hair pulling that results in hair loss and causes significant distress

Agoraphobia

an intense fear of being in public places where escape or help may not be readily available

Anxiety

an anticipatory emotion that produces bodily reactions that prepare us for “fight or flight”

Anxiety disorder

fear or anxiety symptoms that interfere with an individual’s day to day functioning

Anxiety sensitivity

a trait involving fear of physiological changes within the body

Behavioral inhibition

shyness

Caudate nuclei

the deep brain structure that stores and processes memories and signals when something is amiss

Cognitive restructuring

a cognitive strategy that attempts to alter unrealistic thoughts that are believed to be responsible for fears and anxiety

Concordance rates

the degree of similarity between twins or family members with respect to a trait or disorder

Delusions

a false belief that is firmly and consistently held

Excoriation (skin picking) disorder

distressing and recurrent compulsive picking of the skin resulting in skin lesions

Fear

an intense emotion experienced in response to a threatening situation

Flooding

a technique that involves inducing a high anxiety level through continued actual or imagined exposure to a fear arousing situation

GABA

gamma aminobutyric acid, and inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in inducing sleep and relaxation

Modeling therapy

a treatment procedure involving observation of an unfearful individual successfully interacting with a phobic object of situation

Negative appraisal

interpreting events as threatening

Orbitofrontal cortex

the brain region associated with planning and decision making

Panic disorder

a condition involving recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with apprehension over future attacks or behavioral changes to avoid attacks

Phobia

a strong, persistent, and exaggerated fear of a specific object or situation

Polymorphic variation

a common DNA mutation of a gene

Predisposition

a susceptibility to certain symptoms or disorders

Reappraisal

minimizing negative responses by looking at a situation from various perspectives

Remit

diminish or disappear

Response prevention

a treatment in which an individual is prevented from performing a compulsive behavior

Serotonin

a neurotransmitter associated with mood, sleep, appetite and impulsive behavior

Social anxiety disorder

an intense fear of being scrutinized in social or performance situations

Specific phobia

an extreme feat of a specific object or situation

Striatum

the region within the basal ganglia associated with movement planning, goal directed action, memory, and decision making