Psychological Disorder

1. Psychological Disorder

A condition marked by abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that cause significant distress or impairment.

• a. Deviant: Behavior that violates societal norms.

• b. Distressful: Causes emotional or physical suffering.

• c. Dysfunctional: Interferes with daily life.

• d. Medical Model: Views disorders as diseases with biological causes.

• e. Biopsychosocial Approach: Considers biological, psychological, and social factors.

• f. Primary Prevention: Aims to prevent disorders before they develop.

• g. Secondary Prevention: Early detection and intervention.

• h. Tertiary Prevention: Reduces impact of existing disorders.

• i. DSM-5: Manual for diagnosing mental disorders.

• j. People-First Language: Emphasizes the person, not the disorder (e.g., "person with schizophrenia").

• k. Rosenhan Study: Demonstrated flaws in psychiatric diagnosis (fake patients admitted to hospitals).

2. Anxiety Disorders

Excessive fear or anxiety that disrupts functioning.

• a. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic, excessive worry.

• b. Phobic Disorder: Irrational fear of specific objects/situations.

• c. Panic Disorder: Sudden, intense panic attacks.

• d. Separation Anxiety Disorder: Fear of being apart from attachment figures.

• e. Agoraphobia: Fear of open/public spaces.

• f. Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social scrutiny.

• g. Selective Mutism: Inability to speak in specific social situations.

3. Depressive Disorders

Persistent sadness and loss of interest.

• a. Major Depressive Disorder: Severe, long-lasting depression.

  • i. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Depression linked to seasonal changes.

4. Bipolar Disorder

Alternating episodes of depression and mania (extreme euphoria/energy).

5. Sleep Disorders (See Unit 11 for definitions.)

6. Dissociative Disorders

Disruptions in memory, identity, or consciousness.

• a. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Multiple distinct identities.

• b. Dissociative Amnesia: Memory loss due to trauma.

  • i. Dissociative Fugue: Sudden travel + amnesia about identity.

• c. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DDD): Feeling detached from oneself/reality.

7. Feeding and Eating Disorders

• a. Pica Disorder: Eating non-food items.

• b. Anorexia Nervosa: Self-starvation due to body image distortion.

• c. Bulimia Nervosa: Binge-eating followed by purging.

8. Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• a. Intellectual Disability: Limited intellectual functioning/adaptive skills.

• b. ADHD: Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.

• c. Tourette’s Disorder: Involuntary tics/vocalizations.

• d. Autism Spectrum Disorder: Social/communication deficits, repetitive behaviors.

• e. Specific Learning Disorder: Difficulty in specific academic skills (e.g., dyslexia).

9. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

• a. OCD: Intrusive thoughts (obsessions) + repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

• b. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD): Preoccupation with perceived flaws.

• c. Hoarding Disorder: Inability to discard possessions.

• d. Excoriation: Skin-picking.

• e. Trichotillomania: Hair-pulling.

10. Schizophrenia

Severe disorder with distorted thinking/perceptions.

• a. Positive Symptoms: Added behaviors (hallucinations, delusions, word salad).

• b. Negative Symptoms: Reduced behaviors (flat affect, catatonia).

• c. Chronic Schizophrenia: Long-term, gradual onset.

• d. Acute Schizophrenia: Sudden, severe episodes.

11. Personality Disorders

Inflexible, maladaptive personality traits.

• a. Antisocial: Disregard for others’ rights.

• b. Avoidant: Social inhibition due to fear of rejection.

• c. Borderline: Unstable relationships/self-image.

• d. Dependent: Excessive reliance on others.

• e. Histrionic: Excessive emotionality/attention-seeking.

• f. Narcissistic: Grandiosity, lack of empathy.

12. Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

• a. Conversion Disorder: Physical symptoms without medical cause.

• b. Illness Anxiety Disorder: Preoccupation with having a serious illness.

13. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

• a. PTSD: Lingering distress after trauma.

• b. Adjustment Disorder: Emotional/behavioral reactions to stressors.

• c. Reactive Attachment Disorder: Disturbed social bonding due to neglect.

14–20. Therapies

• 14. Behavioral Therapy

  Treatment focusing on changing maladaptive behaviors through conditioning.

  • a. Exposure Therapies: Gradual exposure to feared stimuli to reduce anxiety.

    • i. Counterconditioning: Replacing a negative response with a positive one.

      • 1. Systematic Desensitization: Pairing relaxation with anxiety triggers.

      • 2. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy: Uses VR simulations for exposure.

      • 3. Aversive Conditioning: Associates unwanted behavior with discomfort (e.g., nausea with alcohol).

  • b. Token Economy: Rewards desired behaviors with tokens (exchangeable for privileges).

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  15. Biomedical Therapy

  Biological treatments for psychological disorders.

  • a. Psychopharmacology: Use of medications to treat mental illness.

    • i. Antipsychotic Drugs: Reduce hallucinations/delusions (e.g., haloperidol).

      • 1. Tardive Dyskinesia: Side effect of antipsychotics (involuntary movements).

    • ii. Antidepressants: Boost serotonin/norepinephrine (e.g., SSRIs).

    • iii. Lithium: Stabilizes mood in bipolar disorder.

  • b. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Induces seizures to treat severe depression.

  • c. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): Magnetic pulses to stimulate brain areas.

  • d. Psychosurgery: Brain surgery to alter behavior (rare).

    • i. Lobotomy: Disconnects prefrontal cortex (historically used, now obsolete).

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  16. Cognitive Therapy

  Focuses on changing irrational thought patterns.

  • a. Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT): Challenges irrational beliefs to reduce distress.

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  17. Group Therapy

  Multiple patients meet with a therapist to share experiences and provide support.

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  18. Family Therapy

  Treats family systems to improve communication and resolve conflicts.

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  19. Humanistic Therapy

  Emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization.

  • a. Insight Therapy: Encourages self-awareness.

    • i. Client-Centered Therapy (Carl Rogers): Non-directive, empathetic approach.

      • 1. Active Listening: Therapist reflects and clarifies the client’s words.

      • 2. Unconditional Positive Regard: Nonjudgmental acceptance of the client.

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  20. Psychoanalytic Therapy

  Explores unconscious conflicts from childhood.

  • a. Interpretation: Therapist deciphers hidden meanings in thoughts/behaviors.

  • b. Resistance: Patient’s unconscious blocking of sensitive topics.

  • c. Transference: Patient projects feelings about others onto the therapist.