Module 66 - Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

anxiety disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety.

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal.

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations. Often followed by worry over a possible next attack.

phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation.

social anxiety disorder

intense fear of social situations, leading to avoidance of such. (Formerly called social phobia.)

agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic.

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience.

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises.