Abnormal Psych Ex2-??????

Course Announcements

• Quizzes Schedule

  • Anxiety Disorders Quiz:
  • Currently open until tomorrow night (Friday).
  • OCD and Related Disorders Quiz:
  • Opens on Sunday and closes Monday night.
  • Review Session:
  • Answers for both quizzes will be reviewed in class on Tuesday.

• Test Dates and Study Guides

  • Test Two:

  • Scheduled for Thursday.

  • Study guide for Test Two is posted.

  • Content covered:

    • Chapters on Anxiety Disorders
    • Trauma-related Disorders
    • OCD and Related Disorders

  • Future Tests:

  • Test Three:

    • Scheduled for a date in April.
    • Content:
    • Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders
    • Substance Use Disorders

  • Test Four:

    • Scheduled for Finals week.
    • Not cumulative; just covering specific material (scores only).

• Special Considerations

  • Graduating seniors do not need to email regarding exam scheduling as it is managed during the time frame.

Lecture Content

Overview of Disorders Covered

• Impulse Control Disorders:
  • Discussed for homework, but will not be tested.
  • Included:
  • Pyromania
  • Kleptomania

Detailed Discussion of Disorders

Trichotillomania

• Definition:

  • A disorder characterized by repetitive hair pulling leading to noticeable hair loss.
  • Associated with significant distress or impairment.

• Symptoms and Characteristics:

  • Commonly pulls hair from the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, and other body areas.
  • Ambiguity in reasons for pulling:
  • Varying patterns of hair pulling.
  • Motivations for the behavior differ across individuals.

• Emotional Impact:

  • Adults often experience embarrassment and shame due to hair loss.
  • Individuals may resort to hiding the condition (e.g., wigs).

• Prevalence:

  • Approximately 2% of the population affected.

• Comorbid Disorders:

  • Often co-occurs with depression.
  • Possible links to self-harm and substance use disorders.

• Development and Onset:

  • Can begin as a habit, sometimes in childhood.

Excoriation Disorder

• Definition:

  • Characterized by skin picking resulting in skin lesions, infection, and scarring.

• Impact on Skin:

  • Damage caused can lead to physical infections.

• Prevalence:

  • Estimated prevalence is about 3%, more common in women.

• Symptoms and Characteristics:

  • Reasons for skin picking vary; may be associated with urges or negative sensations.

• Comorbidity:

  • Similar to trichotillomania, can be comorbid with other disorders.

Treatment Approaches

• For Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder:

  • Medical Treatments:

  • SSRIs can be beneficial but are less effective than for OCD.

  • Non-medical Treatments:

  • Stimulus Control:

    • Changing environment to create barriers against pulling or picking.
    • Example: reducing time alone while watching TV.

  • Habit Reversal Training:

    • Raising awareness of the behavior.
    • Identifying the functions behind the behavior.
    • Managing urges through alternative responses (e.g., engaging hands in other tasks).
    • Use of gloves may reduce the ability to pull/pick.

Urge Management

• Learning to Ride the Urge Wave:
  • Techniques include identifying triggers and implementing competing responses.
  • Activities that keep hands busy or give sensory satisfaction break the cycle of pulling or picking.

Review of Disorders Before Final Assessment

Disorders and Topics Covered

• Anxiety Disorders Covered Include:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Panic Disorder
  • Agoraphobia
  • Specific Phobia

• Trauma Related Disorders Discussed:

  • PTSD
  • Adjustment Disorder

• OCD Related Disorders:

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Hoarding Disorder
  • Trichotillomania
  • Excoriation Disorder

Conclusion of Content

• Finalization of the material with some real case scenarios in the upcoming classes.