Psychopathology & Abnormal Psychology
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PsychopathologyPsychopathology && AbnormalAbnormal PsychologyPsychology WeWe havehave talkedtalked aboutabout individualindividual differencesdifferences inin personality,personality, abilities,abilities, etc.,etc., butbut somesome individualindividual differencesdifferences gogo beyondbeyond thethe rangerange ofof normalnormal functioningfunctioning andand areare usuallyusually calledcalled psychologicalpsychological disordersdisorders JustJust howhow toto definedefine psychopathologypsychopathology isis thethe subjectsubject ofof somesome disagreementdisagreement Is it simply statistically infrequent behavior? Violation of social norms? Behavior that produces personal distress? Maladaptive or dysfunctional behavior? PsychologicalPsychological disordersdisorders generallygenerally fitfit severalseveral ofof thesethese criteriacriteria ClassificationClassification schemesschemes ThreeThree categoriescategories (up(up untiluntil aboutabout 2525 yrsyrs ago)ago) Organic brain syndromes Neurosis : any disorder characterized by conflict and anxiety that cause distress and impair a person ’s functioning but don ’t render him/her incapable of coping with external reality (e.g., phobias, panic disorder, obsessive -compulsive disorder, etc.) Psychosis : any disorder characterized by severely disordered thought or perception to the point of a break with reality (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) Examples ClassificationClassification schemesschemes TheThe currentcurrent emphasisemphasis isis onon clear,clear, observableobservable criteriacriteria (vs.(vs. theorytheory --basedbased inferencesinferences aboutabout unseenunseen processes,processes, e.g.,e.g., ““unconsciousunconscious conflictconflict ””)) TermsTerms havehave changedchanged somewhatsomewhat neurosis:neurosis: notnot asas widelywidely usedused psychosis:psychosis: stillstill usedused butbut moremore narrowlynarrowly DSMDSM --IVIV ClassificationClassification andand DiagnosisDiagnosis ofof MentalMental DisordersDisorders DiagnosticDiagnostic andand StatisticalStatistical ManualManual IVIV (DSM(DSM --IV):IV): TheThe mostmost widelywidely usedused schemescheme forfor classifyingclassifying psychologicalpsychological disordersdisorders TheThe ““BibleBible ”” ofof mentalmental disordersdisorders CatalogueCatalogue ofof mentalmental disordersdisorders andand howhow toto diagnosediagnose themthem FiveFive Axes,Axes, oror categoriescategories ofof evaluationevaluation ClassificationClassification andand DiagnosisDiagnosis ofof MentalMental DisordersDisorders DSMDSM --IVIV axesaxes (the(the individualindividual getsgets anan evaluationevaluation onon eacheach axis)axis) AxisAxis 1:1: MajorMajor ClinicalClinical SyndromesSyndromes AxisAxis 2:2: PersonalityPersonality DisordersDisorders AxisAxis 3:3: PhysicalPhysical DisordersDisorders AxisAxis 4:4: StressfulStressful LifeLife EventsEvents AxisAxis 5:5: OverallOverall LevelLevel ofof FunctioningFunctioning AnxietyAnxiety DisordersDisorders AnxietyAnxiety disordersdisorders areare characterizedcharacterized byby anxietyanxiety —— AA sensesense ofof apprehensionapprehension oror doomdoom thatthat isis accompaniedaccompanied byby manymany physiologicalphysiological reactions,reactions, suchsuch asas acceleratedaccelerated heartheart rate,rate, sweatysweaty palms,palms, tightnesstightness inin thethe stomach,stomach, tension,tension, fear,fear, insomniainsomnia Generalized anxiety disorder Phobias Panic disorder (PD) Obsessive -compulsive disorder (OCD) Stress disorders GeneralizedGeneralized AnxietyAnxiety DisorderDisorder AnxietyAnxiety isis ““freefree --floating,floating, ”” notnot relatedrelated toto anyany clearclear objectobject PersonPerson isis visiblyvisibly worriedworried andand fretful,fretful, oversensitive,oversensitive, cancan ’’tt concentrateconcentrate oror makemake decisions,decisions, sufferssuffers fromfrom insomniainsomnia PhysiologicalPhysiological accompaniments:accompaniments: rapidrapid heartheart rate,rate, irregularirregular breathing,breathing, excessiveexcessive sweating,sweating, chronicchronic diarrheadiarrhea SpecificSpecific PhobiasPhobias Irrational,Irrational, persistentpersistent fears,fears, anxiety,anxiety, andand avoidanceavoidance thatthat focusfocus onon specificspecific objects,objects, activities,activities, oror situationssituations PeoplePeople withwith phobiasphobias realizerealize thatthat theirtheir fearsfears areare unreasonableunreasonable andand excessive,excessive, butbut theythey cannotcannot controlcontrol themthem SpecificSpecific PhobiasPhobias Name Object or Situation Feared Acrophobia Heights Agoraphobia Open spaces Algophobia Pain Astraphobia Lightning and thunder Claustrophobia Enclosed spaces Hematophobia Blood Monophobia Being alone Mysophobia Dirt or germs Nyctophobia Darkness Ochlophobia Crowds Pathophobia Disease Pyrophobia Fire Taphophobia Being buried alive Triskaidekaphobia Thirteen Zoophobia Animals, or a specific animal SocialSocial PhobiasPhobias SocialSocial phobiasphobias areare veryvery commoncommon andand oftenoften involve,involve, forfor example,example, FearFear ofof embarrassmentembarrassment oror humiliationhumiliation inin frontfront ofof othersothers AvoidanceAvoidance ofof situationssituations ofof possiblepossible exposureexposure toto publicpublic scrutinyscrutiny AvoidanceAvoidance ofof publicpublic speakingspeaking oror performingperforming forfor fearfear ofof failurefailure AvoidanceAvoidance ofof restaurantsrestaurants forfor fearfear ofof chokingchoking onon foodfood PhobiasPhobias –– PossiblePossible CausesCauses ClassicalClassical conditioning,conditioning, e.g.,e.g., Fear of dogs after a dog bite Fear of heights after a fall OversensitivityOversensitivity toto somesome stimulistimuli UnrealisticUnrealistic beliefsbeliefs Evolutionary:Evolutionary: phobiasphobias areare excessiveexcessive manifestationsmanifestations ofof otherwiseotherwise usefuluseful fears,fears, e.g.,e.g., fearfear ofof heightsheights couldcould havehave beenbeen naturallynaturally selected,selected, becausebecause itit waswas usefuluseful toto ourour ancestorsancestors toto avoidavoid fallingfalling toto deathdeath PanicPanic DisordersDisorders PanicPanic DisorderDisorder (without(without Agoraphobia):Agoraphobia): CharacterizedCharacterized byby suddensudden attacksattacks ofof acuteacute anxietyanxiety andand aa feelingfeeling ofof terror,terror, accompaniedaccompanied byby highhigh levelslevels ofof physiologicalphysiological arousal.arousal. LastsLasts fromfrom aa fewfew secondsseconds toto aa fewfew hourshours Panic Attack: Feels like one is having a heart attack, going to die, or is going insane Symptoms include vertigo, chest pain, choking, fear of losing control PanicPanic DisorderDisorder (with(with Agoraphobia):Agoraphobia): PanicPanic attacksattacks andand suddensudden anxietyanxiety stillstill occur,occur, butbut withwith agoraphobiaagoraphobia AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia (with(with PanicPanic Disorder):Disorder): Intense,Intense, irrationalirrational fearfear thatthat aa panicpanic attackattack willwill occuroccur inin aa publicpublic placeplace oror inin anan unfamiliarunfamiliar situationsituation Intense fear of leaving the house or entering unfamiliar situations Can be very crippling Literally means fear of open places or market (agora) AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia (without(without PanicPanic Disorder):Disorder): FearFear thatthat somethingsomething extremelyextremely embarrassingembarrassing willwill happenhappen awayaway fromfrom homehome oror inin anan unfamiliarunfamiliar situationsituation ObsessiveObsessive --CompulsiveCompulsive DisorderDisorder (OCD)(OCD) Extreme preoccupation with certain thoughts and compulsive performance of certain behaviors Obsession : Recurring images or thoughts that a person cannot prevent Cause anxiety and extreme discomfort Enter into consciousness against the person ’s will Most common: Being dirty, wondering if you performed an action (turned off the stove), or violence (hit by a car) Compulsion : Irrational acts that person feels compelled to repeat against his/her will Washing hands, counting, checking, cleaning Help to control anxiety created by obsessions Treatment typically involves certain antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy including ‘exposure - response -prevention ’ Seems to have a genetic component StressStress DisordersDisorders Occur when stresses outside range of normal human experience cause major emotional disturbance Symptoms: Reliving traumatic event repeatedly, avoiding stimuli associated with the event, recurrent nightmares, flashbacks, and numbing of emotions Acute Stress Disorder: Psychological disturbance lasting up to one month following stresses from a traumatic event Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Lasts more than one month after the traumatic event has occurred; may last for years Typically associated with combat and violent crimes (rape, assault, etc.) Terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, likely led to an increase of PTSD SomatoformSomatoform DisordersDisorders Hypochondriasis : Person is preoccupied with having a serious illness or disease Interpret normal sensations and bodily signs as proof that they have a terrible disease No physical disorder can be found Conversion Disorder : Severe emotional conflicts are “converted ” into impairment of sensory or motor function such as paralysis, anesthesia, blindness, deafness, etc. Caused by anxiety or emotional distress but not