Psychological disorders - Behaviors or mental processes There are various kinds of distress or impaired functioning. What makes them diagnosable is that they are not expectable responses to specific events. Maladaptive reaction – when normal feelings of loneliness, mild depression and anxiety occur after a stressor it is normal adjustments, but when emotional complaints exceed the expected level, or when ability to function is impaired (for example: difficulty getting out of bed or attending classes,
What constitutes abnormal? These are some standards that psychologists have based it off of. Unusualness – behavior that is out of the ordinary (okay to have panic before a test, but not full-fledged panic attacks that come out of the blue). Faulty perception – hallucinations and ideals of persecution.
DSM IV is used mostly in hospitals and for insurance purposes. It also helps in developing treatment plans. Usually have provisional diagnosis and also label when primary and secondary when have more than one diagnosis (ie. Substance abuse and Depression) DSM IV is consistently revised.
Axis IV: Problems w/ primary support group, problems related to social environment, educational problems, occupational problems, housing problems, economic problems, problems with access to healthcare, problems related to legal and criminal justice system, and other psychosocial and environmental problems. Axis V: 1-100 scale
Social Phobia- have fear of doing something that will be humiliating or embarrassing. Ex. Fear of public speaking Impact both social and occupational spaces. Agoraphobia – Fear of being in places where it might be difficult to escape or which help might not be available if they experience panicky symptoms. Often refuse to leave home. Example in book.
Motor tension: shakiness, inability to relax, furrowed brow, fidgeting. Autonomic overarousal: sweating, dry mouth, racing hear, light-headedness, frequent urination, diarrhea.
Recurrent, troubling obsession, compulsions or both. Obsessions – so compelling and recurrent that they disrupt daily life. Include doubts about whether locked the doors and shut the windows, images such (children getting injured on the way home). Contamination of hands (fear of germs). Compulsion-impulse is recurrent and forceful, interfering with daily life. Temporarily reduce anxiety connected with obsessions but the obessional thoughts typically return leading to a vicious cycle.
PTSD may not begin for many months or years after the trauma, but it may last for years or even decades afterward. Anxiety related symptoms (rapid heart rate and feelings of anxiety and helplessness. Traumatic event is revisited in the form of intrusive memories, recurrent dreams ,and flashbacks. People try to avoid thoughts and activities connected to the trauma. Find it more difficult to enjoy life and may have sleep problems, irritable outbursts, difficulty concentrating, extreme vigilance, and an exaggerated “startle” response to sudden noise.
Psychological Views: Learning theorists would point out that some phobias may be learned on the basis of classical conditioning and by observational learning. Psychodynamic theorists believe that phobias symbolize unconscious conflicts originating in childhood. Cognitive theorists suggest that anxiety is maintained by exaggerating the consequences of threatening events. Biological Views: There is much evidence to support the role that biological factors play in anxiety disorders. For example, Genetic factors may account for faulty regulation of levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, leading to unusually high levels of anxiety in response to particular threats. Ultimately though, while genetics may cause a tendency towards certain disorders, whether the person actually develops the disorder depends on many other factors (such as a warm and loving family, level of stressful events, coping ability, etc.).
Dissociative disorders are uncommon and rare.
Depersonalization Disorder experience changes in attention and perception, making it difficult for them to focus clearly on events. As a result, they may feel as though they are functioning on automatic pilot or as in a dream.
The great majority of people who have been diagnosed with dissociative disorders have suffered terrible sexual or physical abuse in childhood, usually before the age of 5.
Conversion – people show indifference to their symptoms,
More often in men than women.
Paranoid: Delusions of grandeur and persecution but they may also have delusions of jealousy, in with they believe a lover or spouse is unfaithful. Agitation, confusion, and fear and may experience vivid hallucinations that are consistent with their delusions. Disorganized: loosening of associations, disorganized behavior, and flattened or highly inappropriate emotional responses. Silliness, giddiness of mood, giggling, and nonsensical speech. Neglect appearance and personal hygiene and lose control of their bladder and bowels.
Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter. It is a chemical messenger that is similar to adrenaline and affects the brain processes that control movement, emotional response, and the capacity to feel pleasure and pain. Dopamine is vital for performing balanced and controlled movements. A shortage of dopamine can cause a lack of controlled movements such as those experienced in Parkinson disease.
Paranoid: general suspiciousness of the motives and intentions of others and a tendency to interpret other people’s behavior as threatening. Do not show grossly disorganized thinking of paranoid schizophrenia. Mistrustful of others and their relationships suffer for it and relationships suffer for it. Overly suspicious of coworkers and supervisors, but their behavior is organized well enough for them to be able to maintain employment. Schizoid: social isolation and lack of interest in social relationships. “loners” Do not develop warm, tender feelings for others. Have few friends, experience strong emoitons sucah as anger, joy or sadness. Schizotypal: peculiarities of thought, perception, or behavior, such as expcessive fantasy and suspiciousness; feelings of being unreal; odd usage of words. Have peculiar behaviors such as believing that they can foretell the future) but their thoughts and behavior are not as disturbed as those of people with schizophrenia.
Narcissistic: Need constant admiration and praise, lest their self-esteem plummet. ASPD/sociopath- * Glibness and Superficial Charm, Manipulative and Conning Grandiose Sense of Self Pathological Lying Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt A deep seated rage. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. Shallow Emotions When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises. Incapacity for Love Need for Stimulation Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common. Callousness/Lack of Empathy Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them. Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others. Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc. Irresponsibility/Unreliability Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed. Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts. Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Avoidant Personality Disorder: systematic avoidance of social contacts and any situation which might result in embarrassment or anxiety. Even with people who are close, he or she avoids a more intimate involvement. The permanent expectations of being ridiculed, criticized, rejected puts the person constantly at the borderline of suffering anxiety attacks. Then he develops a permanent scheme of self-protection against anxiety. – They tend to live alone – Contact with family and friends can be enjoyable, but only for a short period of time (minute or hours) and anxiety can be aroused at any moment. – They avoid contact with strangers. They are extremely kind when such contact occurs and they do everything possible to make sure that such contact is brief. – They develop at least one phobia (for animals or objects) whose origin is connected with the earlier appearance of anxiety attacks in social situations. The animal or object connected with such situations unleashes the anxiety and this assumes phobic characteristics. – They are aware that they have abdicated certain experiences in life in order to avoid suffering. – They often fantasize about the situations they avoid and yet would like to experience – in their fantasies they exclude the anxiety-provoking stimuli. – They can be professionally successful, but they could be even more successful if they did not turn their backs on opportunities. Dependent Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by an over-reliance on others that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation. The dependent and submissive behaviors arise from feeling unable to cope without the help of others. This disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviors become persistent and very disabling or distressing. This diagnosis should be used with great caution, if at all, in children and adolescents, for whom dependent behavior may be developmentally appropriate. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by a chronic preoccupation with rules, orderliness, and control. This disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviors become persistent and disabling. The individual with this disorder often becomes upset when control is lost. The individual then either emotionally withdraws from these situations, or becomes very angry. The individual usually expresses affection in a highly controlled or stilted fashion and may be very uncomfortable in the presence of others who are emotionally expressive. The person often has difficulty expressing tender feelings, and rarely pays compliments.
![What Are Psychological Disorders? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)