Psych Ch 13

the scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of psychological disorders

a pattern of behavior and psychological symptoms that cause significant personal distress, impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of life, or both

abbreviation for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision;  the book published by the American Psychiatric Association that describes the specific symptoms and diagnostic guidelines for different psychological disorders

an unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry

a category of psychological disorders in which extreme anxiety is the main diagnostic feature and causes significant disruptions in the person's cognitive, behavioral, or interpersonal functioning

• 1) pathological anxiety is irrational - perceived threats are exaggerated or nonexistent and the response is out of proportion to the situation
• 2) pathological anxiety is uncontrollable
• 3) pathological anxiety is disruptive, interfering with relationships, job or academic performance, or everyday activities

an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, global, and persistent symptoms of anxiety; also called free-floating anxiety

a sudden escape of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity

an anxiety disorder in which the person experiences frequent and unexpected panic attcks

an anxiety disorder involving the extreme and irrational fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public situation and being unable to escape or get help

a biological predisposition toward anxiety, a low sense of control over potentially life-threatening events, and an oversensitivity to physical sensations combine to make a person vulnerable to panic

people with panic disorders are not only oversensitive to physical sensations, they tend to catastrophize the meaning of their experience

has many symptoms in common with panic disorder; the person also becomes hysterical. typically follows a severe stressor and elicits immediate social support from others

a persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity

an excessive, intense, and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that is actively avoided or endured with marked anxiety

an anxiety disorder involving the extreme and irrational fear of being embarrassed, judged, or scrutinized by others in social situations

typically affects young Japanese males; fears that his appearance or smell, facial expression, or body language will offend, insult or embarrass other people

an anxiety disorder in which chronic and persistent symptoms of anxiety develop in response to an extreme physical or psychological trauma

• 1) the person frequently recalls the event; recollections are intrusive
• 2) the person avoids stimuli or situations that may trigger memories and undergoes a general numbing of emotional responsivness
• 3) the person experiences increased physical arousal associated with anxiety

an anxiety disorder in which the symptoms of anxiety are triggered by intrusive, repetitive thoughts and urges to perform certain actions

repeated, intrusive, and uncontrollable irrational thoughts or mental images that cause extreme anxiety and distress

repetitive behaviors or mental acts that are performed to prevent or reduce anxiety

a brain area involved in regulating movements

• Persistent, chronic, unreasonable worry and anxiety
• General symptoms of anxiety, including persistent physical arousal

Frequent and unexpected panic attacks, with no specific or identifiable trigger

• Intense anxiety or panic attack triggered by a specific object or situation
• Persistent avoidance of feared object or situation

Anxiety triggered by memories of a traumatic experience

• Anxiety caused by uncontrollable, persistent, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or
• Anxiety caused by uncontrollable, persistent, urges to perform certain actions (compulsions)

a category of mental disorders in which significant and persistent disruptions in mood or emotions cause impaired cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning

a mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of despondency, worthlessness, and hopelessness, causing impaired emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning

a mood disorder in which episodes of depression typically occur during the fall and winter and subside during the spring and summer

a mood disorder involving chronic, low-grade feelings of depression that produce subjective discomfort but do not seriously impair the ability to function

a mood disorder involving periods of incapacitating depression alternating with periods of extreme euphoria and excitement; formerly called manic depression

a sudden, rapidly escalating emotional state characterized by extreme euphoria, excitement, physical energy, and rapid thoughts and speech

thoughts rapidly and loosely shift from topic to topic

a mood disorder characterized by moderate but frequent mood swings that are not severe enough to quality as bipolar disorder

people with bipolar disorder who experience four or more manic or depressive episodes every year

a medication that helps control bipolar disorder by regulating the availability of glutamate

a neurotransmitter which acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter in many brain areas

• Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities
• Despondent mood, feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, or excessive guilt
• Preoccupation with death or suicidal thoughts
• Difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping
• Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions
• Diminished appetite and significant weight loss

Chronic, low-grade depressed feeelings that are not severe enough to qualify as major depression

Recurring episodes of depression that follow a seasonal pattern, typically occurring in the fall and winter months and subsiding in the spring and summer months

• One or more manic episodes characterized by euphoria, high energy, grandiose ideas, flight of ideas, inappropriate self-confidence, and decreased need for sleep
• Usually one or more episodes of major depression
• In some cases, may rapidly alternate between symptoms of mania and major depression

Moderate, recurring mood swings that are not severe enough to qualify as major depression or bipolar disorder

a category of mental disorders characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior

an eating disorder characterized by excessive weight loss, an irrational fear of gaining weight, and distorted body self-perception

a soft, fine body hair caused by extreme malnutrition

an eating disorder characterized by binges of extreme overeating followed by self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, or other inappropriate methods to purge the excessive food and prevent weight gain

the consistent and enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize you as an individual

relatively stable predispositions to behave or react in certain ways

inflexible, maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, behavior, and interpersonal functioning that are stable over time and across situations, and deviate from the expectations of the individual's culture

a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of the motives of others without sufficient basis

a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others

a personality disorder characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions, and marked impulsivity

according to this view, borderline personality disorder is the outcome of a unique combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors

a break or disruption in consciousness during which awareness, memory, and personal identity become separated or divided

a category of psychological disorders in which extreme and frequent disruptions of awareness, memory and personal identity impair the ability to function

a dissociative disorder involving the partial or total inability to recall important personal information

a dissociative disorder involving sudden and unexpected travel away from home, extensive amnesia, and indentity confusion

a dissociative disorder involving extensive memory disruptions along with the presence of two or more distinct identities, or personalities, formerly called multiple personality disorder

alternate personalities

a psychological disorder in which the ability to function is impaired by severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and thought processes

in schizophrenia, symptoms that reflect excesses or distortions of normal functioning, including delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts and behavior

in schizophrenia, symptoms that reflect defects or deficits in normal functioning, including flat affect, alogia, and avolition

a falsely held belief that persists despite compelling contradictory evidence

in schizophrenia, the person's false conviction that other people's behavior and ordinary events are somehow personally related to them

in schizophrenia, the belief that the person is extremely powerful, important, or wealthy

in schizophrenia, the basic theme is that others are plotting against or trying to harm the person or someone close to that person

in schizophrenia, the belief that outside forces are trying to exert control on the individual

a false or distorted perception that seems vividly real to the person experiencing it

the person responds in an emotionally flat way, showing a dramatic reduction in emotional responsiveness and facial expressions

greatly reduced production of speech, verbal responses are limited to brief, empty comments

the inability to initiate or persist in even simple forms of goal-directed behaviors

the view that schizophrenia is related to, and may be caused by, excessive activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain