Mood and Personality Disorders Vocabulary

Freud

• Most controversial topic.
• Polarizing opinions.

Review of Previous Topics

• Anxiety disorders were covered.
• Somatic disorders were completed, including:
  • Somatic symptom disorder.
  • Conversion disorder - loss of physical functioning without physical reasons.
  • Dissociative disorders.
• Graph was provided.

Medications

• Mentioned Xanax and Valium for anxiety disorders previously.
• Focus on bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
• Brief overview due to the introductory nature of the class.

Mood Disorders

• Mood disorders involve extreme fluctuations.
• Depression: extreme low point.
• Mania: extreme high point.

Major Depressive Disorder

• Characterized by extreme low mood.
• Often misused as a synonym for sadness.
• Complex with multiple symptoms occurring simultaneously.

Key Characteristics of Depression

• Extreme sadness.
• Feelings of hopelessness about life and specific situations.
• Helplessness.
• Generalization of negative feelings to other areas of life.
  • Example: Loss of relationship leads to neglecting personal hygiene, work, and social interactions.

Cognitive Symptoms

• Distorted thinking.
  • Example: Breakup at a young age leads to believing one will never find love again.
• Thinking cuts off possibilities for change.
• Distortions can be unrealistic, but sometimes aligned with truth.

Anger

• Depressed individuals often harbor underlying anger.
• Linked to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
• Especially when tied to a precipitating event.
  • Example: Feeling angry about a loved one's death despite doing everything possible to prevent it.

Helping Depressed Individuals

• Avoid saying \"I know how you feel.\"
• Instead, say \"I can't imagine what you feel like.\"
• Be prepared for anger directed at you.
• Anger can be directed inward (self-blame) or outward (blaming others).

Gender Differences in Depression

• Women are diagnosed with depression twice as often as men.
• Historical context: socialized to express feelings differently.
• Traditional masculine traits discourage expressing helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness.
• Society is more accepting of men acting out aggressively.
• Women are more nurtured during emotional distress, while men are encouraged to \"suck it up.\"
• Women are allowed sadness and crying more than an aggressive expression, while for men it's the opposite.
• Aggressive behavior in men is more tolerated than in women.
• Women are less likely to commit violent crimes unless related to emotional reasons with a partner.
• Men may experience more depression overall but express it through aggression.

Dysthymia or Dysthymic Disorder

• Chronic mild depression.
• Possibly underdiagnosed.
• Individuals function in daily life but lack joy.
• Everything feels like a chore.
• Symptoms are similar to depression but less intense.

Medical Model and Neurotransmitters

• Focuses on neurotransmitters in psychiatry and psychiatric medication.
• Research indicates serotonin plays a significant role in depression.
• Reduced serotonin levels in the synapse correlate with depressive symptoms.

SSRI Drugs

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.
• Increase the amount of serotonin in the synapse.
• Enhance effective electrical impulses between cells.
• Common SSRIs: Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil.
• Ease severity of depression symptoms.
• Take time to work, requiring dosage adjustments.
• Should be gradually tapered off to avoid serious side effects when discontinuing.

SNRI Drugs

• Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors.
• Increase both serotonin and norepinephrine levels.
• Example: Effexor.

ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy)

• Rarely used, formerly known as shock treatment.
• Considered for severe, incapacitating depression unresponsive to other treatments.
• Involves inducing a seizure to \"re-blend\" brain chemistry.
• May stimulate neurotransmitters, although the exact process is unknown.

Freud's Approach to Depression

• Focuses on repressed anger.
• Talking therapy to address feelings of anger related to triggering events such as abandonment or death.

Behavioral Approach

• Shapes behavior towards more outgoing actions.
• Example: Establishing a routine of getting dressed daily, leaving the house, and engaging in simple activities like having coffee outside.

Combined Approaches

• Different approaches can complement each other.
• Medication, therapy, and homework assignments can be combined.
• Addresses symptoms and triggers effectively.
• Medication alone is insufficient without addressing underlying issues.
• Emotional issues must be dealt with rather than relying on medication in isolation.

Bipolar Disorder

• Formerly known as manic depression.
• Involves cycles between normal, depressed, and manic moods.
• Depressed periods exhibit all symptoms of depression.

Mania

• Not simply extreme happiness; never a good thing.
• Bizarre goal-directed behaviors.
  • Example: Unrealistic plans like building a spaceship to Mars.
• Extreme energy.
• Little need for sleep.
• Reckless or high-risk behavior.
  • Examples: Speeding, gambling, promiscuity.
• Feelings of grandiosity.
  • Combination of feeling special or gifted by God.
• Cycles vary in consistency and length.
  • Some individuals have consistent cycles.
  • Others have rapid cycles or inconsistent patterns.

Van Gogh as an Example

• His paintings reflect his mood swings.
• Sunflowers: Manic, neon, electric.
• Starry Night: Bleaker, manic sky.
• Crows Over the Wheatfield: Dark and sad, possibly indicating suicidal thoughts.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

• Medication is essential.
• Therapy alone is ineffective.
• Onset typically occurs in late teens or twenties.
• Medications can be highly effective.
• Unfortunately some patients stop the medications.
• Patients will often say that the medication stops the manic episodes, and they miss the fun.
• Patients miss the rush that they were getting.
• Patients will stop taking the medication because they had so much fun.

Cyclothymic Disorder

• Milder form of bipolar disorder.
• Involves mood swings without extreme manic episodes or depression.
• May require medication.

Personality Disorders

• A personality disorder is when some aspect of your personality is significantly interfering with work or love or play.
• All mental disorders must mess up your life.

Personality Defined

• Consistent patterns in thinking, feeling, and behaving.
• Exhibited across situations and over time.
• Example: Being consistently quiet or outgoing in various settings.

Personality Disorder Defined

• Personality traits interfere with work, relationships, or recreation.
• Causes dysfunction in these areas.
• Differs from occasional quirks.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Also known as psychopath or psychopathic personality.
• Lack of conscience, morals, or guilt.
• Selfishness to an extreme.
• Willing to exploit others to meet their needs.
• Engage in crime.
• Lie and cheat without remorse.
• Learn how to commit crimes without getting caught, not to learn from said crime.
• Seek revenge on those who wrong them.
• Do not hallucinate.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

• Apparent in men and women.
• Symptoms are more obvious in women because as a society its socially acceptable.
• Life is like a soap opera.
• Everything is about drama.
• Emotional and theatrical.
• Can be exhausting to be around.