Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Panic Disorder Phobia Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Fear v. Anxiety Fear – Immediate alarm reaction to dangerous or life threatening emergencies Anxiety – A mood state characterized by negative emotion, tension with no specific object or event that is feared

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Definition – A continuous and generalized feeling of apprehension and pending disaster Criteria – Major anxiety for 6 months – Not attached to a specific fear

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms – Excessive anxiety – Restlessness – Jittery – Rapid breathing – Heart palpitations – Edgy – Hot flashes or chills – Difficulty concentrating – Difficulty sleeping

Phobias Definition – Unreasonable specific fear of an object or situation Criteria – Interferes with functioning – Motivated to avoid the feared stimulus

Phobias Symptoms – Nervous – Rapid breathing – Fear

Panic Disorder Definition – Severe unexpected panic – Feelings of loss of control or danger Criteria – Recurrent unexpected panic attacks – Develop anxiety about having another attack

Panic Disorder Symptoms – Tingling in the hands/feet – Shortness of breath – Hot & cold flashes – Faintness – Dizziness – Feelings of unreality

Pathway of Panic Attacks Biological Vulnerability Stress (Initial Panic Attack) False Alarm Association with cues

Pathway of Panic Attacks Psychological Vulnerability Involuntary physical or cognitive cues Possible development of “agoraphobic” avoidance

Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (1)Almost never applies to me (2)Applies to me sometimes (3)Applies to me often (4)Applies to me almost always

1.When I find myself waiting for someone or something, I count things (floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and so on) 2.After I lock a door, I will check and recheck to make sure it is locked. 3.I find it difficult to throw things out 4.I get upset when people move my personal possessions 5.When given a handout in class, I doodle on it and fill in or shade many of the letters

6.When I wake up in the morning I follow the same ritual 7.I make to-do lists and scratch each item as I accomplish it 8.I tend to be a perfectionist 9.I have to budget my money 10.When given a task to do, I complete it by myself or closely supervise the work

What does it all mean? 10-15Not very anxious at all 16-20Somewhat anxious, but it keeps you motivated 21-30Anxious often; you may find it hard to relax at times 31-40Very anxious; you may want to learn some relaxation techniques

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Definition – Obsession Repetitive and unwanted thought, ideas, images – Compulsion repetitive and rigid activities that people feel compelled to do

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Criteria – Significant distress – Impaired functioning – Difficulty dismissing – UNWANTED

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms – Rapid heartbeats – Jittery – Irritability – Difficulty concentrating Examples – Hand washing – Counting – Hording behavior (don’t throw anything away)

Statistics Approximately 40 million American adults have some form of anxiety disorder Approximately 6 million American adults have Panic Disorder Approximately 2.2 million American adults have OCD OCD is equal among males and females