Psychology Disorders Guide

In early history, what was thought to be the cause of “abnormal” behavior?

being possessed by evil spirits, alignment of the stars, godlike powers, etc.

What was treatment for abnormal behavior like in early history?

barbaric and cruel

• trephination or exorcisms

• beating, burning, castration( removal

  of the intestines), animal blood

  transfusions, cauterizing the clitoris,

  and imprisonment

What are the 3 D’s of abnormality?

deviant, distressful, dysfunctional

Deviant

being different from others or one’s typical cultural population

• “statistical infrequency”

Distressful

causes the individual discomfort, neurosis, etc.

Dysfunctional

impairs the individual’s day-to-day ability to work/live

When was mental illness finally viewed in a new light?

the 1800s

Medical Model

identify mental illness by symptoms presented and cure it through treatment and therapy

• focused changed from the individual being the problem to the illness being the problem

Biopsychosocial Approach

focuses more on the causes of the disorder rather than treatment

Primary Prevention

measures taken to prevent he disease from occurring in the first place

• wearing sun block to prevent skin cancer

Secondary Prevention

measures used after disease has occurred but before the person notices anything

• a doctor checking for new moles

Tertiary Prevention

targets a person who already has symptoms of a disease

• surgery, chemotherapy, etc.

DSM-5

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

• known as the “psychiatrist’s bible”

• latest version came out in 2013

People-First Language

seeing individuals as people first and not as being defined by their disorder

Biological Perspective

disorders due to genetics, out of balance neurotransmitters

• low serotonin in people with depression

Evolutionary Perspective

traits of disorders might be aids to survival

• locking door repeatedly in people with OCD

Psychoanalytic Perspective

disorders result from unconscious internal conflicts

• panic disorder caused by unconscious fear

Behavioral Perspective

disorder behaviors are rewarding

• “thinness” is admired in people with anorexia

Cognitive Perspective

symptoms of disorders due to maladaptive thinking

• depression caused by negative explanations

Humanistic Perspective

inability to reach full potential causes disorders

• depression caused by gap between actual and ideal self

Social-Cultural Perspective

cultural differences affects disorder and diagnosis rates

• higher rate of disorders diagnosed in America due to media depicting disorders in TV and film

Where are the most disorders diagnosed?

united states

Labeling Issues

• when does behavior go beyond “normal”?

• labels can negatively affect the way we see people

• labels can create self-fulfilling prophecies

Controversies of Diagnosis

• diagnosis Isn’t Always Reliable (Rosenhan Study/ 8 fakes)

• legal system intersection

Panic Disorder

frequent panic attacks (incidents of intense terror)

• a person experiences dread and accompanying frightening physiological sensations such as chest pain and choking

Separation Anxiety Disorder

an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding time spent apart from people

Specific Phobia

persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, event, or person

Agoraphobia

Claustrophobia

Agoraphobia

anxiety due to dangerous or uncomfortable environments, often due to vast openness or crowdedness

Social Anxiety Disorder

fear in one or more social situations (potential social interactions)

Selective Mutism

does not speak in specific situations or to specific people

Generalized Anixiety Disorder

excessive, uncontrollable, and often irrational worry about events or activities with no causal root

Explanations for Anxiety

fear can be…

• conditioned, generalized, reinforced, observed, and/or learned

Major Depressive Disorder

persistent and pervasive low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and a loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities with no causal factor

Seasonal Affective Disorder

depression experienced during winter months due to lack of sunlight

Explanations for Major Depressive Disorder

• alcohol abuse

• genetic influence

• low amount of serotonin

• negative explanatory style (blame themselves)

Bipolar Disorder

• periods of mania

• mood and activity/energy) alternating with periods of depression

Enuresis

inability to control urination

Encopresis

repeated voluntary or involuntary fecal soiling, usually already toilet trained

Dissociative Disorders

conscious awareness becoming separated from previous memories, thoughts, and/or feelings

Dissociative Amnesia

retrograde autobiographical loss of memory with no physiological basis for the disruption

Dissociative Fugue

subset of dissociative amnesia where a person forgets their past, creates a brand new identity, and begins a new life in a different location

Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DDD)

feeling of watching oneself act with no control over a situation (depersonalization) and a belief that one’s external world is unreal (derealization)

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

alternating personalities

• “multiple personality disorders”

Pica Disorder

appetite for substances that are non-nutritive, such as paper, clay, metal, chalk, soil, glass, or sand

Anorexia Nervosa

food intake restriction, distorted body self-perception, and possible excessive exercise

Bulimia Nervosa

binge eating and purging (vomiting or taking a laxative) and possible excessive exercise

Intellectual Disability

significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning defined at an IQ score below 70

Autism Spectrum Disorder

social deficits and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors and interests, sensory issues, and in some cases, cognitive delays

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

significant problems with attention and inhibition control, hyperactivity, or impulsiveness

Specific Learning Disorder

impediment of ability to learn or use specific academic skills

Tourette’s Disorder

multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) causing the feeling of needing to engage in a particular action (compulsion) to make the obsession stop

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

excessive concern about and preoccupied by one or more imagined or minor defects in their physical features

Hoarding Disorder

excessive acquisition of large quantities of objects and an unwillingness or inability to discard them

Trichotillomania

urge to pull out one’s hair,

Excoriation

urge to pick at one’s own skin

Schizophrenia

failure to recognize what is real

Explanations for Schizophrenia

• dopamine overactivity

• low frontal lobe brain activity

• pregnancy viral infections and

  birth complications

• genetic influence

• breakdown in selective attention

Illness Anxiety Disorder

excessive worry about a serious illness

Conversion Disorder

suffering of neurological symptoms without definable organic cause

Reactive Attachment Disorder

persistent failure to initiate or respond to most social interactions in a developmentally appropriate way

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

disturbing, recurring flashbacks after exposure to a traumatic event

Post-Traumatic Growth

recovery from post traumatic events

Adjustment Disorder

unable to adjust or cope with a particular stressor, such as a major life event

Antisocial Personality Disorder

pervasive pattern of manipulation and a disregard for the rights of others

Dependent Personality Disorder

pervasive psychological dependence on other people

Histrionic Personality Disorder

excessive attention-seeking

PRAISE ME

• Provocative behavior

• Relationships are considered more intimate than they actually are

• Attention-seeking

• Influenced easily

• Speech style wants to impress

• Emotional instability

• Make-up (drawing physical attention)

• Exaggerated emotions

Avoidant Personality Disorder

sensitivity to negative evaluation and avoidance of social interaction

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

extreme egocentrism and self-importance and excessive preoccupation with power, prestige, and vanity

Borderline Personality Disorder

impulsivity and extreme instability in emotions, relationships, and self-image