Psyhcological Disorders Ch. 16

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1 Important Dates to remember Psyhcological Disorders Ch Journals 2/26 2. Homework 3/3 3. Test 3/4 Defining Psychological Disorders What's normal and what's abnormal? Psychological Disorders a harmful dysfunction in which behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable What is atypical? disturbing? maladaptive? unjustifiable? Why is it so important to diagnose someone correctly with a disorder? Defining Psychological Disorders Can you be atypical and not have a disorder? 1

Defining Psychological Disorders The answer is yes That is why you must also consider the behavior to be disturbing standards of acceptability vary with different cultures one example of how

2 Defining Psychological Disorders The answer is yes That is why you must also consider the behavior to be disturbing standards of acceptability vary with different cultures one example of how acceptability of disorders can vary in one culture is: from 1952 to Dec. 9, 1973 homesexuality was considered a disorder in the DSM on Dec. 10, 1973 it was not later nicotine dependence was added to the DSM Defining Psychological Disorders many clinicians focus on the maladaptive part of the definition to diagnose someone with a disorder for example they see nicotine dependence a disorder when it becomes self destructive they see a behavior as a possible disorder when it becomes disabling maladaptiveness has become a key element when defining disorder the behaviors must be distressing or disabling or put one at greatly increased risk of suffering or death an intense fear of spiders may be irrational but it does not impair your life like a disorder Understanding Psychological Disorders in the past people have blamed disorders on outside forces like the stars, godlike powers, or evil spirits if this was the case, then the cure was simply to get rid of the outside force mad people were often put in zoolike conditions or given therapies appropriate to a demon sometimes beaten, burned, pulling teeth, or even castration 2

Understanding Psychological Disorders Medical Perspective Philippe Pinel of France said madness was not demon possession but a sickness of the mind caused by stress and inhumane conditions Pinel

moral you improved their behavior Understanding Psychological Disorders Medical Perspective physicians began to look for ways to treat psychological disorders through medicine this new focus was

3 Understanding Psychological Disorders Medical Perspective Philippe Pinel of France said madness was not demon possession but a sickness of the mind caused by stress and inhumane conditions Pinel believed in mortal treatment unchaining them, talking with them, and replacing brutality with gentleness, isolation with activity, and filth with clean air and sun he believed if you boosted their moral you improved their behavior Understanding Psychological Disorders Medical Perspective physicians began to look for ways to treat psychological disorders through medicine this new focus was called the mental health movement a mental illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and cured through therapy the therapy may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital medical model concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and cured(often) 3

4 Understanding Psychological Disorders Medical Perspective with the medical model being followed, hospitals started to replace asylums for dealing with "mad" people over time the medical perspective has gained more and more credibility as doctors are finding more ways to deal with disorders through medicine or some form of medical treatment Understanding Psychological Disorders Bio Psycho Social Perspective today psychologists say that all behavior, whether called normal or disordered arise from in the interaction of nature to say a person is mental ill is to say the condition is solely internal maybe the issue is a growth blocking influence in the environment, in the person's current interpretations of events, or in the person's bad habits and poor social skills evidence of this is that some cultures are culturally bound Understanding Psychological Disorders Bio Psycho Social Perspective schizophrenia and depression seem to be worldwide anorexia and bulimia seem to only occur in western cultures susto which is a fear of black magic seems to only occur in Latin America a fear of social anxiety about one's appearance with a readiness to blush and a fear of eye contact appears only in Japan they all seem to have similar causes but very different symptoms Understanding Psychological Disorders Bio Psycho Social Perspective Bio Psycho Social Perspective a contemporary perspective which assumes that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders they recognize that the body and mind cannot be separated stress and negative emotions can lead to physical illness 4

5 Classifying Psychological Disorders classification in science creates order in psychology, classification orders and describes symptoms classification in psychology also looks to predict the disorders future course, imply appropriate treatment, and stimulate research into its causes the way for classifying psychological disorders is the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(Fourth Edition) also called the DSM IV this is a 1994 model that is currently being revised and will be the DSM V Classifying Psychological Disorders many people do not like the DSM because it diagnoses people's problems in terms of their symptoms which says that it is a mental illness they do however still see it as a very practical tool when diagnosing and treating people with disorders health insurance companies require a DSM IV diagnosis before they will pay for therapy DSM IV defines 17 major categories of mental disorder the DSM IV describes the disorders and lists their prevalence without presuming to explain their causes Classifying Psychological Disorders DSM IV mentions something called neurotic disorders a psychological disorder that is usually distressing but that allows one to think rationally and function socially this term is often considered to be too vague so it is not used often the DSM also talks about psychotic disorders a disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions Classifying Psychological Disorders DSM IV categories must be reliable What does this mean? some critics say the DSM IV is too vague and can bring any kind of behavior within the compass of psychiatry some say that the number of disorder categories has grown too much from 60 in the 1950's to 400 today 30 percent of adults meet the criteria for at least one psychiatric ailment 5

6 Labeling Psychological Disorders once someone is labeled, they are viewed differently labels guide our perceptions and our interpretations of people David Rosenhan conducted a study to test this he and seven others went to mental hospital admissions offices, complaining of hearing voices that were saying empty, hollow, and thud apart from this complaint and giving false names and occupations, they answered all the questions truthfully Labeling Psychological Disorders David Rosenhan's study all eight participants were diagnosed as being ill until being released on an average of 19 days later, the patients exhibited no further symptoms the clinicians were able to discover the cuases of their disorders after analyzing their life histories they said one person was reacting to mixed emotions about his parents even the normal behaviors of the patients, such as taking notes, were often misinterpreted as symptoms Labeling Psychological Disorders Ellen Langer conducted another study where people rated an interviewee as either normal or out of the ordinary all viewers saw the same tape those who watched the unlabeled interviewees perceived them as normal those who watched supposed patients perceived them as different from most people Rosenhan discovered that labels can be useful but also they can have a life and an influence of their own Labeling Psychological Disorders Stewart Page experiment pg. 625 paragraph 2 the media can often affect people's stereotypes of disorders movies often portray mental health patients as homicidal or as freaks they are also seen as violent or alcoholics 9 in 10 people with disorders are in fact not dangerous they are instead anxious, depressed, or withdrawn if used correctly labels can help doctors to properly treat someone suffering from a mental disorder 6

anxiety is a part of life at one time or another, most of us feel enough anxiety that we fail to make eye contact or we avoid talking to someone for most of us our uneasiness is not intense and

7 anxiety is a part of life at one time or another, most of us feel enough anxiety that we fail to make eye contact or we avoid talking to someone for most of us our uneasiness is not intense and persistent Anxiety disorder characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety all the anxiety disorders combined make anxiety disorders the most common mental disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder GAD a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal the symptoms of GAD are common but their persistence is not 2/3 of suffers are women symptoms: tense, jittery, worried about bad things that might happen, muscular tension, agitation, and sleeplessness the worst part of GAD is that the person cannot identify and deal with or avoid its cause Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder Panic Disorder marked by minutes long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations it strikes sudden, causes havoc, and disappears 1 in 75 people suffer from it anxiety escalates into a panic attack symptoms: heary palpitations, shortness of breath, choking sensations, trembling, or dizziness often thought to be a heart attack 7

8 Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder Panic Disorder after several panic attacks people often develop a panic disorder they fear the fear itself and avoid the situations that caused the panic attack smokers are at a higher risk of panic attacks often times people with a panic disorder suffer from agoraphobia fear or avoidance of situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable when needed Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder Charles Darwin began experiencing panic attacks after sailing around the world for 5 years he moved to the country, avoided social gatherings, and traveled only in his wife's company he saw it as helpful because it allowed him to get away from the distractions of life and focus on his work Phobias Phobia marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation many people accept their phobias and live with them some phobias are incapacitating sometimes when someone suffers from a fear of a specific thing, they can avoid that thing Obessive Compulsive Disorder OCD characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and actions(compulsions) we may be obsessed with offensive thoughts that wont go away or we may be obsessed with ordering, cleaning, or hoarding someone with OCD may recheck a locked door, step over cracks in the sidewalk, or line up books very neatly these actions cross the line from normal to abnormal when they interfere with the way we live or when they cause distress 8

9 Explaining anxiety often develops when something bad happens anxiety can develop from a classical conditioning of fear when something bad happens, people become apprehensive when they go back to the place where it happened sometimes fears can be a result of stimulus generalization when someone fears height after a fall also fears airplanes without ever flying in one Explaining once phobias and compulsions arise, reinforcement helps maintain them avoiding or escaping the feared situation reduces anxiety, thus reinforcing the phobic behavior we can also learn fear through observational learning by observing others' fears Explaining some people believe our fears have an evolutionary explanation we fear threats faced by our ancestors some people believe we do not learn fear but we actually learn to not be afraid of things people during WWII became less afraid of planes flying over because of the frequent air raids some people feel that some people are genetically predisposed to certain fears and high anxiety Explaining identical twins often develop similar fears or phobias fear learning experiences can also change how our brain works by traumatizing it some drugs help to get the brain functioning as close to right as possible 9

10 chronic schizophrenia is considered the cancer of psychological disorders nearly 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia 24 million people across the world suffer from one of humanity's most dreaded disorders it typically strikes as young people are maturing into adulthood it knows no national boundaries it affects males and females about equally men tend to be struck earlier and more severely Symptoms of a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions the term is literally translated to mean split mind it does not deal with a multiple personality split but a split from reality symptoms may include disorganized thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions Symptoms of the thinking of a person with schizophrenia is fragmented, bizarre, and distorted by false beliefs Delusions false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders Word Salad created when someone jumps from one idea to another sometimes within one sentence example on pg. 647 those with paranoid tendencies are prone to delusions of persecution Symptoms of it is thought that disorganized thought result from a breakdown in selective attention giving our undivided attention on one thing when there are many other possibilities for us to focus on schizophrenia sufferers cannot block out other things to focus on one thing they cannot clear their working memory of distracting info and inhibiting irrelevant material 10

Symptoms of a person with schizophrenia may perceive things that are not there hallucinations are usually auditory the person may hear voices that make insulting statements or give orders the voices

11 Symptoms of a person with schizophrenia may perceive things that are not there hallucinations are usually auditory the person may hear voices that make insulting statements or give orders the voices may tell the patient that she is bad or that he must burn himself people may see, feel, taste or smell things that are not there when the unreal seems real, the perceptions can be terrifying Symptoms of the emotions of schizophrenia are often inappropriate sometimes victims of schizophrenia will lapse into flat effect flat effect a zombielike state of apparent apathy the person may perform senseless, compulsive act, such as rocking or rubbing an arm some exhibit catatonia and will remain motionless for hours on end and then become agitated the symptoms of schizophrenia often prevent a person from forming relationships Symptoms of schizophrenia is a cluster of disorders schizophrenia can develop gradually or can appear suddenly from stress when the schizophrenia develops slowly recovery is doubtful men will usually develop schizophrenia on an average of 4 years earlier than men 11

12 Understanding schizophrenia one possible cause of schizophrenia deals with the neurotransmitter, dopamine after examining the brain's of patients after their death, patients that showed the symptoms of schizophrenia often had an extreme high level of dopamine dopamine may intensify brain signals creating hallucinations and paranoia drugs that block dopamine receptors can lessen the symptoms Understanding schizophrenia genes could also play a part in schizophrenia 1 in 100 are more than likely going to be diagnosed with schizophrenia 1 in 10 among those who have an afflicted sibling or parent will be diagnosed with schizophrenia 1 in 2 that have an identical twin with schizophrenia will be diagnosed with schizophrenia the environment does not seem to affect the chance of twins being diagnosed with schizophrenia Understanding schizophrenia physiological factors do not cause schizophrenia alone what scientist do believe is that some of us are born predisposed to react differently to psychological triggers of schizophrenia Mood disorders psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes mood disorders come in two principal forms: 1. major depressive 2. bipolar disorder we all have felt depressed before often times we have felt more depressed during the darker months than the lighter ones we all have felt depressed about the future, dissatisfied with our lives, or isolated from others 12

13 Major Depressive Disorder depression is the common cold of psychological disorders it is pervasive but not as serious as others even though phobias are more common, depression is the number one reason people seek mental health services it is the leading cause of disability worldwide depression is a response to past and current loss to feel bad in reaction to profoundly sad events is to be in touch with reality Major Depressive Disorder depression is a survival tool it slows us down, avoids attracting predators, restrains futile effort, and evokes support the line separating normal downs from major depression is difficult to draw between the temporary blue moods we all experience and the crushing impact of major depression is a condition called dysthymic disorder a down in the dumps mood that fills most of the day, nearly every day, for two years or more Major Depressive Disorder Major Depressive Disorder a person, for no apparent reason, experiences two or more weeks of depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities shortness of breath example Bipolar Disorder with or without therapy episodes of major depression usually end, and people will temporarily return to their normal behavior patterns some people rebound to the opposite emotional extreme of manic episode marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state mania is like living in fast forward alternation between depression and mania signals biploar disorder 13

14 Bipolar Disorder during the manic phase of bipolar disorder, the person is typically overtalkative, overactive, elated they also have little need for sleep, fewer sexual inhibitions can also speak loudly, flighty, and are hard to interrupt they will show grandiose optimism and self esteem may make reckless investments, go on spending sprees, and do unsafe things Bipolar Disorder people during the manic phase do not like advice but they need protection from their own poor judgment the energy and free flowing thinking of mania can fuel creativity bipolar is common among creative artists creative professionals who rely on emotional expression and vivid imagery are more prone to bipolar bipolar is much less common than depression it affects 1 percent of the population it affects as many men as women Explaining mood disorders in a depressed mood, we expect our team to lose, our grades to fall, and our love to fail nearly half the time depressed people exhibit symptoms of another disorder, such as anxiety or drug or alcohol use women are more vulnerable to passive disorders like depression and anxiety men are more vulnerable to active disorders when women get sad they often get sadder than men and when men get mad, they often get madder than women Explaining mood disorders therapy can speed recovery but most people suffering from major depression return to normal without professional help the risk of the onset of depression in the ensuing month ranged from less than 1 percent among those who had experienced no stressful life event to 24 percent among those with three such stresses with each new generation, the rate of depression is increasing depression is also striking earlier with each generation 14

15 Explaining mood disorders in North America, today's young adults are three times as likely as their grandparents to report having recently suffered depression depression is a whole body disorder it involves genetic predispositions, biochemical imbalances, melancholy mood, and negative thougts the risk of major depression and bipolar disorder increases if you have a depressed parent or sibling Explaining mood disorders norepinephrine is overabundant during mania and scarce during depression it increases arousal and boosts mood most people with a history of depression are also habitual smokers often times smoking is a way to self medicate serotonin is also scarce during depression drugs that relieve depression tend to increase norepinephrine or serotonin supplies by blocking either their reuptake or their chemical breakdown Explaining mood disorders exercise reduces depression as it increases serotonin the brains of depressed people have been found to be less active MRI scans have even shown the frontal lobes to be 7 percent smaller in severly depressed patients Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Disorders disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings when a situation becomes overwhelmingly stressful, people are said to dissociate themselves from it dissociative disorders are rare the detachment from dissociation can help a person from becoming overwhelmed from emotion during a very traumatic event 15

16 Dissociative Disorders Dissociative identity disorder a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities sometimes called multiple personality disorder each personality has its own voice and mannerisms the original one usually denies the existence of the others Personality Disorders Personality disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning There are several clusters of personality disorders Avoidant personality disorder fearful sensitivity to rejection that predisposes someone Schizoid Personality disorder expresses eccentric behaviors, such as social disengagement Histrionic Personality Disorder exhibits dramatic or impulsive behaviors displays attention getting emotions and tries to gain others' praise and acceptance Personality Disorders Clusters Narcissistic personality disorder exaggerate their own importance, aided by success fantasies find criticism hard to accept, often reacting with rage or shame Borderline Personality Disorder have an unstable identity, unstable relationships, and unstable emotions Personality Disorders the most troubling of the impulsive personality disorders is antisocial personality disorder antisocial personality disorder the person, usually a man, exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist use to be called a sociopath or psychopath the lack of conscience can be clearly seen by 15 will lie, steal, fight, or display unrestrained sexual behavior 16

17 Personality Disorders Henry Lee Lucas example on pg. 654 the antisocial personality expresses little regret over violating others' rights 17

Psychological Disorders

Myers PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed) Chapter 16 Psychological Disorders James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers Psychological Disorders Psychological Disorder a harmful dysfunction in which behavior