Anxiety Disorders

Panic attacksPhobias

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objectives

• Break anxiety disorders into 3 categories• Describe panic disorders• Analyze fears and phobias• Synthesize obsessions and compulsions

Anxiety and Panic

• Generalized anxiety disorder is a continuous (majority of days- six month period) state of anxiety marked by feelings of worry and dread, apprehension, difficulties in concentration, and signs of motor tension

• Some have G.A.D. Without having specific anxiety producing event

Generalized anxiety disorder

Continuous state of anxiety marked by feelings of worry and dread, apprehension, difficulties in concentration, and signs of motor tension

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event has symptoms such as psychic numbing, reliving of the trauma, and increased physiological arousal

Posttraumatic stress disorder

An anxiety disorder in which a person who has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event has symptoms such as psychic numbing, reliving the trauma, and increased physiological arousal

Diagnosed only if symptoms persist for six months or longer

May immediately follow event or occur later

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PTSD Factors

• 60% of American's surveyed- traumatic experience- 8% of men, 20% women develop PTSD

• Huge genetic predisposition- Behavioral genetic studies of twins in general population and combat veterans

• Prior family history of psychological problems, traumatic experiences with poor emotional adjustment

• PTSD sufferers- hippocampus is apt to be smaller than average

Panic Disorder

• Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder in which a person experiences recurring panic attacks, periods of intense fear, and feelings of impending doom or death, accompanied by physiological symptoms such as rapid heart rate and dizziness

Panic disorder

An anxiety disorder in which a person experiences recurring panic attacksPanic attack: a feeling of impending doom or death, accompanied by physiological symptoms such as rapid breathing and dizziness

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Panic Disorder

• Few minutes, more rarely hour• Chest pain, similar to heart attack• Usually occur after stress, prolonged emotion,

specific worries, or frightening experiences• Throughout the world but culture a factor• Chocking, smothered= Latin America• Public places- Europe, America • Greenland- dizziness during kayak fishing

Fears and Phobias

• A phobia is an exaggerated , unrealistic fear of a specific situation, activity, or object

• Bugs, snakes, dogs, heights, the # 13, • vaguely afraid or can’t be in same room

Fears and phobias

PhobiaAn exaggerated, unrealistic fear of a specific situation, activity, or object

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How get phobias?

• Classical conditioning- fear of cats , scratched by cat

• Observational learning- watching freighting event happen

• Personality factors, cultural • Social phobia- anxious when observed by

others- eating in restaurant , speaking to crowd, perform in font of others

Phobias continued

• Agoraphobia is a set of phobias, often set off by a panic attack, involving the basic fear of being away from a safe place or person

• Agora – Greek open market• Specific fears, parties, driving in traffic, movie

theater • Typically begins with panic attack seems to have

no cause• Then avoid that situation

Agoraphobia

A set of phobias, often set off by a panic attack, involving the basic fear of being away from a safe place or person.

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Obsessions and compulsions

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which a person feels trapped in persistent thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, ritualized behaviors (compulsions) designed to reduce anxiety

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

An anxiety disorder in which a person feels trapped in repetitive, persistent thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, ritualized behaviors (compulsions) designed to reduce anxiety

Person understands that the ritual behavior is senseless but guilt mounts if the behavior is not performed.

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OCD factors

• Uncontrollable and interfere everyday life• People may feel frightened or repugnant: F.E.

Thoughts of killing a child, contaminated by a handshake

• Feel have no control over them: most common counting, touching, checking, hand washing

• Prefrontal cortex is depleted of serotonin= cognitive rigidity- can’t let go of certain thoughts

• Not a single unified disorder= subtype hoarders

Science of OCD

• Prefrontal cortex is depleted of serotonin= cognitive rigidity- can’t let go of certain thoughts

• Not a single unified disorder= subtype- hoarders

• PET scan shows obsessive hoarders have less activity in parts of brain that make decisions

Your turn

If you have the persistent thought that gremlins are sabotaging any airplane you are on or will be on, then you have a _____. If you cannot stop asking for more water during flights, then you have a _____.1. Obsession; compulsion2. Compulsion; obsession3. Phobia; obsession4. Plane ticket; pet camel

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Your turn

If you have the persistent thought that gremlins are sabotaging any airplane you are on or will be on, then you have a _____. If you cannot stop asking for more water during flights, then you have a _____.1. Obsession; compulsion2. Compulsion; obsession3. Phobia; obsession4. Plane ticket; pet camel

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Summary

• Panic attacks• Phobias• OCD