Anxiety Disorders and Treatments Overview

Panic Disorders

• Abrupt intense anxiety reaction
• Symptoms last at least six months
• Panic disorder does not always lead to agoraphobia

Agoraphobia

• Disproportionate fear and avoidance of open spaces like parking lots
• Females are twice as likely to be diagnosed as males
• Agoraphobia is not the same as panic disorder
• Symptoms should last at least six months for diagnosis

Reasons for higher female anxiety diagnosis

• Women may be more burdened by anxiety
• Genetic, neurochemical, and hormonal differences may play a role
• Women tend to face more social disadvantages than men

Antidepressants

• May cause impaired sexual performance
• May cause weight gain
• May cause nausea
• Can reduce suicidal behavior, especially among young people

Sociocultural Influences on Anxiety

• Cultural background influences how people exhibit anxiety
• Cultural differences affect anxiety disorder symptoms
• Social anxiety is less prevalent in Asian countries compared to the U.S.
• Anxiety of lower SES individuals increases slowly with age

Dissociation

• Depersonalization - feeling detached from one's body
• Amnesia - difficulty remembering traumatic events
• Derealization - feeling detached from surroundings
• Nightmares are NOT a common experience with dissociation

Cross-cultural Perspectives on Grief

• Grief is not a disorder in some cultures, but a lifelong process
• Ideas of abnormality influence how grief is understood
• Grief is not considered adaptive as it reduces fitness
• Culture affects the experience of grief, though some facets are universal

Causes of Trauma

• Childhood physical abuse
• Serious injury from a car accident
• Narrowly escaping a disaster, even if friends are lost
• Earning an F on an exam (due to lack of studying) is NOT considered a cause of trauma

Criticism of Kubler Ross's Five-Stage Theory of Grief

• Overly simplistic
• Overlooks cultural differences
• Assumes grief has a finite endpoint

The Limbic System and Trauma

• The amygdala is a part of the limbic system and is active in acute and posttraumatic stress

Personality Factors and Posttraumatic Stress Response

• Negative emotionality is associated with a poor response to posttraumatic stress

Dissociation and Identity

• Identity confusion is when a person has difficulty recalling their identity.
• Identity alteration is when a person establishes a new identity to replace an old one.

Somatization Disorder

• Expressing psychological problems through physical symptoms.
• Symptoms are medically unexplained and often viewed as physical representations of emotional conflict.

Dissociative Amnesia

• Difficulty recalling important autobiographical information, usually traumatic in nature.
• Not simply forgetting; it is not attributable to simple forgetting

Biofeedback and Psychosomatic Symptoms

• Biofeedback is a behavioral intervention used to help people manage psychosomatic symptoms.

Secondary Gain

• Any benefits gained from a symptom besides the initial unconscious conflict.
• This can include increased attention, more care, and avoidance of responsibilities.

Eating and Feeding Disorders

• Eating and feeding problems ARE NOT the same.
• Eating disorders are characterized by a disturbance in eating habits, often involving a preoccupation with weight and body image.
• Feeding disorders are characterized by problems with feeding behaviors, such as a lack of interest in food or difficulty swallowing.

Muscle Dysmorphia

• Type of body dysmorphic disorder characterized by an obsessive focus on muscularity and body size.
• Often influenced by media images.

Differences between Somatization Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorder

• Somatization Disorder: Physical symptoms with no physical explanation. They are often seen as expressions of emotional conflict.
• Somatic Symptom Disorder:: Somatic symptoms, which may or may not be biologically based, with excessive worrying about these symptoms.

Cultural Influence on Anxiety Disorders

• Culture impacts how anxiety disorders are perceived and treated.
• Understanding cultural differences is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment.

Explore the characteristics and symptoms of panic disorders and agoraphobia, as well as the sociocultural influences on anxiety. This quiz also discusses the effects of antidepressants and reasons for the higher diagnosis of anxiety disorders in females. Test your knowledge on these important psychological topics.