PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

• a "harmful dysfunction" in which behavior is judged to be atypical disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable.

U - unjustifiable 

M - maladaptive 

A - atypical

D - disturbing 

DSM-V

• will classify disorders and describe the symptoms 
• will NOT explain the causes or possible cures

Anxiety Disorders

• a group of conditions where the primary symptoms are anxiety or defenses against anxiety 
• the patient fears something awful will happen to them 
• they are in a state of intense apprehension, uneasiness, uncertainty, or fear 

Phobias

• a person experiences sudden episodes of intense dread 

Panic Disorder

• an anxiety disorder marked by a minutes-long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, and other frightening sensations

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• an anxiety disorder in which a person is continuously tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
• the patient is constantly tense and worried, feels inadequate, is oversensitive, can't concentrate, and suffers from insomnia 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• persistent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause someone to feel the need (compulsion) to engage in a particular action
• obsession about dirt and germs may lead to compulsive hand washing 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

• flashbacks or nightmares following a person's involvement in or observation of an extremely stressful event 
• memories of the cause of anxiety 

Somatoform Disorders 

• occurs when a person manifests a psychological problem through a physiological symptom
• two types: 
• Hypochondriasis - has frequent physical complaints for which medical doctors are unable to locate the cause 
• Conversion Disorder - report the existence of severe physical problems with no biological reason (ex.// blindness or paralysis)

Dissociative Disorders 

• disorders involve a disruption in the conscious process 
• 3 types: 
• Psychogenic Amnesia: a person cannot remember things with no physiological basis for the disruption in memory 
• Retrograde Amnesia 
• NOT organic amnesia 
• organic amnesia can be retrograde or anterograde 
• Dissociative Fugue: people with psychogenic amnesia that find themselves in an unfamiliar environment
• Dissociative Identity Disorder: a person has several rather than one integrated personality
• used to be known as multiple personality disorder
• people with DID commonly have a history of childhood abuse or trauma 

Mood Disorders

• experience extreme or inappropriate emotion 
• Major Depression: unhappy for at least two weeks with no apparent cause 
• depression is the common cold of psychological disorders
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: experiences depression during the winter months 
• based not on temperature, but on amount of sunlight 
• treated with light therapy 
• Bipolar Disorder: involves periods of depression and manic episodes 
• formally manic depression 
• manic episodes involve feelings of high energy 
• engage in risky behavior during the manic episode 

Schizophrenia 

• about 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed with schizophrenia 
• Symptoms: disorganized thinking, inappropriate emotions & actions, and disturbed perceptions 
• Disorganized Thinking: the thinking of a person with schizophrenia is fragmented and bizarre and distorted with false beliefs 
• comes from a breakdown in selective attention 
• Delusions: false beliefs 
• Delusions of Persecution 
• Delusions of Grandeur 
• Disturbed Perceptions 
• Hallucinations: sensory experiences without sensory stimulation 
• Inappropriate Emotions and Actions:
• laugh at inappropriate times 
• flat affect 
• senseless, compulsive acts
• catatonia - motionless waxy flexibility 
• Positive VS Negative Symptoms:
• Positive: presence of inappropriate symptoms 
• Negative: absence of inappropriate symptoms 

Types of Schizophrenia 

• Paranoid Schizophrenia: preoccupation with delusions or hallucinations
• somebody is out to get me!
• Disorganized Schizophrenia: disorganized speech or behavior, or flat/inappropriate emotion
• Catatonic Schizophrenia: parrot like repeating of another's speech and movements 
• Undifferentiated Schizophrenia: many and varied symptoms 

Personality Disorders 

• psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning 
• Paranoid Personality Disorder: characterized by a distrust of others and a constant suspicion that people around you have sinister motives 
• Antisocial Personality Disorder: characterized by a lack of conscious 
• prone to criminal behavior - they tend to lie and steal 
• Borderline Personality Disorder: characterized by mood instability and poor self-image 
• people with this disorder are prone to constant mood swings and bouts of anger 
• Histrionic Personality Disorder: constant attention seekers 
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder: characterized by self-centeredness 
• Schizoid Personality Disorder: avoid relationships and do not show much emotion 
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder: characterized by a need for social isolation, odd behavior and thinking, and often unconventional beliefs such as being convinced of having extra sensory abilities 
• some people believe that this disorder is a mild form of schizophrenia
• Avoidant Personality Disorder: characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation 
• consider themselves to be socially inept or personally unappealing, and avoid social interaction for fear of being ridiculed or humiliated
• Dependent Personality Disorder: characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people
• has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others 
• Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder: characterized by a general psychological inflexibility, rigid conformity to rules and procedures, perfectionism, and excessive orderliness