Chapter 18
Section 2
Anxiety Disorders
Pages 415-419
Objectives
• Distinguish among the anxiety disorders, and
outline the theories that explain them.
Phobias
• Research the proper names for as many
phobias as you can locate.
• Examples: hydrophobia: fear of water;
brontophobia: fear of thunder and lightning;
ergophobia: fear of work.
• You may be amused by some of the more
unusual phobias, but please understand that
almost any object or situation may lead to a
phobic reaction in certain individuals.
OCD and Shopping Addiction
• Now that you have viewed MTV True Life: OCD
and Shopping Addiction. Describe the root of
the behaviors of the people in the shows.
Compare and Contrast the young people in
the True Life and how they worked towards
getting healthy.
Anxiety
• Anxiety is the general state of dread or
uneasiness that occurs in response to a vague or
imagined danger.
• Anxiety is typically explained by nervousness,
inability to relax, and the thought of losing
control. Physical signs and symptoms trembling,
sweating, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath,
increased blood pressure, flushed face, and
feelings of faintness or light-headness.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
• Phobic Disorder- Phobia-comes from the
Greek root phobos, which mean “fear.”
• Simple Phobia-persistent excessive or
irrational fear of a particular object or
situation.
• To be diagnosed as a phobic disorder, the fear
must lead to avoidance behavior that
interferes with affected person’s normal life.
• Social phobia-people with social phobias fear
all social situations; others fear specific
situations, such as public speaking, eating in
public, or dating. Generally try to avoid the
situations they fear. Invent excuses to avoid
going to parties or other social gatherings.
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
• Panic attack-have recurring and unexpected
panic attacks. Intense fear or discomfort,
shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heart
rate, trembling or shaking, sweating, choking,
nausea, or other physical symptoms.
• The attack may last a few minutes to a few
hours. Some feel they may by dying or going
crazy.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• GAD-excessive or unrealistic worry about life
circumstances that lasts for at least six
months. Worries focus on finances, work
interpersonal problems, accidents, or illness.
• Many do not seek psychological treatment.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Obsessions-unwanted thoughts, ideas, or mental
images that occur over and over again.
• Compulsions-repetitive ritual behaviors, often
involving checking or cleaning something.
• Stress Disorders- Post-traumatic stress disorder:
intense, persistent feelings of anxiety that are
caused by the an experience so traumatic that it
would produce stress in anyone. Examples: rape,
child abuse, assault, severe accident, airplane
crash, natural disasters, and war.
• Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, numbness
of feelings, increased tension, and avoidance
associated with trauma
Activity
Page 418
• Read the feature and then describe the types
of stress and anxiety that many Americans felt
after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Consider how these symptoms might be
similar to or different from those experienced
by persons who survive a natural disaster such
as a flood, earthquake, or tornado.
Chart
• Create a two-column chart summarizing the
psychological and biological explanations of
anxiety disorders.
• Write a paragraph discussing which
explanation they believe best explains anxiety
disorders and why.