Psych 220

The Biological perspective (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

(GAD) is caused chiefly by biological factors. (TREATMENTS) Drug therapy, relaxation training, and Biofeedback.

The Cognitive perspective (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

(GAD)is a cause from dysfunctional ways of thinking. (TREATMENTS) 1.) help clients change the maladaptive assumptions that characterize their disorder. 2.) new-wave cognitive therapists, help clients to understand the special role that worrying may play in their disorder and to change their views about the reactions to worrying.

Generalized anxiety disorder

A disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities.

Generalized anxiety disorders/commonness

A disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities. Female- Higher Low income- Higher African American- Higher Hispanic American- Same Elderly- Higher

Obsession

A persistent thought, urge, or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive, and causes anxiety.

Compulsion

A repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety.

Stress disorder

An anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event and last less than a month. Symptoms- re experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance, reduced responsiveness, increased arousal, negative emotions, and guilt

Post traumatic stress disorder

An anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event. Symptoms- re experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance, reduced responsiveness, increased arousal, negative emotions, and guilt

Behavioral explanation (PHOBIA)

Classical conditioning is the common way of acquiring phobias, particularly specific phobias.

Home-based self-help programs(agoraphobia)

Clinicians give their clients, and the clients family detailed instructions for carrying out exposed treatments themselves.

Treatments for agoraphobia

Exposure treatment, Support groups, and home-based self-help programs.

Agoraphobia/commonness

Fear of traveling to public places such as stores or movie theaters. Female- Higher Low Income- Higher African American- Same Hispanic American- Same Elderly- Higher

Obsessive-compulsive disorder/commonness

Feeling of being overrun by recurrent thoughts that cause anxiety or by the need to perform certain repetitive actions to reduce anxiety. Female- Same Low Income- Higher African American- Same Hispanic American- Same Elderly- Lower

Systematic Desensitization treatment (specific phobias)

First the client receives relaxation training, then the therapist creates a fear hierarchy that the client most be exposed to, ranging from minuscule likeness of the phobia to the real phobia.

Specific phobias/commonness

Persistent and irrational fear of a particular object or situation. Female- Higher Low Income- Higher African American- Higher Hispanic American- Higher Elderly- Lower

Define phobia; then distinguish between specific phobias and agoraphobia.

Phobia- an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. Specific phobias have many situations and objects that may bring an individual anxiety, whereas agoraphobia is purely a social anxiety.

Behavioral perspective and treatment (OCD)

Purpose that people happen upon there compulsions randomly. For example after a few instances where something good has happened after washing their hands. The act of washing their hands is subconsciously connected to good luck. Hence the repetition. Treatments- exposure and response prevention. Clients are exposed to the compulsion starting stimuli then urged to resist.

Panic disorder/commonness

Recurrent attacks of terror. Female- Higher Low Income- Higher African American- Same Hispanic American- Same Elderly- Lower

Describe each of the anxiety disorders and how common these disorders are.

Topic for discussion

Describe the features of panic disorder, and discuss the biological and cognitive explanations and therapies for this disorder.

Topic for discussion

Biological perspective and treatments (OCD)

(1) Abnormally low activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin and (2) abnormal functioning in key regions of the brain. Treatments- Drug therapy. Antidepressants for example.

The Psychodynamic perspective (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

(GAD) Sigmund Freud believed that all children experience some degree of anxiety as part of growing up and that all use ego defense mechanisms to help control such anxiety. (Realistic, Neurotic, and Moral Anxiety) (TREATMENTS) Free association, Transference, resistance, and dreams. Using these methods, psychologists are able to soothe id impulses and hence forth able to help the patient control those impulses.

The Social Cultural perspective (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

(GAD) is most likely to develop in people who are faced with ongoing societal conditions that are dangerous.

The Humanistic perspective (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

(GAD)arises when people stop looking at themselves honestly and acceptingly. (TREATMENTS) use the client-centered therapy to help clients, uby making them accept, empathize accurately, and convey genuineness.

Define stress disorder and post traumatic stress disorder, list typical symptoms and discuss treatments for these disorders.

Topic for discussion

Discuss the major theories and treatments for generalized anxiety disorders. (GAD)/(TREATMENTS)

Topic for discussion

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions. Discuss the major theories and treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Topic for discussion

Discuss the major theories and treatments for phobias. (PHOBIA)

Topic of discussion

Cognitive perception and treatments (OCD)

Cognitive therapists start of by pointing out everyone has this type of response at its minimal level. It's at the lengths the client is willing to go to block or change certain thoughts with behavior that is defined as an illness. Treatments- Cognitive therapists help clients focus on the cognitive processes involved in their obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Treatments for stress disorders and PTSD

Drug therapy, behavioral exposure techniques, insight therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

Treatments for specific Phobias

Exposure treatments: desensitization, flooding, and modeling.

Distinguish between fear and anxiety.

Fear is an immediate alarm to a situation where as anxiety is a vague sense of possibly being in danger.

Social anxiety disorder/commonness

Intensely afraid of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. Female- Higher Low Income- Higher African American- Higher Hispanic American- Lower Elderly- Lower

Biological perspective and treatment (PA)

Norepinephrine regulation through drug therapy is a popular treatment. Starting out as a GAD treatment, the same soothing effects were found, in treating panic attacks. Leading researchers to believe panic attacks occur because of abnormal levels of norepinephrine.

Obsession v compulsion

Obsession is more of the mental aspect of compulsion and vice versa. Obsession is strong mental drive to think, where as compulsion is a strong physical drive to do.

Panic attack definition and symptoms.

Periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass. Symptoms: palpitations of the heart, tingling in the hands or feet, shortness of breath, sweating, hot and cold flashes,trembling, chest pains, choking sensations, faintness, dizziness, nausea, a feeling of unreality, fear of loosing control, and fear of dying.

Cognitive therapy and perspective and treatments (PA)

Perspective-Believe that individuals with panic attacks misinterpret the psychological events that are occurring within their bodies. Treatment- clinicians try to correct people's misinterpretations of their body sensations.

Support groups (agoraphobia)

Small groups of people venture out together and are exposed to the phobia in a supporting and understanding group. Social settings of varied populations.

Psychodynamic perspective and treatments (OCD)

The battle between anxiety-provoking id impulses and anxiety-reducing defense mechanisms is not buried in the unconscious but is played out in overt thoughts and actions. Treatments- therapists try to help the individuals uncover and overcome their underlying conflicts and defenses, using customary techniques of free association and therapist interpretation.

Fear

The central nervous systems psychological and emotional response to a serious threat to ones well-being.

Anxiety

The central nervous systems psychological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger.

Describe the fight-or-flight response.

The innate ability to either face stressors head on or recluse yourself from those stressors and not deal with them. For example getting into the fight or running away because of your genetic predisposition.

Behavioral-Evolutionary Explanation (PHOBIA)

The proposition that human beings, as a species, have a predisposition to develop certain fears. This comes genetically through the evolutionary process.

Modeling treatment (specific phobias)

The therapist confronts the phobia while the client observes in this therapy. Participant modeling- client is actively encouraged to join in with the therapist.

Flooding treatment (specific phobias)

Therapists believe that people will stop fearing something after being repeatedly exposed to the phobia and made to see that they are actually harmless. There is no subtlety in this therapy or relaxation training.