Anxiety Disorders & OCD Lecture Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on panic disorder, agoraphobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder marked by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks occurring at least once per month, along with persistent worry about future attacks.

Panic Attack

A sudden episode of intense fear or terror with extreme physiological arousal (elevated heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing, etc.).

Anxiety Sensitivity

A trait-like tendency to fear the sensations of normal anxiety, predisposing individuals to develop panic attacks.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A psychotherapy that restructures irrational thoughts and teaches coping and exposure techniques to reduce anxiety.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Antidepressant medications (e.g., Prozac, Zoloft) that also treat anxiety disorders by boosting serotonin activity.

Agoraphobia

Fear and avoidance of open or public places where escape may be difficult, often leading to housebound behavior.

Exposure Therapy

Treatment that gradually confronts feared situations to reduce anxiety through habituation.

Systematic Desensitization

A step-by-step exposure technique pairing relaxation with a hierarchy of feared stimuli, from imagined to real.

Housebound

A severe state of agoraphobia in which the individual is unable to leave home due to panic and fear.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A disorder featuring intrusive, anxiety-provoking thoughts (obsessions) and irresistible behaviors (compulsions) performed to relieve distress.

Obsession

Recurrent, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant anxiety or distress.

Compulsion

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts a person feels driven to perform to reduce anxiety from obsessions.

Caudate Nucleus

Part of the basal ganglia that is overactive in OCD; activity decreases with successful treatment.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Behavioral treatment for OCD that exposes individuals to obsession triggers while preventing the compulsive response.

Basal Ganglia

Subcortical brain structures involved in movement and habits; includes the caudate nucleus implicated in OCD.

Amygdala

Brain region that acts as a threat-detection switch, processing fear and anxiety signals.

Relaxation Training

Techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation taught to lower physiological arousal during anxiety.