Psychological Disorders

Carolyn Hatcher Period 3B

Table of Contents
1. Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder Panic Disorder Phobias Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 2. Mood Disorders Major Depressive Disorder Bipolar Disorder 3. Schizophrenia Paranoid Disorganized Catatonic Undifferentiated Residual 4. Personality Disorder Avoidant Schizoid Histrionic Narcissists Borderline

Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a pattern of constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common condition. Genes may play a role. Stress may also contribute to the development of GAD. Anyone can develop this disorder, even kids. Most people with the disorder report that they have been anxious for as long as they can remember. GAD occurs somewhat more often in women than in men. The main symptom is the almost constant presence of worry or tension, even when there is little or no cause. Worries seem to float from one problem to another, such as family or relationship problems, work issues, money, health, and other problems. Even when aware that their worries or fears are stronger than needed, a person with GAD still has difficulty controlling them. The goal of treatment is to help you function well during day-to-day life. A combination of medicine and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works best. Medications are an important part of treatment. Once you start them, do not suddenly stop taking them without talking with your health care provider.

Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which you have repeated attacks of intense fear that something bad will happen. Panic disorder is twice as common in women as it is in men. Symptoms usually begin before age 25, but may occur in the mid-30s. Although panic disorder may occur in children, it is often not diagnosed until they are older. A panic attack begins suddenly, and most often peaks within 10 - 20 minutes. Some symptoms may continue for an hour or more. A panic attack may be mistaken for a heart attack. Panic attacks may include anxiety about being in a situation where an escape may be difficult (such as being in a crowd or traveling in a car or bus). A person with panic disorder often lives in fear of another attack, and may be afraid to be alone or far from medical help. The goal of treatment is to help you function well during everyday life. A combination of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works best. Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are most often prescribed for panic disorder

Phobias
A phobia is an irrational and excessive fear of an object or situation. In most cases, the phobia involves a sense of endangerment or a fear of harm. Phobic symptoms can occur through exposure to the fear object or situation, or sometimes simply thinking about the feared object can lead to a response. Common symptoms associated with phobias include: Dizziness, Breathlessness, Nausea, and a sense of unreality. There are a number of treatment approaches for phobias. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the individual and the type of phobia

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). Often the person carries out the behaviors to get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only provides temporary relief. Not performing the obsessive rituals can cause great anxiety. The person usually recognizes that the behavior is excessive or unreasonable. Your own description of the behavior can help diagnose the disorder. A physical exam can rule out physical causes, and a psychiatric evaluation can rule out other mental disorders OCD is treated using medications and therapy. Psychotherapy can also be used to provide effective ways of reducing stress, Reduce anxiety, and Resolve inner conflicts.

Mood Disorders

Major Depressive Disorder

True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer. The exact cause of depression is not known. Many researchers believe it is caused by chemical changes in the brain. This may be due to a problem with your genes, or triggered by certain stressful events. Depression can change or distort the way you see yourself, your life, and those around you. People who have depression usually see everything with a more negative attitude. They cannot imagine that any problem or situation can be solved in a positive way. Symptoms of depression can include: Agitation, restlessness, and irritability becoming withdrawn or isolated. In general, treatments for depression include: Medications called antidepressants, and Talk therapy, called psychotherapy. If you have mild depression, you may only need one of these treatments. People with more severe depression usually need a combination of both treatments. It takes time to feel better, but there are usually day-to-day improvements.

Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. The "mood swings" between mania and depression can be very quick. The manic phase may last from days to months. It can include the following symptoms: Easily distracted, little need for sleep, Poor judgment, Poor temper control, reckless behavior and lack of self-control. Periods of depression or mania return in most patients, even with treatment. The main goals of treatment are to: Avoid moving from one phase to another, Avoid the need for a hospital stay, Help the patient function as well as possible between episodes, Prevent self-injury and suicide, Make the episodes less frequent and severe.

Schizophrenia

Subtypes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia: Paranoid Subtype The defining feature of the paranoid subtype (also known as paranoid schizophrenia) is the presence of auditory hallucinations or prominent delusional thoughts about persecution or conspiracy. However, people with this subtype may be more functional in their ability to work and engage in relationships than people with other subtypes of schizophrenia. The reasons are not entirely clear, but may partly reflect that people suffering from this subtype often do not exhibit symptoms until later in life and have achieved a higher level of functioning before the onset of their illness. People with the paranoid subtype may appear to lead fairly normal lives by successful management of their disorder. Schizophrenia: Disorganized Subtype As the name implies, this subtypes predominant feature is disorganization of the thought processes. As a rule, hallucinations and delusions are less pronounced, although there may be some evidence of these symptoms. These people may have significant impairments in their ability to maintain the activities of daily living. Even the more routine tasks, such as dressing, bathing or brushing teeth, can be significantly impaired or lost. Schizophrenia: Catatonic Subtype The predominant clinical features seen in the catatonic subtype involve disturbances in movement. Affected people may exhibit a dramatic reduction in activity, to the point that voluntary movement stops, as in catatonic stupor.

Alternatively, activity can dramatically increase, a state known as catatonic excitement. Schizophrenia: Undifferentiated Subtype The undifferentiated subtype is diagnosed when people have symptoms of schizophrenia that are not sufficiently formed or specific enough to permit classification of the illness into one of the other subtypes. The symptoms of any one person can fluctuate at different points in time, resulting in uncertainty as to the correct subtype classification. Schizophrenia: Residual Subtype This subtype is diagnosed when the patient no longer displays prominent symptoms. In such cases, the schizophrenic symptoms generally have lessened in severity. Hallucinations, delusions or idiosyncratic behaviors may still be present, but their manifestations are significantly diminished in comparison to the acute phase of the illness. Just as the symptoms of schizophrenia are diverse, so are its ramifications. Different kinds of impairment affect each patients life to varying degrees. Some people require custodial care in state institutions, while others are gainfully employed and can maintain an active family life.

Personality Disorders

Clusters of Personality Disorder

Avoidant personality disorder Avoidant personality disorder is where a person has an extreme fear of being judged negatively by other people and suffers from a high level of social discomfort as a result. They tend only to enter into relationships where uncritical acceptance is almost guaranteed, undergo social withdrawal and suffer low selfesteem. They have a great desire for affection and acceptance, but the fear of rejection can overwhelm this desire. Schizoid personality disorder A person with schizoid personality disorder has few social relationships, expresses few emotions (especially those of warmth and tenderness), and appears to not care about the praise or criticism of others. They may appear absent minded and aloof, but are actually very shy. Histrionic personality disorder Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by people who are like to be the center of attention, are lively and over dramatic. They easily become bored with normal routines, and crave new, novel situations and excitement. In relationships, they form bonds quickly, but the relationships are often shallow, with the person demanding increasing amounts of attention. Narcissistic personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder involves grandiose (inflated) self-importance and preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success.

They are often referred to as being conceited. They can often act selfishly, with a sense of entitlement over others. They generally have a low self-esteem. Borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD) refers to the symptoms being on the borderline between psychosis and neurosis. It is a disorder in which a person has a pattern of unstable personal relationships, and poor impulse control in areas such as spending, sexual conduct, driving, eating, and substance abuse. They may not have a strong sense of who they are. Additionally, the person suffering from BPD fears abandonment and will go to any length to prevent this, often feeling chronic emptiness. There may be suicidal threats, gestures or attempts made by the person with BPD. There may also be self-harm. Their mood may change quickly, often with outbursts of anger. Someone with BPD may also experience hallucinations and delusions. BPD is a controversial diagnosis, and some psychiatrists do not believe it exists.