Psychology: Understanding Anxiety and Panic

Anxiety Overview

• Anxiety is a negative mood state characterized by physical tension and apprehension about future events.
• Anxiety is future-oriented, promoting awareness and preparedness for potential threats.

Fear vs. Anxiety

• Fear is an immediate alarm response to danger, while anxiety reflects a response to anticipated threats.
• Both anxiety and fear can serve protective functions but can be detrimental if excessive.

Panic and Panic Attacks

• Panic involves sudden, intense fear; panic attacks are abrupt experiences of fear or discomfort accompanied by symptoms like heart palpitations and dizziness.
• Expected (cued) panic attacks occur in recognizable situations, while unexpected (uncued) panic attacks occur without warning.

Biological Contributions to Anxiety

• Anxiety has a hereditary component, showing polygenic influences.
• Brain circuits associated with anxiety involve depleted GABA levels, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and CRF systems.

Important Brain Regions

• The limbic system mediates anxiety, connecting the brain stem with the cortex.
• The septal-hippocampal system aids memory of anxiety-provoking situations.

Psychological Contributions to Anxiety

• Secure attachments foster control and coping abilities; insecure attachments can increase vulnerability to anxiety.
• Anxiety sensitivity relates to the fear of bodily sensations and distress tolerance.

Social Contributions and Vulnerability

• Stressful life events can activate vulnerabilities, contributing to anxiety disorders.
• The Triple Vulnerability Theory emphasizes interaction between biological, psychological, and specific psychological factors contributing to anxiety.

Comorbidity and Disorder Statistics

• High rates of comorbidity exist between anxiety disorders and between anxiety and depression, with major depression being the most common additional diagnosis.
• Anxiety can also co-occur with physical disorders like thyroid disease and respiratory issues.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• GAD is characterized by chronic excessive worry, accompanied by symptoms like fatigue and irritability.
• Prevalence is around 3%, with higher rates in females.

Panic Disorder (PD) and Agoraphobia

• PD involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks and fear of future attacks.
• Agoraphobia involves fear of situations where escape might be difficult, often linked to PD.

Treatment Options

• Short-term treatments for anxiety can include benzodiazepines and antidepressants; long-term strategies incorporate cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques.
• Panic control treatment focuses on exposing individuals to feared sensations to adjust perceptions.

Phobias

• Specific phobias reflect irrational fears that disrupt daily functioning, with blood-injection-injury phobia being one example.
• Phobias derive from direct conditioning or vicarious experiences, with the treatment often involving gradually exposing patients to feared situations.

Social Anxiety Disorder

• Characterized by an intense fear of being scrutinized in social contexts, it affects a significant portion of university students.
• Treatment includes exposure to social situations and cognitive restructuring techniques.

Cultural Considerations

• Different cultures exhibit unique manifestations of anxiety disorders, such as "susto" and "ataque de nervios," reflecting cultural beliefs and practices surrounding anxiety.### Adolescence and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
• Higher prevalence of SAD in individuals aged 18 to 29, undereducated, single, and of low socioeconomic status, irrespective of cultural factors.

Cultural Influences on SAD

• Asian cultures exhibit the lowest rates of SAD.
• Russian and US samples report the highest rates of SAD.
• Collectivist countries are more accepting of socially reticent behaviors than individualist countries.

Taijin Kyofusho

• A specific form of SAD prevalent in Japan characterized by fear of embarrassing others due to personal presentation aspects.
• More commonly affects males, with a ratio of 3:2.

Olfactory Reference Syndrome

• Involves a preoccupation with the belief that one has a foul body odor, causing embarrassment and concern for offending others.

Social Anxiety and Cultural Norms

• Greater acceptance of attention-avoiding behaviors correlates with higher levels of social anxiety.
• Differences in cultural norms contribute to the prevalence of SAD, particularly in collectivist cultures.

Learning and Fear Responses

• Fear responses to angry facial expressions are learned quickly but diminish more slowly compared to fears of other expressions.

Causes of SAD

• Includes biological vulnerability, generalized psychological vulnerability, conditioned responses, real trauma (like bullying), and attentional bias toward social threats.

Facial Features and Social Perception

• The eye region is identified as the most threatening area of the face in social contexts.
• Individuals with SAD have biased perceptions and expectations, leading to maladaptive social behavior.

Anxiety Induction through Social Comparisons

• People with SAD tend to make upward social comparisons, intensifying their anxiety and distress.

Development of SAD

• A combination of biological, psychological, and interpersonal events contributes to the development of SAD.

Treatment Options for SAD

• Cognitive-behavioral group therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) are common treatments.
• Virtual reality technology is utilized for exposure therapies.
• Social mishap exposures challenge and confront patients' beliefs about social situations.
• Drug treatments may also be employed.

Understanding Social Mishap Exposure

• This technique directly addresses patients' beliefs by confronting them with the real-life consequences of social mishaps.

Selective Mutism

• A developmental disorder marked by consistent failure to speak in specific social contexts, despite the ability to speak elsewhere.
• Requires at least one month of non-verbal behavior and often co-occurs with SAD.
• Prevalence estimated at 0.5% in children, with a higher incidence in girls.
• Treatment involves gradual exposure to speaking situations, paired with a behavioral reward system.

This quiz explores the concepts of anxiety and panic, differentiating between fear and anxiety, and examining panic attacks and their biological contributions. Gain insights into how these emotions impact mental health and behavior.