Psychological Disorders (Unit 1)

January 20, 2015

Abnormal Psychology

Psychological Disorder- a “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive and unjustifiable.

DSM IV- diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders: the big book of disorders

-DSM will classify disorders ad escribe the symptoms

-DSM will NOT explain the causes of possible cures

·         Two major classifications in the DSM

1.) Neurotic Disorders- Distressing but one can still function in society and act rationally

2.) Psychotic Disorders- Person loses contact with reality, experiences distorted perceptions

Anxiety Disorders

·         A group of conditions where the primary symptoms are anxiety or defense against anxiety

·         The patient fears something awful will happen to them

·         They are in a state of intense apprehension, uneasiness, uncertainty, or fear

• Phobia- A person experiences sudden episodes of intense dread
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)- 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 over sensitive, can’t concentrate and suffers insomnia.
• Panic Disorders- Anxiety disorder marked by a minute long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking and other frightening sensations

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 event cause anxiety.

January 21, 2014

• ·         Somatoform disorders- occur when a person manifests a psychological problem through a physiological symptoms
• ·         Hypochondriasis- has frequent physical complaints for which medical doctors are unable to locate the cause- believe they are minor issues.

• ·         Conversion Disorder- report the existence of severe physical problems with no biological reason. Like blindness or paralysis

·         Dissociative disorders 

      (3 types)- these disorders involve a disruption in the conscious process.

1.       Psychogenic Amnesia- a person cannot remember things with no physiological basis for the disruption in memory.

2.       Dissociative Fugue- People with psychogenic amnesia find themselves in an unfamiliar environment.

3.       Dissociative Identity disorder (DID)- People with DID commonly have a history of childhood abuse or trauma, diagnosed birth to 18.

·         

      Mood Disorders

      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.)

·         Dysthymic Disorder- suffering from mild depression every day for at least two years

·         Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)- experience depression during the winter months. Based not on temperature, but on amount of sunlight.

·         Bipolar Disorder- formally maniac depression, Involves periods of depression and manic episodes (involve feeling of high energy). Some get confident, some get irritable.

·         Personality Disorders 
Well-established, maladaptive ways of behaving that negativity affects people’s ability to function, dominates their personality.

·         Antisocial Personality Disorder- Lack empathy, little regard for other’s feelings, view the world as hostile and look out for themselves.

·         Dependent Personality Disorder- Rely too much on the attention and help of others.

·         Histronic Personality Disorder- Needs to be the center of attention. Whether acting silly or dressing provocatively.

·          Narcissistic Disorder- Having an unwanted sense of self-importance. Thinking that you are the center of the universe.

January 23, 2015

Schizophrenic Disorders

·         About 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia:

1.       Disorganized thinking:

·         The thinking of a person with schizophrenia is fragmented and bizarre and distorted with false beliefs.

·         Disorganized thinking comes from a breakdown in selective attention- they cannot filter out information

 Delusions (false beliefs):
 Delusions of :

Persecution (fear)

Grandeur (god)

2.       Disturbed Perceptions: Hallucinations- sensory experiences without sensory stimulations.

3.       Inappropriate emotions and actions:

·         Laugh at inappropriate times

·         Flat effect- reduction in emotions

·         Senseless, compulsive acts

·         Catatonia- motionless waxy flexibility

Positive v. Negative Symptoms

·         Positive: Presence of appropriate symptoms

·         Negative: Absence of appropriate symptoms

Types of Schizophrenia:

1. Disorganized Schizophrenia: Disorganized speech or behavior, or flat or inappropriate emotion. Imagine the worst.
2. Paranoid Schizophrenia: (Hallucinations; delusions) “Somebody’s out to get me”
3. Catatonic Schizophrenia: Parrot like repeating of another’s speech and movements
4. Undifferentiated Schizophrenia: Many and varied symptoms.