Week 7: Phobias and Obsessive-Compulsion Disorders

What are obessions?

Thoughts, impulses, or images that persist and recur so that they cannot be dismissed from the mind even though the individual attempts to do so; they often seem senseless to the individual who experiences them

What are compulsions?

Ritualistic behaviors that individuals feel driven to perform to reduce anxiety

What is panic disorder?

A chronic condition with recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks

During a panic attack, what are symptoms that occur?

Chest pain, racing heart, sweating, trembling, shaking, SOB, feelings of smothering, nausea, dizziness, unsteady gait, chills, fear of losing control, fear of dying

What are treatment options for panic disorder?

CBT, SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines

What are nursing interventions for someone experiencing a panic attack?

Rule out medical causes, stay with the individual, reassure them that you will not leave, give clear directions, get them in a minimally stimulating environment, administer PRN anxiolytic medications

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

A time-consuming pattern of unwanted obsessions that lead to compulsions that cause significant distress, humiliation, and shame that interfere with daily routines/activities/relationships

What are treatment options for Obsessive-Compulsive disorder?

Treatment may not result in a cure; CBT, deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation

What are medication is used for adults but not children or adolescents with OCD?

paroxetine

What medications are used for adults and with OCD?

SSRIs, TCAs, antipsychotics

What is body dysmorphic disorder?

Time-consuming preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable by others that is difficult to control

What is the treatment for body dysmorphic disorder?

Treatment is limited; high risk for suicide, CBT, biofeedback, meditation, relaxation strategies

What is hoarding disorder?

Persistent difficulty with the accumulation and discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their value, that causes a major safety concern

Do patients with hoarding disorder know that they have the disorder?

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t

What is excoriation disorder?

Recurrent skin picking resulting in skin lesions that some engage with to deal with stress and relieve anxiety

What is treatment for excoriation disorder?

Habit reversal therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT, SSRIs, and anticonvulsants

What is trichotillomania?

Recurrent hair-pulling may occur from any region on the body, with the thought that the pain brought on by hair-pulling reduces their anxiety

What is treatment like for trichotillomania?

Habit reversal therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT, SSRIs, clomipramine

What are specific phobias?

Individual experiences extreme anxiety when they anticipate exposure or are exposed to a feared stimulus that interferes with daily functioning or will go to great lengths to avoid the feared object or situation

What is agoraphobia?

Intense and excessive anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult, or embarrassing, or where help might not be available

What are common situations that cause people with agoraphobia extreme anxiety?

Being alone outside, being alone at home, traveling in a car/bus/airplane, being on a bridge, riding in an elevator, being in a crowd

What is treatment for specific phobias?

CBT, systematic desensitization, SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines