Psychological Disorders

1. Psychological Disorders Chapter Eighteen

2. What Are Psychological Disorders? Section 1

3. Quick Definitions • Psychological Disorders: patterns of thoughts or behaviors that interfere with lives or cause suffering • Culture-Bound Syndromes: what we consider a disorder may actually be considered normal in other areas

4. Did You Know? • One-third of adults in the United States have experienced some type of psychological disorder!

5. Symptoms • Typicality—is the behavior average of the rest of society? • Maladaptive Behavior—determines whether the behavior is harmful to self or others • Emotional Discomfort—if a person suffers from extreme or long-lasting feelings of hopelessness or helplessness • Socially Unacceptable Behaviors—actions that violate society’s norms

6. Classifying Psychological Disorders • It’s important to have a system for classifying disorders for diagnosis and treatment. • Disorders were first classified based on their presumed causes. • Today, psychologists use the DSM-IV to classify disorders. • DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V should be released in 2012)

7. Anxiety Disorders Section 2

8. Introduction • Description: a general state of uneasiness or dread that occurs in response to a vague or imagined danger • Characteristics: nervousness, inability to relax, concern about losing control • Physical Signs: trembling, sweating, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure, flushed face, feelings of faintness • A problem when this happens all the time and is out of proportion to the situation

9. Types of Anxiety Disorders • Phobic disorder • Panic Disorder • Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

10. Phobic Disorder • A lot of us say we have phobias, but we really don’t • Description: an excessive/irrational fear of a certain subject or situation • Diagnosed when the fear leads to avoidant behavior and changes in a person’s life

11. Panic Disorder • 1/75 people have this disorder • Have recurrent and unexpected panic attacks • A short period of intense fear/discomfort with shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heart beat, trembling/shaking, sweating, nausea, choking, and more

12. Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Description: an excessive and unrealistic worry about life in general that lasts for six months or more • Worry about: finances, work, relationships, accidents, illnesses, etc.

13. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder • Obsessions: unwanted thoughts, ideas, or mental images that occur over and over again; often senseless • Compulsions: repetitive, ritual behaviors; often involve checking and cleaning • Sufferers usually know their obsessions and compulsions are unwarranted

14. Compulsive Hoarding Syndrome • Characterized by the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them • Often creates cramped living conditions, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter • Leads to limited interaction with others

15. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder • Description: intense, persistent feelings of anxiety caused by a traumatic experience (rape, war, abuse, assault, accident, etc.) • Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, numbness of feelings, avoidance, increased tension and jumpiness

16. Explanation Psychological Views Biological View • Learned in childhood • A cover for forbidden urges • Due to feelings of worthlessness • A negative response to a situation • It’s genetic—we inherit these obsessions and compulsions from our parents

17. Dissociative Disorders Section 3

18. Background Information • Dissociation refers to the separation of personality components or mental processes from conscious thought • The most common form of “normal” dissociation is daydreaming • Dissociation removes stress or lessens anxiety • There are four disorders we’re going to discuss.

19. Dissociative Amnesia • Characteristic: a sudden loss of memory • May last a few hours or several years • Often appears after a traumatic experience and returns with little notice • Usually doesn’t occur again

20. Dissociative Fugue • Characteristics • forget information and events • Relocate • Develop a new identity • Most common during wars and natural disasters • Just like in the soap operas!

21. Dissociative Identity Disorder • Also known as Multiple Personality Disorder • Characteristic: two or more personalities exist in one person • Each personality is different from each other • A history of severe child abuse is common with most DID patients (physical, sexual, or psychological)

22. Depersonalization Disorder • Characteristic: detachment from one’s mental processes and/or body

23. Explaining this Disorder • Psychoanalytic Psychologists • A response to inappropriate urges • Learning Psychologists • People have been taught not to think about disturbing events • Most believe there is no link between dissociation and genetics

24. Gender Identity Disorder

25. Symptoms • Children • Are disgusted by their own body parts • Are rejected by their peers, feel alone • Have depression or anxiety • Say that they want to or will be the opposite sex • Adults • Dress like or live the life of the opposite sex • Feel alone • Have depression or anxiety

26. Causes/Diagnosis • The cause is unknown • In order to diagnose this disorder, the feeling of being in the body of the "wrong" gender must last for at least two years

27. Treatment • Counseling: have the patient talk about the issues • Hormonal Therapy: give him/her the hormones that correspond with the gender he/she was born with • Sex Reassignment Surgery: your basic sex change

28. Somatoform Disorders Section 4

29. Introduction • Definition: the expression of psychological distress through physical symptoms • This disorder is NOT intentional • Some diagnosed cases are reversed because a medical illness is found! • Some cases go unreported because the focus is on medical tests.

30. Conversion Disorder • Description: experience a change in or loss of physical functioning in a major part of the body with no medical reason • Example: when a person cannot move his/her legs or see at night • Some people are unconcerned about these symptoms!

31. Hypocondriasis • Also known as hypochondria • Description: a person’s unrealistic preoccupation with the fear he/she has a serious disease • Example: when a person is sure a belly ache is actually stomach cancer • Some people will see several doctors until one gives them any form of treatment!

32. Explanation • A person converts psychological stress into actual medical problems • Example: a pilot afraid to fly since September 11th may develop problems with his/her vision

33. Impulse Control Disorders

34. Description • defined primarily by loss of control • characterized by an inability to resist the impulse to perform an action that is harmful to one's self or others

35. Intermittent Explosive DisorderIntermittent Explosive Disorder • the inability to control violent impulses • result in serious damage to either persons or property • the degree of the aggressiveness is not in proportion to cause

36. Trichotillomania • Hair loss caused by compulsive pulling or twisting of the hair until it breaks off • An uneven appearance to the hair • Bare patches or all around loss of hair • Constant tugging, pulling, or twisting of hair • Denying the hair pulling • Patients say they have a sense of relief, pleasure, or gratification after the hair pulling • These symptoms are usually seen in children

37. Kleptomania • Involves the compulsive stealing of items that aren’t needed • There is usually a feeling of tension before stealing, and a sense of pleasure at the time of the theft • A rare problem; more common in women

38. Pathological Gambling • The uncontrollable impulse to gamble • It often results in disrupted relationships, financial problems, and/or criminal behavior and yet the individual can’t stop • Often are obsessed with gambling and need to increase the amount of money gambled in order to experience the same rush

39. Pyromania • Involves setting fires for pleasure • The individual usually has a significant fascination with fire • Experience a sense of relief or gratification from the experience

40. Treatment • Some of the disorders are helped by behavior therapy • Reduce stress and help the patient develop other habits • There may also be a neurological explanation (there’s something wrong in the brain) • Treat with anti-depressants

41. Mood Disorders Section 5

42. Introduction • Mood changes refers to being “up” or “down” depending on life experiences • Becomes a disorder when changes are inappropriate or inconsistent SAD HAPPY

43. Major Depression • Another one of the most common disorders • Effects over 100 million people worldwide • A person must have five of the nine symptoms which must occur every day for two weeks • Depressed mood • Loss of interest in activities • Weight loss or gain • Sleeping more or less • Faster/slower reactions—physically and emotionally • Loss of energy • Feeling worthless or guilty • Unable to concentrate or make decisions • Thoughts of death or suicide

44. Bipolar Disorder • Also known as manic depression • Characterized by dramatic ups and downs; changes quickly for no reason at all • The depressive characteristics are the same as major depression • There are five characteristics of the manic stage • Inflated self-esteem • Inability to sit still or sleep • Racing thoughts • Pressure to talk to switch topics • Difficulty concentrating

45. Explanation • Psychological Views • Learned helplessness • It is simply a person’s habit • Biological Views • Heredity • A chemical imbalance; due to low levels of serotonin

46. Schizophrenia Section 6

47. Introduction • Most serious disorder • Very rare; .5% - 1% suffer from this disorder • Characterized by a loss of contact with reality • Can develop gradually or very quickly • Worsens over time • Very difficult to treat • 20% with schizophrenia will attempt suicide; 10% of the attempts are successful • Often starts between 18-25

48. Symptoms • Hear Voices • Hallucinations: see things that aren’t there • Can be visual or auditory • Delusions: believe things to be true that aren’t; often believe they can do things they can’t and that they’re better than they are • Thought Disorders • Organization: skip around • Content: repetition • Social Withdrawal • Catatonic Stupor: an immobile, expressionless, coma-like state

49. Explanation • Genetics • Injury or trauma at birth • Birth during a winter month • A viral infection during infancy • A brain defect

50. Personality Disorders Section 7