Exam 2

fear

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to one's well-being

anxiety

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger

generalized anxiety disorder

a disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities

client-centered therapy

the humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by being accepting, empathizing accurately, and conveying genuineness

basic irrational assumptions

the inaccurate and inappropriate beliefs held by people with various psychological problems, according to Ellis

rational-emotive therapy

a cognitive therapy developed by Ellis that helps clients identify and change the irrational assumptions and thinking that help cause their psychological disorder

family pedigree study

a research design in which investigators determine how many and which relatives of a person with a disorder have the same disorder

benzodiazepines

the most common group of antianxiety drugs, which includes valium and xanax

GABA

a neurotransmitter whose low activity in the brain's fear circuit has been linked to anxiety, inhibitory neurotransmitter

brain circuits

networks of brain structures that work together, triggering each other into action

sedative-hypnotic drugs

drugs that calm people at lower doses and help them to fall asleep at higher doses

phobias

a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity, or situation

specific phobias

a severe and persistent fear of a specific object or situation

agoraphobia

an anxiety disorder in which a person is afraid to be in public situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable if panic-like or embarrassing symptoms were to occur

classical conditioning

a process of learning in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become tied together in a person's mind and so produce the same response

modeling

a process of learning in which a person observed and then imitates others, also a therapy approach based on the same principle

preparedness

a predisposition to develop certain fears

exposure treatment

treatments in which persons are exposed to the objects or situations they dread

systematic desensitization

an exposure treatment that uses relaxation training and a fear hierarchy to help clients with phobias react calmly to the object or situations they dread

flooding

an exposure treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a fear object and made to see that it is actually harmless

social anxiety disorder

a severe and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur

social skills training

a therapy approach that helps people learn or improve social skills and assertiveness through role playing and rehearsing of desirable behaviors

panic attacks

periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks

locus coeruleus

a small area of the brain that seems to be active in the regulation of emotions, many of its neurons use norepinephrine

biological challenge test

a procedure used to produce panic in participants or clients by having them exercise vigorously or perform some other potentially panic-inducing task in the presence of a researcher or therapist

anxiety sensitivity

a tendency to focus on one's bodily sensations, assess them illogically, and interpret them as harmful

obsessive-compulsive-related disorder

disorders in which obsessive-like concerns drive people to repeatedly and excessively perform certain abnormal patterns of behavior

obsession

a persistent thought, idea, impulse, or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive, and causes anxiety

compulsion

a repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to reduce anxiety

neutralizing

a person's attempt to eliminate unwanted thoughts by thinking or behaving in ways that put matters right internally, making up for the unacceptable thoughts

hoarding disorder

a disorder in which individuals feel compelled to save items and become very distressed if they try to discard them, resulting in an excessive accumulation of items

trichotillomania

a disorder in which people repeatedly pull out hair from their scalp, eye-brows, eyelashes, or other parts of the body

excoriation disorder

a disorder in which people repeatedly pick at their skin, resulting in significant sores or wounds

body dysmorphic disorder

a disorder in which individuals become preoccupied with the belief that they have certain defects or flaws in their physical appearance

autonomic nervous system

the network of nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system to all the other organs in the body

endocrine system

the system of glands located throughout the body that help control important activities such as growth and sexual activity

sympathetic nervous system

the nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that quicken the heartbeat and produce other changes experienced as arousal

parasympathetic nervous system

the nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that help return bodily processes to normal

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway

one route by which the brain and body produce arousal

corticosteroids

hormones, including cortisol, released by the adrenal glands at times of stress

acute stress disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences fear and related symptoms soon after a trauma but for less than a month

posttraumatic stress disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences fear and related symptoms long after a traumatic event

rape

forced sexual intercourse or another sexual act committed against a nonconsenting person or intercourse between an adult and an underage person

torture

the use of brutal, degrading, and disorienting strategies to reduce victims to a state of utter helplessness

resilience

the process of adapting well in the face of adversity

prolonged exposure

a treatment approach in which clients confront not only trauma-related objects and situations, but also their painful memories of traumatic experiences

EDMR

an exposure treatment in which clients move their eyes in a rhythmic manner from side to side while flooding their minds with images of objects and situations they ordinarily avoid

psychological debriefing

a form of crisis intervention in which victims are helped to talk about their feelings and reactions to traumatic incidents

psychological first aid

a disaster response intervention that seeks to reduce the initial distress of victims and foster their adaptive functioning, but without procedures that may be premature, intrusive, or inflexible

dissociative disorders

disorders marked by major changes in memory that do not have clear physical causes

delirium

a rapidly developing, acute disturbance in attention and orientation that makes it very difficult to concentrate and think in a clear and organized manner

neurocognitive disorder

a disorder marked by a significant decline in at least one area of cognitive functioning

major neurocognitive disorder

a neurocognitive disorder in which the decline in cognitive functioning is substantial and interferes with a person's ability to be independent

mild neurocognitive disorder

a neurocognitive disorder in which the decline in cognitive functioning is modest and does not interfere with a person's ability to be indepdent

Alzheimer's disease

the most common type of neurocognitive disorder, usually occurring after the age of 65, marked most prominently by memory impairment

senile plaques

sphere-shaped deposits of beta-amyloid protein that form in the spaces between certain neurons and in certain blood vessels of the brain as people age. people with alzheimer's disease have an excessive number of plaques

neurofibrillary tangles

twisted protein fibers that form within certain neurons as people age. people with alzheimer's disease have an excessive number of tangles

biomarkers

biochemical, molecular, genetic, or structural characteristics that usually accompany a disease

depression

a low, sad state marked by significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self-worth, guilt, or related symptoms

mania

a state or episode of euphoria or frenzied activity in which people may have an exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking

depressive disorders

the group of disorders marked by unipolar depression

unipolar depression

depression without the history of mania

bipolar depression

a disorder marked by alternating or intermixed periods of mania and depression

major depressive disorder

a severe pattern of depression that is disabling and not caused by such factors as drugs or a general medical condition

persistent depressive disorder

a chronic form of unipolar depression marked by ongoing and repeated symptoms of either major or mild depression

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

a disorder marked by repeated episodes of significant depression and related symptoms during the week before menstruation

norepinephrine

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression and panic disorder

serotonin

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression, OCD, and eating disorders

glutamate

a neurotransmitter responsible for stimulating neurons and promoting connectivity and communication among neurons

MAO inhibitor

an antidepressant drug that prevents the action of the enzyme monamine oxidase

tricyclic

an antidepressant drug as imipramine that has three rings in its molecular structure

SSRIs

a group of second-generation antidepressant drugs that increase serotonin activity specifically, without affecting other neurotransmitters

ketamine

an anesthetic drug that is also used as an antidepressant, bringing rapid relief to many people with depression

brain stimulation

biological treatments that directly or indirectly stimulate certain areas of the brain

ECT

a treatment for depression in which electrodes attached to a patient's head send an electrical current through the brain, causing a convulsion

vagus nerve stimulation

a treatment for depression in which an implanted pulse generator sends regular electrical signals to a person's vagus nerve; the nerve stimulates the brain

TMS

a treatment in which an electromagnetic coil, which is placed on or above a patient's head, sends a current into the individual's brain

deep brain stimulation

a treatment for depression in which a pacemaker powers electrodes that have been implanted in the subgenual cingulate, thus stimulating that brain area

symbolic loss

according to freudian theory, the loss of a valued object that is unconsciously interpreted as the loss of a loved one

cognitive triad

the three forms of negative thinking that Aaron Beck theorizes lead people to feel depressed. the triad consists of a negative view of one's experiences, oneself, and the future

learned helplessness

the perception based on past experiences that one has no control over the reinforcements in one's life

behavioral activation

a therapy for depression in which the therapist works systematically to increase the number of constructive and pleasurable activities and events in a client's life

cognitive therapy

a therapy developed by Aaron Beck that helps people identify and change the maladaptive assumptions and ways of thinking that help cause their psychological disorder

interpersonal psychotherapy

a treatment for unipolar depression that is based on the belief that clarifying and changing one's interpersonal problems helps to lead them in recovery

couple therapy

a therapy format in which a therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship

bipolar 1 disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes

bipolar 2 disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by mildly manic episodes and major depressive episodes

cyclothymic disorder

a disorder marked by numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms

lithium

a metallic element that occurs in nature as a mineral salt and is an effective treatment for bipolar disorders

mood-stabilizing drugs

psychotropic drugs that help stabilize the moods of people suffering from bipolar disorder

motivational interviewing

a treatment that uses empathy and inquiring review to help motivate clients to recognize that they have a serious psychological problem and commit to making constructive choices and behavior changes

Adjustment disorder

a psychological response to an identified stressor, beginning within 3 months of the onset of the stressor and lasting no longer than 6 months after the stressor or its consequences have ceased

personality change

a change in one's personality, can be caused by a mental illness like depression, bipolar disorder, or personality disorders

anterograde amnesia

a type of memory loss after a traumatic incident where you cannot form new memories

retrograde amnesia

a type of memory loss after a traumatic incident where you cannot recall memories that happened before the incident