Anxiety and OCD Disorders Overview

Normal, everyday anxiety that helps us focus and process information. It's beneficial for learning. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, and tension-relieving behaviors.

Anxiety level where focus and information processing decrease. Learning is possible but not optimal. Symptoms include increased heart rate, tension, GI upset, and tremors.

Anxiety level where the perceptual field is extremely reduced. Learning and problem-solving are impossible. Symptoms include headache, nausea, insomnia, hyperventilation, and a sense of impending doom.

The most extreme level of anxiety. The patient loses touch with reality, may experience hallucinations, and is unable to process the environment. Learning and problem-solving are impossible.

Interventions aim to maintain the patient's focus and enhance learning. Techniques include relaxation techniques, distraction, and supportive communication.

Interventions focus on reducing anxiety levels to facilitate learning. Techniques include reassurance, guided breathing exercises, and providing a calm environment.

Interventions prioritize safety and lowering anxiety before teaching or learning can happen. Techniques include creating a safe space, reducing stimulation, and using calming techniques.

Interventions prioritize safety and provide immediate support to de-escalate the panic. Techniques include staying with the patient, providing reassurance, and creating a safe environment.

Children with social anxiety may exhibit behaviors such as relying on parents to speak for them, faking physical symptoms to avoid social settings, and experiencing chronic social isolation, which can lead to depression.

During a panic attack, prioritize calming the individual by reassuring them of safety, offering help, and speaking calmly while focusing on the environment.

A nursing diagnosis for OCD might be "anxiety related to persistent thoughts about bacteria, germs, and dirt as evidenced by inability to control compulsive cleaning."

A defense mechanism where individuals justify illogical or unreasonable behavior by creating believable explanations to satisfy themselves and others.

While both involve distorted thinking, schizotypal personality disorder allows for awareness of the misinterpretations of reality, unlike schizophrenia.

Prioritize respecting their need for isolation, preparing for their potential eccentricities, and carefully assessing symptoms that require intervention, especially suicidal ideation.

Focus on building trust through therapeutic relationships, managing manipulative behaviors, setting clear boundaries, and maintaining consistent communication.

Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder may exhibit manipulative behaviors as a way to control situations and relationships, often stemming from a fear of abandonment.

A mental health disorder where a person is preoccupied with a perceived flaw in their appearance, even if others do not see it. They may feel intense distress, shame, and disgust, leading to compulsions like mirror checking or camouflaging. The perceived flaw might be a real but minor defect, or entirely imagined.

Intrusive thoughts that cause distress, anxiety, and are difficult to dismiss. These repetitive thoughts can be unpleasant, disturbing, or even frightening. They often relate to fears about contamination, harm, or order.

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels compelled to do in response to an obsession. These acts provide only temporary relief from the anxiety caused by the obsession. Compulsions can be related to the obsession, such as washing hands because of germ phobia, or unrelated, like counting to a specific number

Characterized by excessive worry about many things that is often out of proportion to the actual situations. This worry can impact sleep, lead to avoidance behaviors, and create feelings of restlessness and difficulty concentrating.

A fear of social situations. A person with social anxiety may experience intense anxiety about interacting with others, feeling judged, or being scrutinized. This often leads to avoidance of social situations.

While both involve intrusive thoughts and compulsions, Body Dysmorphia is focused on a specific body part, while OCD can be about a wide range of topics, including contamination, order, or safety.

Both disorders often share traits like obsessions and compulsions, suggesting a possible overlap. Body Dysmorphia is often considered a subtype of OCD, and the two disorders sometimes co occur.

Generalized Anxiety encompasses worry about many things, while Social Anxiety focuses specifically on social situations. Generalized Anxiety is characterized by a pervasive worrisome state, while Social Anxiety is marked by fear of social judgment, scrutiny, or rejection.

Individuals with ASD Level 1 require support, have difficulty initiating social interactions, and may struggle with understanding social cues.

Individuals with ASD Level 2 require substantial support, have limited social interactions, and often focus on narrow special interests.

Individuals with ASD Level 3 require very substantial support, have severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and struggle with social interaction.

A therapy used for individuals with ASD that encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors through reinforcement and structured learning.

A stimulant medication commonly used to treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), acting on the brain to improve focus and attention.

A non-stimulant medication used to treat ADHD, working on neurotransmitters involved in attention and impulsivity.

Common nursing diagnoses for children with ASD include impaired communication, social-emotional reciprocity, impaired relationships, and risk for impaired socialization.

Stimulant medications like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), amphetamine salts (Adderall), and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) are used to improve focus and attention in individuals with ADHD.

A plan that provides accommodations in a general education setting for students with disabilities. It helps students with ADHD to succeed in a classroom setting.

A specialized and rigorous plan for students with disabilities, including ADHD. It involves multiple staff members and more documentation than a 504 plan.

An eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, distorted body image, and severe calorie restriction.

Methods used by individuals with anorexia to compensate for eating, such as forced vomiting, laxative abuse, and excessive exercise.

Fine, downy hair that can develop on the body of individuals with anorexia nervosa.

Absence of menstruation, which can occur in individuals with anorexia nervosa due to hormonal imbalances.

Maladaptive behavior exhibited by individuals with anorexia nervosa out of fear or shame for eating and gaining weight.

A significantly low body mass index, indicating underweight, which is a common symptom of anorexia nervosa.

A personality disorder characterized by extreme sensitivity to rejection, feelings of inadequacy, social inhibition, and avoidance of interpersonal contact. Individuals with this disorder often feel preoccupied with rejection and failure, exhibit low self-esteem, and may experience depression, anxiety, or anger if their support system fails.

A personality disorder characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control. Individuals with this disorder exhibit rigid standards for themselves and others, struggle with emotional expression, and may experience increased relapse rates of depression and suicidal risk.

A personality disorder characterized by strange thinking, unusual beliefs, and odd speech patterns. Individuals with this disorder often exhibit inappropriate affect, experience severe social deficits, and may also display extreme anxiety, paranoia, and suspiciousness.

A personality disorder characterized by severe impairments in functioning and instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions. Individuals with this disorder often experience impulsivity, self-destructive behaviors, chronic suicidal ideation, and antagonism manifested by anger, hostility, and irritability.

Avoidant Personality Disorder involves social anxiety and avoidance, while Schizotypal Personality Disorder focuses on unusual thoughts, beliefs, and social deficits.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is a general pattern of focusing on order, control, and perfectionism, while Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves specific, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

A personality disorder marked by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. Individuals with NPD often exhibit a grandiose sense of self, exploit others, and struggle to maintain healthy relationships.

Borderline Personality Disorder is characterized by instability in relationships and self-image, while Narcissistic Personality Disorder focuses on a grandiose sense of self and lack of empathy.