Psychological Disorders
advertisement
Psychological Disorders
{
Unit 6 Notes
Your notes are yellow
Defining Disorders
Psychological disorder- a harmful dysfunction in which
thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are maladaptive,
unjustifiable, disturbing, and atypical
In order for something to be considered a disorder, it MUST
have all four characteristics
Lets look at each one and compare to our scenarios…
Defining Disorders
Maladaptive- destructive to oneself or others
Nude bather?
Woman afraid of snakes?
Keeps her from living a normal life (YES)
Teenage boy?
Might be weird, but its not hurtful to himself or others (NO)
Temperatures are dangerous to be exposed to (YES)
Teenage girl?
Not eating or sleeping is not good for her health (YES)
Defining Disorders
Unjustifiable- without a rational basis
Background info may be necessary in order to determine
Nude bather?
Woman afraid of snakes?
There are no poisonous snakes in her area (YES)
Teenage boy?
Is actually Ben Franklin and the practice of air bathing was a
common practice during his time (NO)
He is a member of the Santee Sioux and a vision quest is part
of his spirituality (NO)
Teenage girl?
Entire family died in a house fire three days ago (NO)
Defining Disorders
Disturbing- troublesome to others
Nude bather?
Woman afraid of snakes?
Husband was very concerned about her (YES)
Teenage boy?
No one saw him, so no one was disturbed (NO)
Right of passage most likely pleased his family (NO)
Teenage girl?
Those close to her were probably quite concerned (YES)
Defining Disorders
Atypical- so different that is violates the norm
Behavior is NOT like other people’s behavior AND violates
a rule for accepted and expected behavior in a particular
culture
Nude bather?
Woman afraid of snakes?
Most people aren’t afraid of pretend snakes is not acting
normally (YES)
Teenage boy?
Today? Yes. During the 1700s? No
Santee culture would consider his behavior normal (NO)
Teenage girl?
Most people would act in a similar manner in a similar
situation (NO)
Understanding Disorders
Cultures have tried to explain psychological disorders for
hundreds of years
Ancient Babylonians viewed disorders as demonic possession
and treated them with prayer
Ancient Hebrews saw disorders as punishment for sin and
also used prayer to heal
15th Century Europeans tortured and executed those with
disorders as it was believed they were caused by Satanic
possession
Today, disorders are most commonly explained through
either the medical or bio-psycho-social model
Understanding Disorders
Medical Model- concept that mental diseases have physical
causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases,
cured
Developed from the practices of French physician Philippe
Pinel, who saw psychological disorders as sickness, not
demonic possession
While the medical model has proven to lead to treatment of
some disorders, it ignores all other factors that may play a
role in needed treatment
Understanding Disorders
Bio-psycho-social Model- assumes biological,
psychological, and social factors combine and interact to
produce psychological disorders
Biological includes our genetic disposition for a disorder
Psychological includes our thoughts and thinking patterns
Social includes cultural beliefs that can affect our behaviors
Classifying Disorders
Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists classify
psychological disorders according to their symptoms to do
the following:
Describe the disorder
Predict the future course of the disorder
Treat the disorder properly
Provide a springboard for research into the disorder’s causes
DSM-V: The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a widely
used system for classifying psychological disorders
Classifying Disorders
Notes about the DSM-V
Replaced the DSM-IV-TR in May of 2013
Has gone through significant changes
Anorexia wasn’t in the 1st edition; homosexuality was dropped in
the DSM-III
Is widely accepted, but not universally accepted
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety- vague feeling of apprehension and nervousness
Feeling nervous is perfectly normal behavior- it only
becomes a disorder when it take control and dominates
your life!
Anxiety Disorders
There are five kinds of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder- characterized by disruptive
levels of persistent unexplained feelings of apprehension
and tenseness
Must display at least three of the following symptoms:
Restlessness
Feeling on edge
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance
Symptoms are longer lasting and are not tied to any specific
event to those with this disorder
Anxiety Disorders
Panic Disorders- characterized by sudden bouts of intense,
unexplained anxiety, often associated with physical
symptoms like choking sensations or shortness of breath
Attacks happen several times a day and all your energy is
directed at regaining control
Anxiety Disorders
Phobia- characterized by disruptive, irrational fears of
objects, activities, or situations
True phobias are irrational and disruptive
Focus anxiety onto a feared object, activity, or situation
Anxiety Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)- characterized by
unwanted, repetitive thoughts and actions
Most common obsessions:
Concern with dirt, germs, or toxins
Something terrible happening
Symmetry, order, or exactness
Most common compulsions:
Excessive hand washing, bathing, tooth brushing, or grooming
Repeating rituals
Checking doors, locks, appliances, homework, etc.
Anxiety Disorders
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- characterized by
reliving a severely upsetting event in unwanted, recurring
memories and dreams
Usually triggered by intense stress
Symptoms can include nightmares, persistent fear,
difficulty relating to others, and troubling memories of or
flashbacks to the traumatic event
One study showed that ¼ of all US vets from Iraq and
Afghanistan were diagnosed with PTSD
Anxiety Disorders
Biological causes:
Heredity- some people have a predisposition for developing
an anxiety disorder
Brain function
Those with OCD have more activity in their frontal lobes than
those without
Those with phobias have unusual activity in their amygdala
Evolution
We have learned what is dangerous and should be feared over
generations
Anxiety Disorders
Learning Factors:
Conditioning
Observational Learning:
If we are bit by a dog as a child, we can develop a fear of dogs that
lasts into adulthood
If our parents or siblings are afraid of something, we can develop
the same fear
Reinforcement
Someone with OCD and feels the need to wash their hands feels
better when they wash they’re hands- the behavior has been
reinforced
Mood Disorders
Disturbances of emotions- magnifications of our normal
reactions
Magnified states are mania and depression
Mania- period of abnormally high emotion and activity
Depression- feeling down, sad or drained of energy
Two major disorders: Major Depressive Disorder and
Bipolar Disorder
Mood Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder- a person, for no apparent reason,
experiences at least two weeks of depressed mood, diminished
interest in activities, and other symptoms such as feelings of
worthlessness
Diagnosed when 5 of these 9 symptoms are present for for two
or more weeks:
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day**
Little interest or pleasure in almost all activities**
Significant changes in weight or appetite
Sleeping more or less than usual
Agitated or decreased level of activity
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
Diminished ability to thing or concentrate
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Mood Disorders
Bipolar Disorder- person alternates between the
hopelessness of depression and the overexcited and
unreasonably optimistic state of mania
During mania phases, the person may go long periods
without sleeping and may experience racing thoughts, be
easily distracted, and set impossible goals
Mood Disorders
Biological Factors:
Heredity
Many mood disorders run in families (if one twin has bipolar
disorder, the other is 70% more likely to develop it)
Brain function
PET scans show less active brain functioning during major
depression
Certain neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine) are
lacking during depression
Mood Disorders
Social-Cognitive Factors:
Learned helplessness
When bad things happen, some people tend to give up trying to
improve their situation
May be why women suffer higher rates of depression than men
Attributions
When things go wrong, we try to explain them
Depressed people tend to explain things as stable, internal, and
global
Dissociative Disorders
The sense of self has become separated (dissociated) from
previous memories, thoughts, or feelings
Quite rare and usually represent a response to
overwhelming stress
Three specific types:
Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative Fugue
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Amnesia- Characterized by the loss of memory
in reaction to traumatic event
Unlike other memory loss, it MUST be tied to a traumatic
event
Example: combat solider not remembering events before or
after his platoon is hit by a roadside bomb
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Fugue- characterized by loss of identity and
travel to a new location
Can last anywhere from a few hours to even years
In extreme cases, the person can form new friendships,
completely new identities, and even work in a completely
different career field
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Identity Disorder- rare and controversial
disorder in which an individual exhibits two or more
distinct and alternating personalities
Formally known as multiple personality disorder
Personalities can differ in age, race, gender, even
handedness
Controversial because was once extremely rare (less than
100 cases before the 1970s to over 20,000 during the 1980s)
and because number of personalities has increased, on
average, from 3 to 12
Somatoform Disorders
Symptoms take a bodily form without apparent physical
cause
Hypochondriasis- imagined symptoms of illness
Example- athlete physically has severe knee pain after an
awkward fall, but doctors cannot find any medical reason for
the pain
Pretending to be sick is NOT hypochondriasis
Personality Disorders
Lasting and rigid behavior patterns that disrupt social
functioning
Antisocial personality disorder- person (usually male)
shows a lack of conscience for wrongdoing and a lack of
respect for the rights of others
Also known as psychopathic personality disorder
Common amongst severe criminals
Schizophrenic Disorders
Schizophrenia- series of disorders characterized by
disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed
perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and behaviors
NOT split personalities- the person is split from reality
Occurs in about 1% of the world’s population
Schizophrenic Disorders
Symptoms:
Delusions- false beliefs
Grandeur- false beliefs that you are more important that you
really are (believing you are Jesus or Buddha, for example)
Persecution- false beliefs that people are out to get you (believing
that the CIA is listening to all of you phone calls, for example)
Sin or Guilt- false beliefs of being responsible for some misfortune
(earthquake happens because you didn’t do your chores)
Influence- false beliefs of being controlled boy outside forces (“the
devil made me do it”)
Schizophrenic Disorders
Symptoms (continued):
Hallucination- false perception
Hearing voices, seeing non-existent objects, feeling a burning
sensation that isn’t there
Inappropriate emotions or behaviors
Laughing during a sad moment
Schizophrenic Disorders
Causes:
Biological:
Genetics- chances increase if a relative has it
Brain structure- smaller amounts of brain tissue and larger, fluidfilled spaces around the tissue. Thalamus can also be smaller
Brain function- PET scans show that the frontal lobes have less
activity than normal brains. Also, more receptor sites for
dopamine
Prenatal viruses- if the mother has the flu, it MAY increase risk
Therapy
There are many ways to treat psychological disorders- some
are more widely accepted than others
It is important to note that there is NO ONE SINGLE
correct treatment for any disorder
Psychotherapy
An interaction between a trained therapist and someone
who is seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or
achieve personal growth
Depending on the patient, the type of therapy may vary
Examples:
Psychoanalysis
Client-centered therapy
Behavior therapy
Cognitive therapy
Family and Group Therapy
Biomedical Therapy
Treatment of psychological disorders by changing the
brain’s functioning with prescribed drugs,
electroconvulsive therapy, or surgery
Drug Therapy
Introduction of drugs allowed for record numbers of
patients to become deinstitutionalized (released from
mental hospitals and back into the community)
Drugs fall into three categories:
Antipsychotic
Antianxiety
Antidepressant
Drug Therapy
Antipsychotic drugs
Primarily used to treat schizophrenia
Reduce the number and severity of delusions and
hallucinations by blocking the activity of dopamine
Thorazine is the most common
Negative side effects are strong enough that some people
discontinue use
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Drugs
Treat people with high levels of stress or anxiety disorders
Boost GABA in the brain
Valium, Librium, and Xanax are common
Patients can become dependent on the drugs- need to be used
with other forms of therapy
Drug Therapy
Antidepressants –
Boost serotonin levels
in the brain to treat
major depression
Prozac, Zoloft, and
Paxil (Lithium for
Bipolar)
In 2008, 1:20 men, 1:10
women had a
prescription
ECT
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Therapy for major depression in which a brief electric current
is sent through the brain of a patient
Can be more effective than drug therapy
Can cause minor memory loss
There is no clear cut reason why the procedure works
Psychosurgery
Lobotomy- once used to control emotionally unstable or
violent patients by cutting the nerves that connect the front
lobes to the deeper emotional centers of the brain
Surgery is only used as a last resort in treating
psychological disorders
