Abnormal Psychology
UNIT 6
Somatoform and
dissociative disorder
CHAPTER 16 SECTION 3
Somatoform Disorder
- Physical symptoms for there is no apparent physical cause.
◦ Two major types:
◦ Conversion disorder
◦ Hypochondriasis
The two types of somatoform disorders
1. Conversion Disorder:
◦ Changing emotional difficulties into a loss of a specific voluntary body function
◦ Many people experience mild conversion disorders, such as being frightened he or she can not move
2. Hypochondriasis:
◦ In which a person who is in good health becomes preoccupied with imaginary ailments.
◦ Spends a lot of time looking for signs of serious illness and often misinterprets minor aches, pains,
bruises, or bumps as early signs of a fatal illness.
Dissociative Disorders
A disorder in which a person experiences alterations in memory; identity; or consciousness
There are three major times:
◦ 1. dissociative amnesia
◦ 2. dissociative fugue
◦ 3. dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative amnesia
The inability to recall important personal events or information; is usually associated with
stressful events.
- Amnesiacs remember how to speak and usually retain a fund of general knowledge, but they
may not know who they are, where they live and work, or who their family is.
Dissociative Fugue
A dissociative disorder in which a person suddenly and unexpectedly travels away from home or
work and is unable to recall the past.
◦ A person may fall asleep and then wake up in a restaurant 200 miles from home.
◦ If not treated they may assume a new identity
Dissociative Identity disorder
A person exhibits two or more personality states, each with its own patterns of thinking and
behaving.
◦ Previously known as multiple personality disorder.
◦ Each personality has it own way of thinking and behaving
The case of Eve White (Black)(Jane)
◦ Eve White was conscientious, self-controlled, rather shy person
◦ Eve Black was childlike, fun-loving, and irresponsible.
◦ Jane came along during therapy, and eventually developed 22 separate personalities.
People with this disorder usually suffered severe physical, psychological, or sexual abuse during
childhood.
What we will be doing next time
1. Discussing the disorder of schizophrenia
2. Explaining several theories that try to explain mood disorders.
HOMEWORK:
YOU HAVE NO HOMEWORK……. UNLESS YOU ARE ONE THE OF THE PEOPLE WHO:
◦ Have not completed either chapter 13 or chapter 14 guided readings or vocab activity packets
◦ They will be due next class (Friday)
◦ This is the last day I will be accepting these packets, otherwise you will have a ZERO in the gradebook
for these assignments and they will reflect on your progress report.
WARM-UP
What were the three dissociative disorders? And what was the main issue of each?
- I will be checking this warm-up for a grade
Schizophrenia and
Mood Disorders
Schizophrenia
A group of disorders characterized by confused and disconnected thoughts, emotions, and
perceptions.
- catatonic schizophrenia
- Disorganized Schizophrenia
- Paranoid Schizophrenia
What is Schizophrenia
- many people with schizophrenia have delusions, these are false beliefs that they hold on to in
spite of evidence that these veliefs are not true.
- Hallucinations, which are perceptions of things that are not there.
Some people believe that they are the pope. Is this a delusion or a hallucination?
Types of schizophrenia
Paranoid:
◦ involves delusions and Hallucinations
Catatonic:
◦ May not move for long periods of time.
Disorganized:
◦ Confused language, inappropriate emotions, and disorganized movements.
Remission:
◦ Anyone who symptoms have disappeared for now, but are likely to come back.
Undifferentiated:
◦ All the basic symptoms of schizophrenia.
Causes of Schizophrenia
Most likely caused by a combination of genetic, physical, and environmental factors.
Affects 1 percent of people. Odds increase to 5.5 percent if a parent or sibling is diagnosed.
One theory is the Dopamine hypothesis. Too Much is the cause
- Other theories.
Mood Disorders
Major depressive disorder
◦ Spend atleast two weeks feeling depressed, sad, anxious, tired, upset, and less able to function.
Bipolar Disorder:
◦ Go back and forth from feeling extremely happy (manic) to deeply depressed.
◦ The manic phase, they feel extremely happy yet confused and easily distracted.
◦ Depressice phase, they are overcome by feelings of failure, worthlessness, and despair.
◦ They become sluggish and not responsice.
Depression may result from the interaction of physical and psychological factors.
Case Studies Guess Who?
Case #1
He dressed in flashy pajamas and loud bathrobes, and, was otherwise immodest and careless about his
personal appearance. He neglected his meals and rest hours, and was highly irregular, impulsive and distractable
in his adaptations to ward routine. Without apparent intent to be annoying or disturbing he sang, whistled, told
pointless off color stories, visited indiscriminately and flirted crudely with the nurses and female patients.
Superficially he appeared to be in high spirits, and yet one day when he was being gently chided over some
particularly irresponsible act he suddenly slumped in a chair, covered his face with his hands, began sobbing and
cried, "for Pete's sake, Doc, let me be. Can't you see that I've just got to act happy?" This reversal of mood was
transient and his seeming buoyancy returned in a few moments; nevertheless during treatment his defense
euphoria disappeared again when he revealed his fear that his wife was unfaithful to him
Bipolar
What were the symptoms that gave you the disorder you chose?
Case #2
A brilliant student, Clarence suffered a severe breakdown during his third year of college and was
admitted to a mental hospital. While he was in the hospital Clarence heard voices and often talked of a machine
to control human thoughts. Once the therapist approached him on the hospital grounds and called his name but
was unable to get his attention. Clarence was staring into space, the tip of his index finger pressed against his
lips. The therapist found it difficult to move the finger but finally succeeded in raising Clarence's arm above his
head. There it remained in the awkward position in which the therapist had placed it. The therapist pinched
Clarence and stuck him with a pin, but Clarence did not move an eyelid.
For ten days he remained silent and motionless and had to be forcible fed. Then suddenly he emerged
from this state, exclaiming, "I have been born again."
Catatonic Schizophrenia
What symptoms made it different from the other types of schizophrenia?
Case #3
A woman believed that her son-in-law planned to sexually assault and kill her. Her reaction to
this idea was expressed in many letters sent to friends and relatives, mailed surreptitiously, and
causing the daughter and son-in-law much embarrassment. She believed her daughter's
husband to be a reincarnation of a lover from her youth. She brought out old pictures to verify
the resemblance and then launched into longer stories about the man to whom she had been
engaged as a girl.
Paranoid Schizophrenia
What symptoms made it Paranoid Schizophrenia?
Case #4
No, I never was crazy, a little nervous. Look at my teeth. I came here to have my teeth fixed. We're going to
have a strawberry party now. Yesterday, I heard voices... They said, "I ran to the drugstore and I am going
home tomorrow." I heard J.B. Scott's voice and it came up here in the air. We've got 39 banks on Market
Street. We've got lots of property. Say, take me home and I'll give you three laundry bags. I'm 29 and a half,
29 and a half. Now I want you to get me ten apples and two dozen lemons. Now listen, if I get some
pineapple will you preserve it?
Disorganized Schizophrenia
What was disorganized about this patient?
Case #5
John, a patient at the state mental hospital, appears to be happy and elated. He frequently
makes humorous remarks, laughs at them himself, and is successful in making others laugh too.
In expressing his thoughts he jumps from one topic to another without following any particular
course. If, while he is talking about his family, the psychologist suddenly interjects a comment
about the weather, John immediately switches his conversation to the weather or any other
topic the psychologist introduces. Furthermore, he is hyperactive.
He is either drumming with his fingers, playing with a pencil, or engaging others with his rapid
talk. His present illness will probably be followed by several years of "normal" behavior.
Bipolar Disorder
What was the bipolar tendency of this patient?
Paranoid Schizophrenia
What are the paranoid tendencies of this patient?
Personality Disorders
and Drug Addiction
CHAPTER 16 SECTION 5
What are personality disorder
These include a wide variety of personality patterns, from painfully shy, lonely people to pushy
show off.