Psychological Disorders PDF

Psychological Disorders ​ Broadly, how was mental illness treated in the past compared to now?: ○​ Mental illness was often blamed on evil spirits or demons. Treatments included harsh methods like trephining (drilling holes in the skull) and exorcism (loud noises,...

Psychological Disorders ​ Broadly, how was mental illness treated in the past compared to now?: ○​ Mental illness was often blamed on evil spirits or demons. Treatments included harsh methods like trephining (drilling holes in the skull) and exorcism (loud noises, prayer, violence). People were often locked away in asylums. ○​ Today, mental illness is seen as a medical condition and treated with therapy and medication, with a focus on understanding biological, psychological, and social factors.​ ​ What criteria are used to define behavior as "abnormal"? (4 D’s) ○​ Deviance: The behavior is unusual or breaks social norms. ○​ Distress: The behavior causes emotional pain or anxiety. ○​ Dysfunction: The behavior disrupts daily life (work, school, relationships). ○​ Danger: The behavior is harmful to the person or others. ​ Is there a clear line between "normal" and "abnormal" on each factor? ○​ No, there is no clear-cut line between "normal" and "abnormal" for each of these factors. These criteria are not always black and white, and judgments about abnormality can vary depending on the context, culture, and individual circumstances. ​ What causes anxiety disorders? ○​ anxiety disorders typically arise from a combination of biological, environmental, and psychological influences. ​ What characterizes generalized anxiety disorder? ○​ Chronic, “free-floating anxiety” ○​ Excessive worry; not tied to any specific threat ○​ Must last 6 mo. or more ​ What characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder?  ○​ Disturbance after traumatic event: Nightmares/flashbacks, numbed emotions, arousal, anxiety, anger, guilt, avoidance with stimuli associated with event ○​ Predicted by reaction at time of event ○​ Must be present for >30 days ​ What is panic disorder? ○​ Sudden attacks of overwhelming anxiety ​ Results in chest pain, trouble breathing, body weakness ○​ Must be reoccurring for diagnosis ○​ Often comorbid with agoraphobia ​ Comorbid: existing simultaneously ​ What is phobic disorder? ○​ Only phobia if interferes with daily behavior ○​ Specific Phobia: Specific focused fear (snakes, flying, etc.) ​ Evolutionary Perspective ○​ Social Phobia: Fear of publicly embarrassing oneself ○​ Agoraphobia: Fear of crowded, public places ​ What characterizes obsessive compulsive disorder? ○​ Obsessions ​ Intrusive thoughts (contamination, death) ○​ Compulsions ​ Urges to do senseless rituals (washing, double-checking, repetition) ​ What causes mood disorders? ○​ Dramatic fluctuation from “normal” or “baseline” mood ​ What characterizes major depressive disorder? ○​ Sadness, despair, loss of interest in previous sources of pleasure, loss of energy, thoughts of worthlessness/hopelessness ​ What characterizes bipolar disorder? ○​ Mania in addition to depression  ​ Mania characterized by: elated, euphoric racing thoughts, hyperactive, impulsive behavior ○​ Delusions (of grandeur) ​ False belief that famous/important despite contrary evidence ​ How does bipolar disorder differ from major depressive disorder? ○​ Bipolar disorders go up in manic and depression that last months while in depressive disorders it only involves depressive episodes with no mania. ​ What causes schizophrenia?: Ultimate cause unknown ○​ Brain disorder: chronic and severe ○​ Caused by genetic predisposition combined with stress ○​ Physical differences in brain ○​ High level of dopamine ○​ Prenatal disease ​ What are positive symptoms? Negative symptoms? ○​ Positive symptoms: added behaviors that are not normally present in people without the disorder. ​ Delusions (of grandeur): Believing you can do things you cant do, believing people are watching you, etc. ​ Disorganized thoughts/speech ​ Hallucinations ○​ Negative symptoms: absence of normal emotions ​ Loss of normal emotions (flat affect) ​ Losing pleasure in activities ​ Loss of social abilites ​ What are personality disorders? ○​ Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by persistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that deviate significantly from the expectations of the individual's culture ​ What characterizes antisocial personality disorder? ○​ a mental health condition that causes harmful behaviors without remorse. A person might show disrespect toward others and be manipulative, aggressive or reckless. ​ What characterizes borderline personality disorder? ○​ is characterized by intense emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and unstable relationships. People with BPD may experience rapid mood swings, have a fluctuating sense of self, and engage in impulsive behaviors. ​ What characterizes eating disorders? ○​ characterized by unhealthy eating habits and a preoccupation with food, weight, and body image. ​ What characterizes Anorexia Nervosa? ○​ Symptoms: Low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight though underweight, disturbance in body image or perceived weight, purging behavior (vomiting, misuse of laxatives, etc.) ​ What characterizes Bulimia Nervosa? ○​ Symptoms: Normal or above normal body weight, recurring binge eating, lack of control over eating, purging behavior; vomit, excessive exercising or fasting to prevent weight gain. ​ What is comorbidity? ○​ Comorbid means having multiple diagnosis at the same time ​ What are strengths and weaknesses of the DSM medical model of diagnosis/treatments ○​ Strengths: Helps doctors agree on what a disorder is, clear guidelines for diagnosing and treating problems, helps research and develop treatments, needed for insurance to cover treatment.  ○​ Weaknesses: Can label normal behavior as a disorder, can make people feel judged or "labeled”, not always good for everyone, especially people from different cultures, focuses too much on medicine, not personal or life factors, can lead to too many diagnoses, making treatment harder. Insight therapies ​ How does Psychoanalysis approach therapy? ○​ Main ideas covered in personality. ○​ Psychoanalysis focuses on exploring the unconscious mind to uncover hidden thoughts and past experiences that shape current behavior. ​ How does Behaviorism approach therapy? ○​ Uses learning and conditioning to change maladaptive behaviors ​ Systematic desensitization and exposure therapy to get rid of phobias ​ Snake video ​ Aversion therapy: Create punishment for bad behavior. ​ Smoking related to shock will stop it ​ Social skills training: Learn good behaviors through rolemodeling ​ Treats anxiety ○​ ​ How does Humanism approach therapy? ○​ Humanistic; looks to accept clients and create congruence in self-concept. ​ Safe place & No judgement