1. Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13

2. Perspectives on Psychological Disorders
Section 1

3. Historical Views of Psych Disorders
Attributed to supernatural powers
Madness was a sign that spirits had possessed a person
Middles Ages
Believed in exorcisms
People were put in asylums-chained down and deprived food, light or “air” to cure them

4. 1793 turning point in treating the ill
Phillipe Pinel made the asylums more humane, sanitary and comfortable
Dorthea Dix ( )
American reformer
Boston teacher that lead the way for humane treatment of the mentally ill
New hopsitals were built but very little changes were made

5. Theories of Nature, Causes, and Treatment of Psych Disorders
The Biological Model
Behavior is caused by physiological malfunctions linked to heredity
Genetic factors involved with schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and autism

6. Psychoanalytical Model
Behavior disorders are symbolic expressions of unconscious internal conflicts, that are traced to earlier like
Freudian ideology

7. The Cognitive-Behavioral Model
Like all behavior, abnormal behavior is the result of learning
Learned behaviors like fears, anxiety, and sexual deviations can be learned and unlearned

8. The Diathesis-Stress Model
Some people are biologically prone to developing a particular disorder under stress, whereas others are not
Systems Theory
Emotional problems are “lifestyle diseases” that like heart disease are caused by a combination o biological risks, psychological stresses and societal pressures and expectations

9. Causes of Mental Disorders
Biological and psychological factors are connected
Both are factor and can affect a person

10. Classifying Psych Disorders
For nearly 40 years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has issued a manual describing and classifying various psych disorders
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
In 4th edition

11. Prevalence of Psych Disorders
How common are psych disorders in the United States?
32% of all Americans suffer from one or more serious mental disorders during their lifetime
At any given time, more than 15% are experiencing a mental disorder

12. Drug abuse is the most common disorder
Anxiety disorders are the second most common
Mood disorders like depression are a problem for almost 8% of the population
Schizophrenia afflicts 1.5 % of the population (about 3 million people!)

13. Mood Disorders
Section 2

14. Mood Disorders: disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state
Usually you have an rang of moods and emotions
With mood disorders people seem stuck at one end of the spectrum or the other—really happy or really sad

15. Depression
Depression: overwhelming feelings of sadness, lack of interest in activities, and perhaps excessive guilt or feeling of worthlessness
Most common mood disorder
Seriously depressed people suffer from insomnia, lose interest in food, trouble thinking and concentrating
In extremely serious cases may experience suicidal thoughts ot even attempt suicide

16. Important to distinguish between clinical and the “normal” depression
Entirely normal to become sad when a loved on has died, break up with your significant other—considered “normal” depression

17. 2 forms of depression—Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia
Episode of intense sadness that may last for several months
Caused from difficult life events
Dysthymia
Less intense sadness but persists with little relief for a period of 2 years
Biological problem

18. Mania and Bipolar Disorder
Mania: euphoric states, extreme psychical activity, excessive talkativeness, distractedness, and sometimes grandiosity
unlimited hopes but little motivation to act on them
Can sometimes become aggressive and hostile toward others as their self confidence grows
Manic periods usually alternate with depression

19. Bipolar Disorder: periods of mania and depression alternate, sometimes with periods of normal moods intervening
Much less common, equally prevalent in men and women
Stronger biological component than depression
Strongly linked to heredity and is often treated with drugs

20. Causes of Mood Disorders
Biological Factors
Consistent evidence that genetic factors play a role in depression and Bipolar Disorder
Strongest evidence come from Twin Studies
Chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters
Medications can help create balanced neurotransmitters

21. Psychological Factors
Cognitive Distortions: illogical and maladaptive response to early negative life events that leads to feelings of incompetence and unworthiness that are reactive whenever a new situation arises that resembles the original events

22. Social Factors
Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
Depression stems from excessive grief and irrational grief over a real or “symbolic” loss

23. Anxiety Disorders
Section 3

24. Anxiety Disorders: disorders in which anxiety is a characteristic feature or the avoidance of anxiety seems to motivate abnormal behavior
Does not know why they are afraid or the anxiety is inappropriate to the circumstance
Fear and anxiety doesn’t make sense

25. Specific Phobias
Specific Phobias: anxiety disorder characterized by intense, paralyzing fear of something
Interferes with life functioning
EX: fear of flying, spiders, animals, heights, blood etc
Social Phobia: fear connected with social situations or performances in front of other people
EX: public speaking

26. Agoraphobia: anxiety disorder that involves multiple, intense fears of crowds, public places, and other situations that require separation fron a source of security such as home

27. Panic Disorders
Panic Disorders: recurrent panic attacks in which the person suddenly experiences intense fear or terror without reasonable cause
During a panic attack a person may feel impending doom, chest pains, dizziness or fainting, sweating, difficulty breathing, and fear of losing control and dying
Usually only lasts a few minutes, but can occur for no reason

28. Other Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: prolonged vague but intense fears that are not attached to any particular object or circumstance
Inability to relax, constantly feeling restless, muscles tension, rapid heart beat apprehensiveness about the future
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): a person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts and/ or perform senseless rituals

29. Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Often learned from others or experiences
If you feel like you do not have control over your life and the events in it you may suffer from anxiety disorders

30. Psychosomatic Disorders
Section 4

31. Psychosomatic Disorders
Psychosomatic Disorders: there is a real psychical illness that is largely caused by physiological factors such as stress and anxiety
EX: tension headaches
Caused by muscle contractions brought on by stress
Headache is real but considered psychosomatic because stress and anxiety (psychological factors) play an important role in causing symptoms

32. Somatoform Disorders: there is an apparent psychical illness for which there is no organic basis
Do not mean to mislead others about their physical condition
The symptoms are very real to them, not faked are under voluntary control
Somatization Disorder: person experiences vague, recurring psychical symptoms for which medical attention is sought after repeatedly but no cause is found
Common Complaints: back pains dizziness, partial paralysis, abdominal pains, and sometimes anxiety and depression

33. Conversion Disorder: dramatic specific disability has no psychical cause but instead seems related to psychological problems
Also, blindness, deafness, seizures, and lose of feeling, or false pregnancy
Have healthy muscles and nerves, yet symptoms are very real
Usually caused to resolve a difficult conflict or relieves the patient of the need to confront a difficult situation
EX: worry your self sick

34. Hypochondriasis: person interprets insignificant symptoms as signs of serious illness in the absence of any organic evidence of such illness
You have a headache and you assume you actually have a brain tumor
Body Dimorphic Disorder: person becomes so preoccupied with his or her imaged ugliness that normal life is impossible
EX: think you have big ears and eventually cant function in regular life

35. Dissociative Disorders
Section 5

36. Dissociative Disorders
Disorders in which some aspect of the personality seems separated from the rest
Involves memory loss– though temporary– change in identity

37. Dissociative Amnesia: loss of memory fro past events without organic cause
Usually block out stressful events or periods of life that may seem extremely stressful
EX: extreme/ extensive abuse

38. Dissociative Identity Disorder: person has several distinct personalities that emerge at different times
Commonly know as multiple personalities
In true multiple personalities, the various personalities are distinct people, whit their own names, identities, memories, mannerisms, and speaking voices, and even IQ’s
Personalities sharply contrast each other

39. Depersonalization Disorder: essential feature is that people suddenly feels changed or different in a strange way
Feel like that have left their bodies, or their actions have become mechanical or dream like
Common during adolescence and young adulthood when our sense of ourselves and interactions changes rapidly

40. Personality Disorders
Section 6

41. Personality Disorders: inflexible and maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving learned early in life cause distress to the person and/or conflicts with others
EX: harmless eccentrics to cold blooded killers

42. Types of Personality Diosrders
Schizoid Personality Disorder: person is withdrawn and lacks feelings for others
Lacks desire to form social relationships
No feelings towards others
Seldom marry, have trouble holding jobs that require them to work with others

43. Paranoid Personality Disorder: person is inappropriately suspicious and mistrustful of others
There is no reason for suspicion or mistrust
Refuse to accept blame or criticism when necessary
Guarded, secretive, devious, scheming, and argumentative but see themselves and rational and objective

44. Dependent Personality Disorder: person is unable to make choices and decisions independently and cannot tolerate being alone
Underlying fear they will be rejected or abandoned by the important people in their lives
Avoidant Personality Disorder: person’s fear of rejection by other leads to social isolation
Person is timid, anxious, fearful of rejection
Social anxiety leads to isolation but unlike schizoid people, they WANT to have close relationship with people

45. Narcissistic Personality Disorder: person has an exaggerated sense of self-importance and needs constant admiration
Believe they are extraordinary, need constant attention and admiration, display sense of entitlement, and tend to exploit others
Borderline Personality Disorder: marked by instability in self- image, mood, and interpersonal relationships
Tend to act impulsively, and often in self destructive ways,
Feel uncomfortable being alone, ad often manipulate self destructive impulses in an effort to control or solidify their personal relationships—promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, and threats of suicide

46. Common and serious
Although genetics do play a role, not an important role in development
Usually generates out of exposure to dysfunctional relationships with parents, frequent exposure to domestic violence, and physical or sexual abuse

47. Antisocial Personality Disorder: involves a pattern of violent, criminal, or unethical and exploitative behavior and an inability to feel affection for others
Lie, steal, cheat, and show little to no responsibility, often intelligent, and charming
The “con man”
Show little to no remorse, guilt or anxiety about behavior

48. Schizophrenic Disorders
Section 7

49. Schizophrenic Disorder: severe disorders in which there are disturbances of thoughts, communications, and emotions, including delusions and hallucinations.
Lasts for months, even years
Out of touch with reality– insanity is a legal term for mentally disturbed people who are not considered responsible for their criminal actions

50. Suffer from hallucinations—sensory experiences in the absence of external stimulation
Usually takes the form of hearing voices that are not really there
Frequently suffer from delusions– false beliefs about reality that have no basis in fact
These delusions are usually paranoid– believe people are our to harm them
Believe their doctors want to kill them, receiving radio messages fro aliens
Distorted thoughts sometimes lead to self-destructive behaviors, increasing their risk fro suicide
Difficult to live a normal life unless treated with medication

51. Types of Schizophrenic Disorders
Disorganized Schizophrenia: bizarre childlike behaviors are common
Giggling, frantic gesturing, show childish regard for social conventions and ma urinate and defecate at inappropriate times
Catatonic Schizophrenia: disturbed behavior is prominent
Alternate between catatonic state (mute and immobile) and extremely active state (constant shouting and talking)

52. Paranoid Schizophrenia: marked by extreme suspiciousness and complex, bizarre delusions
May believe themselves to someone they are not (Napoleon or the Virgin Mary)
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia: there are clear schizophrenic symptoms that don’t meet the criteria for another subtype of the disorder
May have delusions, hallucinations, or incoherence but doesn’t fit into any of the subtypes for the disorder

53. Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic component
People with schizophrenia are more likely to have children with the disorder, as well
May also be related to those who have excessive amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine