Abnormal Psychology 3

8/2/2019 Abnormal Psychology 3

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DEFINING ABNORMALITY

A disorder means having persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and

actions Having a failure adjusting to normal life

Physically

Emotionally

Socially

Psychologically

The three Ds of disorder: Deviation (from the norm)

Distress

Dysfunction


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CLASSIFYING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) is the most recent way to classifyabnormal behaviors

Helps in making sure diagnosis is same from doctor to doctor


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LABELING OF DISORDERS

B E N E F I T S

Get professionaltreatment

Person with disorderrealizes limitations(predicts course ofdisorder)

Better knowledge andunderstanding of whatthe person is goingthrough

D R A W B A C K S

Self-fulfillingprophecy

Being stereotyped byother people

Possiblemisdiagnosis ofdisorder

Limits advantages aperson may havegained had they not

been labeled


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ANXIETY DISORDERS

Types are generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, phobias, PTSD, and panic

attacks Generalized anxiety disorder is continually intense and uneasy feelings with no

stimuli

Panic attacks are sudden experiences of tense dread with no stimuli

Phobias are feeling irrationally and intensely afraid of a specific object orsituation

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Having haunting memories and nightmares, a numbed social withdrawal,jumpy anxiety, and insomnia

Occurs mainly in combat veterans, accident and disaster survivors, sexualassault victims, and children of violent neighborhoods


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CAUSE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Learning explanations

Fear conditioning: being exposed to a traumatic event which one has no controlover

Observational learning: developing a fear based on watching someone havingthat same fear

Biological explanations

Natural selection: fears ingrained through evolution

Genes: having a disorder based on high anxiety plus a stressful position Brain activity: certain parts of the brain being active in certain situations

contributes to anxiety


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DEFINING OCD

Disorder is thought or behavioral patterns that interfere with the ability to

go through daily functioningObsession Compulsion Disorder (OCD) consists of obsessions and

compulsions

Obsessions are constant, repetitive thoughts about a single idea

Compulsions are constant, repetitive motions that a person may or may not beunaware of doing


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OTHER FACTS ABOUT OCD

2% of all people in the U.S. have OCD

A new medical treatment for OCD has come out called clomipramine


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SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

A somatoform disorder is having physical symptoms of a disorder with no

apparent causeConversion disorder is changing difficult emotions into a specific

physiological disability

Hypochondriasis is when a person becomes preoccupied with anonexistent ailment


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DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

A general symptom is disturbance in conscious experience such as a loss

of memory or identityTypes

Psychogenic amnesia: attempting to escape from a problem by forgetting it

Psychogenic (traveling) fugue: amnesia with active changing of environment

Dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality): having two distinctpersonalities in one person

May be caused by the person trying to escape a part of themselves that theydont like or fear


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EATING DISORDERS

Eating disorders are most common in women

Most people with eating disorders are in their adolescence

Three most common eating disorders are bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating disorder


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BULIMIA

Bulimia is the most common eating disorder, occurring in about 1.1 to 4.2%

of the populationSymptoms are a cycle of binging and purging

Binging: consuming a large amount of something in a small amount of time

Three ways to purge: vomiting, laxatives, exercising excessively

Most with disorder go through a cycle two to three times a month


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ANOREXIA

Occurs in 3.7 to 5% of women

Symptoms are: Aversion to weight gain

Constantly thinking about food

Being 15% normal body weight for height and body type


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AFFECTIVE DISORDERS

Affect the mood of a person

Include major depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), postpartumdepression, and bipolar depression (manic depressive disorder)


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MAJOR DEPRESSION

Symptoms include:

Having sleep issues

Apathy towards physical appearance

Decreasing interest in before enjoyable interests

Changing in eating habits

Social reclusiveness

Persons with depression may have a tendency towards drug use and abuse

(depression may have been caused by drug use/abuse)

Treatment towards depression includes prozac


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FACTS ABOUT SUICIDE

Not all people with major depression attempt suicide

70% of people who attempt suicide have warned three months prior

Statistics:

1:4 of attempted suicide are the elderly

Women attempt suicide more frequently but arent as successful at ending their

life

Men attempt suicide less but are more successful at ending their life


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SAD AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

Seasonal Affective Disorder is major depression that occurs because of achange in seasons (for example, more people are depressed duringwinter or rainy months)

Postpartum Depression may occur in women after theyve given birth

because of sudden drop in hormones

Includes all symptoms of major depression and not wanting to take care of theirchildren


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MANIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Symptoms of bipolar disorder are instances of mania and depression withnothing in between

Mania is moments in which the person is extremely excitable, happy, energetic,may go nights without sleep, want to do everything

Depression is same as major depression

Possible causes:

Chemical imbalance

Environmental trigger Drug use

Treatment for bipolar includes lithium


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SCHIZOPHRENIA

Most complex and severe of disorders

Is a problem with cognition

Symptoms for all schizophrenics are:

Hallucinations (perceptions in absence of stimuli)

Delusions (beliefs maintained in spite of contrary evidence)

Disturbance in affect (mood, emotional response)

Incoherent speech (word salad)

Other symptoms include:

Deterioration in movement

Diverted attention

Decrease in previous level of functioning


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SCHIZOPHRENIA (CONT.)

Classifications:

Catatonic (motionless) deterioration in movement

Undifferentiated (equal symptoms)

Paranoid

In-remission (had schizophrenia, but now not showing any symptoms)

Disorganized (incoherence)


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SCHIZOPHRENIA (CONT.)

Possible causes:

Nature Genetic/biological (preset)

Chemical imbalance (too much dopamine)

Nature and Nurture: diathesis stress hypothesis

Nurture: double-blind theory (conflicting messages from both parents)

Treatment is anti-psychotic drugs (hard to get schizophrenics to take them

because they believe nothing is wrong with them)


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ADHD

Three main symptoms are:

Inattention (distracted, forgetful, disorganized)

Hyperactivity (fidgeting, restlessness, not staying seated, excessive talking)

Impulsivity (difficulty taking turns, interrupting, blurting out answers)

Statistics:

10% of 13-17 yr olds take meds for ADHD

ADHD usually coexists with a learning disorder

4% of all people actually have ADHD


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PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Antisocial personality disorder: a mental health condition in which a personhas a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating therights of others (also known as sociopath or psychopath)

people may be attracted to this type of individual because they showreasonable concern for their friends and family and appear fearless andcharismatic, athletic, and are generally of high intelligence


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ALCOHOLISM

Stages of alcoholism

1. reduced tensions, more self-confidence, and decreased effects of socialpressure

2. becomes like a drug, a habit, blackouts

3. drinks compulsively, needs to drink

Affect of alcohol depends on:

How rapidly it enters the bloodstream

Weight, height, gender, body chemistry How much is consumed

Genetic predisposition and past experience


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INSANITY

Legal definition is any abnormal condition of the mind which substantiallyimpairs behavior control

People who plead insanity in criminal cases are unsuccessful in defendingthemselves and are often sent to mental institutions

Formal Commitment is when a friend or relative asks the judge to considerinsanity

Informal Commitment is when the police bring in someone who is acting

wildly

16% of U.S. inmate population suffers from a severe mental disorder

Abnormal Psychology 3

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