Lesson 4 - Anxiety Disorders Pt.2

What is Agoraphobia?

It is an anxiety disorder where a person fears and avoids places or situations that might cause them to feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed, often due to the fear of having a panic attack.

What is the criteria for diagnosing Agoraphobia?

1. Marked fear or anxiety by using public transportation, being in open spaces/ enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd, being outside of the home alone.

2. People with agoraphobia prefer to stay at home because they fear that if they go outside and something goes wrong, they will feel helpless or unable to escape. This fear makes them avoid going out.

What are the causes of Agoraphobia?

• Biological factors 

• Childhood experiences 

• Personality, stress, and learning experiences

How long does the fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent in agoraphobia to be diagnosed?

It should typically lasts for 6 months or more.

How to treat people with agoraphobia?

• Psychoeducation 

• Pharmaceuticals 

• Psychotherapy - talking therapy (cognitive behavior therapy) 

• Exposure therapy 

• Relaxation techniques 

• Self-help techniques

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

It is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce anxiety.

What is the Criteria of diagnosing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

1. Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both

2. The obsessions or compulsions are time consuming which cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational etc.

3. The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.

4. The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder.

What are Obsessions in OCD?

1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress. 

2. The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action.

   Note: Young children may struggle to explain the reasons behind these behaviors or mental actions.

What are Compulsions in OCD?

1. People may feel the need to repeat certain actions (like washing hands, arranging things, or checking locks) or thoughts (like praying, counting, or silently repeating words). They do this because of strong urges caused by obsessive thoughts.

2. These actions are meant to reduce anxiety or stop something bad from happening. However, they are often not realistically linked to the feared event or are done in an excessive way.

What are the causes of OCD?

1. Biology

2. Genetic

3. By learning

4. Stressful events

What are the 2 main types of treatment in OCD?

• Talk therapy / exposure therapy

• Medicine

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

It is a mental health condition where a person has intense preoccupation with perceived flaws in their appearance, which are often minor or unnoticeable to others.

What is the criteria of diagnosing Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

1. People with this condition become overly focused on one or more perceived flaws in their appearance, even if others don’t notice or see them as minor.

2. At some point, they may develop repetitive behaviors (like checking mirrors, excessive grooming, or seeking reassurance) or mental habits (like constantly comparing themselves to others) due to their concerns.

3. This obsession causes distress and interferes with daily life, work, or relationships.

4. However, this condition is not the same as concerns about body weight or fat in people with eating disorders.

What are the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)?

• A lot of worry about a specific area of the body (especially your face). 

• Spends a lot of time comparing one's appearance with that of others. 

• Look at yourself mostly in mirrors or avoid mirrors altogether 

• Takes a lot of effort to hide flaws.

What are the causes of body Dysmorphic disorder (BDD)?

• Genetics

• A chemical imbalance in the brain. 

• A traumatic experience in the past.

What are the two main types of treatments for BDD?

• Talk Treatment

• Medicine

What is a Hoarding Disorder?

It is a mental health condition characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

What is the criteria of diagnosing Hoarding Disorder?

• Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

• The hoarding causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

What should the people with Hoarding Disorder specify?

• With an overwhelming urge to acquire more possessions.

• With a reasonable or clear understanding that their obsession is not normal

• With limited or weak understanding.

• With a complete lack of insight or false beliefs.

What are symptoms of hoarding disorder?

• Getting lots of items you don't currently need and don't have room for.

• Rooms are so cluttered that they are unusable.

• Trying to be perfect and avoiding or delaying decisions. 

• Problems of planning and organization.

What are the causes for a hoarding disorder?

• It is not clear what causes the Hoarding disorder. 

• Genetics, brain function, and stressful life events are being studied as possible causes.

What are the 2 main types of treatment for Hoarding Disorder?

• Talk therapy

• Medicine

What is Trichotillomania?

It is also known as Hair-Pulling Disorder, is a mental health condition where a person has an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other areas of the body.

What is the criteria of diagnosing Trichotillomania?

1. The individual pulls their hair out on a recurrent basis, which results in hair loss. 

2. Repeated attempts have been made to reduce or stop the hair pulling altogether.

What are the symptoms of Trichotillomania?

• Constant pulling or twisting hair 

• Bald patches or hair loss 

• Uneven hair appearance 

• Denial of the hair pulling

What are the causes of Trichotillomania?

A combination of genetic and learned factors.

What are the 2 main types of treatment for Trichotillomania?

• Talk Therapy

• Medicine