1.8 Somatic Symptom, Personality, & Eating Disorder

AP Psych

somatic symptom disorder

are physical disorders with no medical cause

-linked to psychological distress

conversion disorder

is preoccupation with having a serious illness; physical sensations misinterpreted as signs of disease

dissociation

is a disconnection from thoughts, memories, or surroundings

-temporary dissociative states are common

examples of dissociation

zoning out while driving a frequently traveled route

examples of conversion disorder

blindness, paralysis

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

is a rare disorder involving 2 or more identities (“alters”), each may have its own voice, mannerisms, and memories, people often experience memory gaps beyond ordinary forgetfulness

-often develops in response to early, repeated trauma

fugue state

is sudden loss of identity or memory; may involve travel or new identity

-triggered by extreme psychological distress or trauma

dissociation helps a child psychologically…

escape overwhelming pain

alters may serve different _____

roles (protectors, child, angry self, etc.)

dissociative amnesia

is the ability to recall important personal info

-not due to injury, substance use, or ordinary forgetting

-often follows a stressful or traumatic event

-may involve localized amnesia(forgetting a specific event) or generalized amnesia)forgetting large parts of life)

personality disorders

is inflexible, long-standing behavior patterns that impair social function

-people often distressed by symptoms

-often seek treatment due to external pressure (family, etc.)

-10 disorders grouped into 3 clusters in the DSM-V

the 3 clusters for personality disorders

A: odd/ eccentric

B: dramatic/impulsive

C: anxious/fearful

Cluster A: Odd/Eccentric

is characterized by social detachment, suspiciousness, or odd behavior

-often struggle with close relationships

-may seem distant, unusual, or distant

paranoid personality disorder

is deep distrust and suspicion of others

(A)

schizoid personality disorder

is emotionally cold, detached, prefers solitude

(A)

schizotypal personality disorder

is eccentric beliefs, odd behavior, social anxiety

Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, Erratic

is characterized by impulsive, dramatic, or emotionally unstable behaviors

-often leads to interpersonal conflict and difficulty maintaining relationships

borderline personality disorder

is intense, unstable relationships and emotions

histronic personality disorder

is excessive, attention-seeking and emotionally

(B)

narcissistic personality disorder

is inflated sense of self-importance, lack of empathy

(B)

Antisocial Personality Disorder(ASPD)

is marked by disregarded for others’ rights and feeling

-occurs more frequently in men

-often involved deceit, manipulation, and violating social norms or laws

-may never commit crimes, but responsible for about 50% of serious crimes can’t be diagnosed before 18, must show symptoms at least 15

-people who develop this usually with Conduct Disorder in childhood

-PET scans show decreased frontal lobe activity and less frontal lobe volume

-causes: predisposition, under-arousal of the automatic and central nervous system, underdeveloped amygdala, and environmental risk

Cluster C: Anxious/Fearful

is characterized by increased levels of anxiety and fearfulness

-inflexible behavior patterns aimed at avoiding perceived threats or rejections

avoidant personality disorder

is extreme social inhibition, feeling of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to criticism

(C)

dependent personality disorder

is excessive need to be taken care of, submissive, and clinging behavior

(C)

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder(OCPD)

is preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control

(C)

feeding and eating disorders

are groups of disorders characterized by abnormal eating habits and severe about body image

-can cause serious health problems and emotional distress

-most common in adolescence and young adults, especially females

-affects all body shapes/size

anorexia nervosa

is intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, severe restriction on food intake leading to significantly low body weight

-distorted body image: seeing oneself as overweight despite being underweight

-physical symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, thinning hair, and amenorrhea(loss of menstration)

-possible medical complication: heart problems, osteoporosis, organ failure

-often co-occurs with anxiety and depression

bulimia nervosa

is recurrent episodes of binge eating: consuming a large amount of food in a short time, often feeling out of control, preoccupation with body shape and weight

-compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain: self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise

-physical signs: dental erosin, swollen salivary glands, sore throat, electrolyte irregularities

-associated risk: dehydration. gastrointestinal problems, heart irregularities

-often linked with mood disorders, anxiety, and substance

binge-eating disorder

is recurrent episodes of binge eating without regular compensator behavior, large amounts rapidly often until uncomfortably full, feeling lack of control during episodes

-frequent feeling of guilt, shame, or distress about eating behaviors

-can lead to health issues: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease

-most common eating disorder in US

biological influence on eating disorder

genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, hormones

psychological influence on eating disorder

perfectionism, low self-esteem, anxiety, and emotional regulation difficulties

sociocultural influence on eating disorder

societal pressures and cultural body ideals, media influence, unrealistic beauty standards, weight stigma and bullying

social media and body image

-can be used to promote diverse and unrealistic representations of bodies

-many body-positive communities and influencer use these platforms to encourage self-acceptance and inclusivity

-often highlights idealized and edited images

-algorithms tend to prioritize content that fits conventional standards