Chapter 18 Quickie Notes
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Section 1:
 Old school treatment of mental illness was barbaricstraitjackets and worse- spirits, demons, witchcraft
 Psychological Disorders- Things that cause problems with
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serious personal suffering and the ability to
cope/function in everyday life.
“Normal”- Normality is tough to tie down. Most people
with PD do not differ much from “normal” people- its all
in the degree- they have exaggerated symptoms
Criteria- maladaptive, causes emotional discomfort,
socially unacceptable
Typicality- how average is the behavior- some people are
exceptional in a good way and some normal people have
unusual lifestyles
 Maladaptivity- Person’s inability to function
adequately in everyday life- alcohol, paranoia etc
*Most people who commit violent crimes are not
mentally ill and most mentally ill do not commit
violent crimes.
Emotional Discomfort- Anxiety and Depression can cause
people to feel helpless and hopelessness etc.
 Socially Unacceptable Behavior- Violates what society
finds acceptable. The problem is that this can vary from
society to society (culture-bound systems)
 DSM- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders- system for classifying mental illnesses- Chart
on Page 501
Chapter 18 Section 2
Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Anxiety (state of dread and uneasiness) Disorders Phobic Disorders- a persistent and irrational fear of a
particular object or situation
 Social Phobia- Fear of social situations- public
speaking, crowds- usually avoid these situations
 Panic Attack- a short period of intense feardizziness, rapid heart rate etc. They often have an
intense fear of another panic attack and deathagoraphobia- fear of places that escape is
impossible- crowded place- often become
homebound
 Generalized Anxiety Disorder- an excessive or
unrealistic worry about life- money, relationships etc
 OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- obsessions are
unwanted thoughts, mental images or ideassenseless and repetitive- sufferers usually have
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compulsions which are repetitive ritualistic
behaviors
 Stress Disorders- PTSD and Acute Stress disorderAcute occurs quickly and usually doesn’t last as longboth happen because of a traumatic experience
 Post partum Depression- hopelessness and
inadequacy. Can have negative impacts for child,
mom and infant-child bonding.
*There is strong evidence for the biological view. Twin studies
and blood tests are in support
Chapter 18 Section 3
Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders:
Dissociative Disorders- The separation of personality
components or mental processes from conscious thoughts
 Dissociative Amnesia- A sudden loss of memory following
a stressful event. Usually for a specific time period,
sometimes for life. Memory can suddenly come back“psychogenic”
 Dissociative Fugue- Like DA but the person relocates and
starts a new life
 Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personality
disorder)
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 Depersonalization Disorder- People feel detached from
their bodies and feelings- looking at themselves from a
distance- a common symptom of other disorders
*Psychologists see dissociative disorders as the minds
defense about dealing with traumatic events
Somatoform Disorders: Psychological problems are expressed
through physical symptoms
 Conversion Disorder- a change or loss of physical
functioning with no medical explanation. They are not
faking it, BUT they show little concern over their physical
loss
 Hypochondriasis- Sufferers have a preoccupation with
having a serious illness
Chapter 18 Section 4
Schizophrenia- The most serious of psychological
disorders- loss of contact with reality- often strike in the
late teens and early 20’s
 Hallucinations- auditory and visual
 Delusions of grandeur
 Catatonic Stupor- discussed later
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Types of Schizophrenia
 Paranoid Schizophrenia- Often have delusions and
hallucinations. Usually have a specific fear.
 Disorganized Schizophrenia- Incoherent in their thoughts
and speech. Often show inappropriate or no emotion
 Catatonic Schizophrenia- Disturbance of movementunnatural, awkward. Sometimes people will be rigid in
weird poses.
Dopamine is implicated in the disease and the brains of
Schizophrenics looks different than “normal” people
Chapter 18 Section 5
Personality Disorders- Are patterns of inflexible traits
that disrupt social life or work and may distress the
affected individual. Chart on page 525
 Paranoid Personality Disorder- Suspicious of others
and feel their motives are harmful or evil
 Schizoid Personal- No interest or feelings about
other people
 Schizotypal Personality Disorder- Odd behaviors,
unconventional beliefs, avoid relationships out of
fear of not fitting in
 Antisocial Personality Disorder- Persistent pattern of
disregard for and violation of the rights of others,
harm animals, etc- new term for sociopaths
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 Borderline Personality Disorder- Moody, chaotic,
disturbed sense of self- cutting and self mutilation
are among the symptoms
 Histrionic Personality Disorder- Overly
dramatic/emotional and seek constantly attention
 Narcissistic Personality Disorder- Believe they
deserve excessive admiration, fantasies of their own
success- self focused with little empathy for others
 Avoidant Personality Disorder- Desire relationships
with others but are prevented froim this by a fear of
embarrassment or disapproval
 Dependent Personality Disorder- Overly dependent
on others, seek constant advice and have trouble
running their own life
 Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderInflexibility, fixation on rules, procedures and
orderliness, time, money and cleanliness. Often
work more hours than they need to.
Genetics thought to play a role. Runs in families and
antisocial personality disorder sufferers have less
neurons in the front of their brains
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