module 32: anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder

What is anxiety?

A vague feeling of apprehension or nervousness

What is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

Disruptive levels of persistent, unexplained feelings of apprehension and tenseness

A person must have at least 3 of these symptoms to be diagnosed with GAD?

• restlessness

• feeling on edge

• difficulty concentrating/mind going blank

• irritability

• muscle tension

• sleep disturbance

What is panic disorder?

Sudden bouts of intense, unexplained anxiety, often associated with physical symptoms like choking, sensations, or shortness of breath

• panic attacks may happen several times a day

What are phobias?

Disruptive, irrational fears of objects, activities, or situations

• the fear must be both irrational and disruptive

What is social anxiety disorder?

Phobias that produce fear in social situations; was previously called social phobia

What is agoraphobia?

Fear of situations the person views as difficult to escape from

What are biological causes?

• hereditary factors; could cause predisposition to anxiety disorders

• brain functions; different in anxiety disorder patients

• evolutionary factors may lead to anxiety disorders

What are 3 things known to prevent anxiety disorders from developing?

• survivor resiliency

  • making it through trauma largely unscathed

• post-traumatic growth

  • suffering leads to positive growth

• developing resiliency skills

What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)?

Unwanted repetitive thoughts and/or actions.

What is the “obsessive” in OCD?

repetitive thoughts

What is the “compulsive” in OCD?

repetitive actions

What is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Reliving a severely upsetting event in unwanted, recurring memories and dreams

What is major depressive order?

A mood disorder in which a person, for no apparent reason, experiences at least 2 weeks of depressed moods, diminished interest in activities, and other symptoms, like feelings of worthlessness

Whst is bipolar disorder?

A mood disorder (formerly called manic depressive disorder) in which the person alternates between the hopelessness of depression and the overexcited/unreasonably optimistic state of mania