1. Psychological Disorders
Unit 6 Notes
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2. Defining Disorders
Psychological disorder- a harmful dysfunction in which thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are maladaptive, unjustifiable, disturbing, and atypical
In order for something to be considered a disorder, it MUST have all four characteristics
Lets look at each one and compare to our scenarios…

3. Defining Disorders Maladaptive- destructive to oneself or others
Nude bather?
Might be weird, but its not hurtful to himself or others (NO)
Woman afraid of snakes?
Keeps her from living a normal life (YES)
Teenage boy?
Temperatures are dangerous to be exposed to (YES)
Teenage girl?
Not eating or sleeping is not good for her health (YES)

4. Defining Disorders Unjustifiable- without a rational basis
Background info may be necessary in order to determine
Nude bather?
Is actually Ben Franklin and the practice of air bathing was a common practice during his time (NO)
Woman afraid of snakes?
There are no poisonous snakes in her area (YES)
Teenage boy?
He is a member of the Santee Sioux and a vision quest is part of his spirituality (NO)
Teenage girl?
Entire family died in a house fire three days ago (NO)

5. Defining Disorders Disturbing- troublesome to others Nude bather?
No one saw him, so no one was disturbed (NO)
Woman afraid of snakes?
Husband was very concerned about her (YES)
Teenage boy?
Right of passage most likely pleased his family (NO)
Teenage girl?
Those close to her were probably quite concerned (YES)

6. Defining Disorders Atypical- so different that is violates the norm
Behavior is NOT like other people’s behavior AND violates a rule for accepted and expected behavior in a particular culture
Nude bather?
Today? Yes. During the 1700s? No
Woman afraid of snakes?
Most people aren’t afraid of pretend snakes is not acting normally (YES)
Teenage boy?
Santee culture would consider his behavior normal (NO)
Teenage girl?
Most people would act in a similar manner in a similar situation (NO)

7. Understanding Disorders
Cultures have tried to explain psychological disorders for hundreds of years
Ancient Babylonians viewed disorders as demonic possession and treated them with prayer
Ancient Hebrews saw disorders as punishment for sin and also used prayer to heal
15th Century Europeans tortured and executed those with disorders as it was believed they were caused by Satanic possession
Today, disorders are most commonly explained through either the medical or bio-psycho-social model

8. Understanding Disorders
Medical Model- concept that mental diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases, cured
Developed from the practices of French physician Philippe Pinel, who saw psychological disorders as sickness, not demonic possession
While the medical model has proven to lead to treatment of some disorders, it ignores all other factors that may play a role in needed treatment

9. Understanding Disorders
Bio-psycho-social Model- assumes biological, psychological, and social factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders
Biological includes our genetic disposition for a disorder
Psychological includes our thoughts and thinking patterns
Social includes cultural beliefs that can affect our behaviors

10. Classifying Disorders
Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists classify psychological disorders according to their symptoms to do the following:
Describe the disorder
Predict the future course of the disorder
Treat the disorder properly
Provide a springboard for research into the disorder’s causes
DSM-V: The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

11. Classifying Disorders
Notes about the DSM-V
Replaced the DSM-IV-TR in May of 2013
Has gone through significant changes
Anorexia wasn’t in the 1st edition; homosexuality was dropped in the DSM-III
Is widely accepted, but not universally accepted

13. Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety- vague feeling of apprehension and nervousness
Feeling nervous is perfectly normal behavior- it only becomes a disorder when it take control and dominates your life!

14. Anxiety Disorders There are five kinds of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

15. Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder- characterized by disruptive levels of persistent unexplained feelings of apprehension and tenseness
Must display at least three of the following symptoms:
Restlessness
Feeling on edge
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance
Symptoms are longer lasting and are not tied to any specific event to those with this disorder

16. Anxiety Disorders
Panic Disorders- characterized by sudden bouts of intense, unexplained anxiety, often associated with physical symptoms like choking sensations or shortness of breath
Attacks happen several times a day and all your energy is directed at regaining control

17. Anxiety Disorders
Phobia- characterized by disruptive, irrational fears of objects, activities, or situations
True phobias are irrational and disruptive
Focus anxiety onto a feared object, activity, or situation

18. Anxiety Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)- characterized by unwanted, repetitive thoughts and actions
Most common obsessions:
Concern with dirt, germs, or toxins
Something terrible happening
Symmetry, order, or exactness
Most common compulsions:
Excessive hand washing, bathing, tooth brushing, or grooming
Repeating rituals
Checking doors, locks, appliances, homework, etc.

19. Anxiety Disorders
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- characterized by reliving a severely upsetting event in unwanted, recurring memories and dreams
Usually triggered by intense stress
Symptoms can include nightmares, persistent fear, difficulty relating to others, and troubling memories of or flashbacks to the traumatic event
One study showed that ¼ of all US vets from Iraq and Afghanistan were diagnosed with PTSD

20. Anxiety Disorders Biological causes:
Heredity- some people have a predisposition for developing an anxiety disorder
Brain function
Those with OCD have more activity in their frontal lobes than those without
Those with phobias have unusual activity in their amygdala
Evolution
We have learned what is dangerous and should be feared over generations

21. Anxiety Disorders Learning Factors: Conditioning
If we are bit by a dog as a child, we can develop a fear of dogs that lasts into adulthood
Observational Learning:
If our parents or siblings are afraid of something, we can develop the same fear
Reinforcement
Someone with OCD and feels the need to wash their hands feels better when they wash they’re hands- the behavior has been reinforced

22. Mood Disorders
Disturbances of emotions- magnifications of our normal reactions
Magnified states are mania and depression
Mania- period of abnormally high emotion and activity
Depression- feeling down, sad or drained of energy
Two major disorders: Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder

23. Mood Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder- a person, for no apparent reason, experiences at least two weeks of depressed mood, diminished interest in activities, and other symptoms such as feelings of worthlessness
Diagnosed when 5 of these 9 symptoms are present for for two or more weeks:
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day**
Little interest or pleasure in almost all activities**
Significant changes in weight or appetite
Sleeping more or less than usual
Agitated or decreased level of activity
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
Diminished ability to thing or concentrate
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

24. Mood Disorders
Bipolar Disorder- person alternates between the hopelessness of depression and the overexcited and unreasonably optimistic state of mania
During mania phases, the person may go long periods without sleeping and may experience racing thoughts, be easily distracted, and set impossible goals

25. Mood Disorders Biological Factors: Heredity- Brain function-
Many mood disorders run in families (if one twin has bipolar disorder, the other is 70% more likely to develop it)
Brain function-
PET scans show less active brain functioning during major depression
Certain neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine) are lacking during depression

26. Mood Disorders Social-Cognitive Factors: Learned helplessness-
When bad things happen, some people tend to give up trying to improve their situation
May be why women suffer higher rates of depression than men
Attributions-
When things go wrong, we try to explain them
Depressed people tend to explain things as stable, internal, and global

27. Dissociative Disorders
The sense of self has become separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, or feelings
Quite rare and usually represent a response to overwhelming stress
Three specific types:
Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative Fugue
Dissociative Identity Disorder

28. Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Amnesia- Characterized by the loss of memory in reaction to traumatic event
Unlike other memory loss, it MUST be tied to a traumatic event
Example: combat solider not remembering events before or after his platoon is hit by a roadside bomb

29. Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Fugue- characterized by loss of identity and travel to a new location
Can last anywhere from a few hours to even years
In extreme cases, the person can form new friendships, completely new identities, and even work in a completely different career field

30. Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Identity Disorder- rare and controversial disorder in which an individual exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities
Formally known as multiple personality disorder
Personalities can differ in age, race, gender, even handedness
Controversial because was once extremely rare (less than 100 cases before the 1970s to over 20,000 during the 1980s) and because number of personalities has increased, on average, from 3 to 12

31. Somatoform Disorders
Symptoms take a bodily form without apparent physical cause
Hypochondriasis- imagined symptoms of illness
Example- athlete physically has severe knee pain after an awkward fall, but doctors cannot find any medical reason for the pain
Pretending to be sick is NOT hypochondriasis

32. Personality Disorders
Lasting and rigid behavior patterns that disrupt social functioning
Antisocial personality disorder- person (usually male) shows a lack of conscience for wrongdoing and a lack of respect for the rights of others
Also known as psychopathic personality disorder
Common amongst severe criminals

33. Schizophrenic Disorders
Schizophrenia- series of disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and behaviors
NOT split personalities- the person is split from reality
Occurs in about 1% of the world’s population

34. Schizophrenic Disorders
Symptoms:
Delusions- false beliefs
Grandeur- false beliefs that you are more important that you really are (believing you are Jesus or Buddha, for example)
Persecution- false beliefs that people are out to get you (believing that the CIA is listening to all of you phone calls, for example)
Sin or Guilt- false beliefs of being responsible for some misfortune (earthquake happens because you didn’t do your chores)
Influence- false beliefs of being controlled boy outside forces (“the devil made me do it”)

35. Schizophrenic Disorders
Symptoms (continued):
Hallucination- false perception
Hearing voices, seeing non-existent objects, feeling a burning sensation that isn’t there
Inappropriate emotions or behaviors
Laughing during a sad moment

36. Schizophrenic Disorders
Causes:
Biological:
Genetics- chances increase if a relative has it
Brain structure- smaller amounts of brain tissue and larger, fluid- filled spaces around the tissue. Thalamus can also be smaller
Brain function- PET scans show that the frontal lobes have less activity than normal brains. Also, more receptor sites for dopamine
Prenatal viruses- if the mother has the flu, it MAY increase risk

37. Therapy
There are many ways to treat psychological disorders- some are more widely accepted than others
It is important to note that there is NO ONE SINGLE correct treatment for any disorder

38. Psychotherapy
An interaction between a trained therapist and someone who is seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth
Depending on the patient, the type of therapy may vary
Examples:
Psychoanalysis
Client-centered therapy
Behavior therapy
Cognitive therapy
Family and Group Therapy

39. Biomedical Therapy
Treatment of psychological disorders by changing the brain’s functioning with prescribed drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, or surgery

40. Drug Therapy
Introduction of drugs allowed for record numbers of patients to become deinstitutionalized (released from mental hospitals and back into the community)
Drugs fall into three categories:
Antipsychotic
Antianxiety
Antidepressant

41. Drug Therapy Antipsychotic drugs-
Primarily used to treat schizophrenia
Reduce the number and severity of delusions and hallucinations by blocking the activity of dopamine
Thorazine is the most common
Negative side effects are strong enough that some people discontinue use

42. Drug Therapy Antianxiety Drugs-
Treat people with high levels of stress or anxiety disorders
Boost GABA in the brain
Valium, Librium, and Xanax are common
Patients can become dependent on the drugs- need to be used with other forms of therapy

43. Drug Therapy Antidepressants –
Boost serotonin levels in the brain to treat major depression
Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil (Lithium for Bipolar)
In 2008, 1:20 men, 1:10 women had a prescription

44. ECT Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
Therapy for major depression in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of a patient
Can be more effective than drug therapy
Can cause minor memory loss
There is no clear cut reason why the procedure works

45. Psychosurgery
Lobotomy- once used to control emotionally unstable or violent patients by cutting the nerves that connect the front lobes to the deeper emotional centers of the brain
Surgery is only used as a last resort in treating psychological disorders