Download Chapter 18—Psychological Disorders

Chapter 18—
Psychological Disorders
Are these statements true or false?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Abnormal behaviors are always bizarre.
A clear distinction can be drawn between “normal”
and “abnormal” behaviors.
As a group, former mental patients are
unpredictable and dangerous.
Mental disorders indicate a fundamental deficiency
in personality, and are thus shameful.
Because mental illness is so common, there is
reason to be fearful of one’s own vulnerability.
Geniuses are particularly prone to emotional
disorders.
Most mental disorders are incurable.
Using your group’s definition of abnormal,
decide if these are examples of
psychological disorders.
X hears voices in her head telling her to do
dangerous things.
Z has a hard time getting out of bed three or four
days every week. She has lost interest in playing
basketball and seeing her friends, two activities
that she used to really enjoy.
R has a house that is neon green, a car that
is olive green, and a mailbox that is forest
green. She wears only green clothing. When
asked why she replies, “I like green.”
Section 1
INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
We will discuss the following
disorders…
anxiety disorders
 somotoform disorders
 dissociative disorders
 mood disorders
 schizophrenia
 personality disorders

What is a psychological
disorder?


behavior patterns or mental processes
that cause serious personal suffering or
interfere with a person’s ability to cope
with everyday life
“normal” often means what is average
for most people, therefore, “abnormal”
is usually a deviation from the majority
How do we determine if a
psychological disorder is present?


typicality- normality of a behavior or
mental process
maladaptivity
a maladaptive behavior is one that impairs an
individual’s ability to function in everyday life
or is hazardous to oneself/others
emotional discomfort- feelings of
helplessness, hopelessness and extreme
sadness. Lose interest in everything
 socially unacceptable behavior- violates
a society’s accepted norms might
indicate a psychological disorder
 Culture-Bound Syndromes: Clusters of
symptoms that define or describe an
illness.

Does this man have a
psychological disorder?


Alan’s performance at work has suffered
because he has been drinking alcohol to excess.
Several co-workers have suggested that he seek
help for his problem, but he thinks that they’re
getting alarmed over nothing. “I just enjoy a
good time once in a while,” he says.
Monica has gone away to college and feels lonely,
sad, and dejected. Her grades are fine, and she
gets along okay with the other students in the
dormitory, but inside she’s choked with gloom,
hopelessness, and despair.


Boris believes that he’s Napoleon reborn. He
believes that he is destined to lead the U.S.
military forces into a great battle to recover
California from space aliens.
Natasha panics with anxiety whenever she
leaves her home. Her problem escalated
gradually until she was absent from work so
often that she was fired. She hasn’t been out
of her house in nine months and is deeply
troubled by her problem.
The DSM IV (1994)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders


18 different categories
categorized by observable signs and symptoms.
Section 2
TYPES OF ANXIETY
DISORDERS
 Anxiety


refers to a general state of dread or uneasiness
that occurs in response to a vague or imagined
danger
different from fear, which is a response to a real
danger or threat

Anxiety disorders are characterized by…
1.
2.
3.
4.
nervousness
inability to relax
concern about losing control
physical signs or symptoms
 such as: trembling; sweating; rapid heart rate;
shortness of breath; increased blood pressure;
flushed face; feelings of faintness/lightheadedness
**Anxiety based disorders are among the most common.**
Types of Anxiety Disorders
1.
Phobic Disordersa.
phobia— “fear”
b.
simple phobia- persistent excessive or irrational
fear of a particular object or situation; most
common of all anxiety disorders

c.
to be diagnosed, the fear must lead to avoidance behavior
that interferes with the affected person’s normal life
social phobia—characterized by persistent fear of
social situations in which one might be exposed to
the close scrutiny of others and therefore might be
observed doing something embarrassing or
humiliating
Most common types of phobic disorders:
~zoophobia
(fear of animals)
~claustrophobia
(fear of enclosed spaces)
~acrophobia
(fear of heights)
~arachnophobia
(fear of spiders)
What do people fear?
 Men
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fear of being
buried alive
Fear of heights
Fear of snakes
Fear of drowning
Fear of public
speaking
 Women
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fear of snakes
Fear of being bound
or tied up
Fear of being
buried alive
Fear of heights
Fear of public
speaking
Do you experience…
acrophobia?
 mikrophobia?
 aquaphobia?
 ophidiophobia?
 arachnophobia?
 claustrophobia?

triskaidekaphobia?
 uxoriphobia?
 Santa
Claustrophobia?
 panaphobia?
 phobophobia?


Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
1.
2.
those with a panic disorder have recurring/
unexpected panic attacks
panic attack—relatively short period of intense fear
or discomfort, characterized by
shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heart rate, trembling,
shaking, sweating, choking, nausea
3.
many who suffer from panic disorder also
have agoraphobia, or the fear of places/
situations where escape may be difficult

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
excessive or unrealistic worry about life
circumstances, for 6 or more months
 worries tend to focus on

 finances,work,
interpersonal problems,
accidents, illness

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
a.
b.
c.
obsessions- unwanted thoughts, ideas or
mental images that occur over and over;
often senseless
compulsions- repetitive ritual behaviors;
often involve checking or cleaning
people are usually aware that obsessions
are unjustified which distinguishes them
from delusions

checking


“Did I lock the door? I know I checked, but I better check
one more time. OK, it’s locked. I’m satisfied. But maybe I
better open the door and start over. Lock it again.”
washing


Obsessive-Compulsive
Behaviors
“My hands are a little raw, but I can’t help feeling that they
could be a little cleaner, that I might have missed a spot
where bacteria can grow.”
hoarding

“I don’t need the things that I save, I know that. But what if
I throw something away that I’ll need later? Of course there
are some things I know I won’t need. For instance, I’ve been
giving myself haircuts lately so that I can save the hair.”

harming


counting


“I used to enjoy smoking, but I can’t help thinking that the
matches I throw out will start a fire and hurt someone. Or
when I’m in a car and I hit a bump, I sometimes worry that
I’ve hit someone.”
“I do it mainly when I’m bored: I count ceiling tiles, floor
tiles, letters on billboards and street signs. Sometimes I’ll
even divide the letters into groups of three or four. I try
to stop, but I can’t help myself.”
performing rituals

“When I walk through a doorway, I need to make sure that
there are six inches between each shoulder and the door
jamb. If I walk through and I don’t think I’ve
accomplished this, I’ll walk out and try again.”

Stress Disorders

post-traumatic stress disorder- intense,
persistent feelings of anxiety caused by
traumatic experiences
 Examples
of traumatic events: rape, severe
childhood abuse, assault, accidents, nautral
disasters, war
 Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, numbness or
feeling, avoidance, increased tension
 can occur 6 or more months after the event and
tend to last for years/decades

acute stress disorder- short-term symptoms
similar to PTSD; follows a traumatic event
 differs
from PTSD because symptoms occur
immediately and they last for a few days to a few
weeks
Section 3
DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

dissociation- separation of certain
personality components or mental
processes from conscious thought
 ex:

daydreaming
When is it considered to be a sign of a
psychological disorder?

when it occurs as a way to avoid stressful
events or feelings
Have you ever experienced these
dissociative experiences?



Suddenly realizing, when you are driving
the car, that you don’t remember what has
happened during all or part of the trip.
Suddenly realizing, when you are listening
to someone talk, that you did not hear part
or all of what the person said.
Having the experience of being in a
familiar place but finding it strange and
unfamiliar.




Becoming so absorbed in watching
television or a movie that you are unaware
of other events happening around you.
Talking out loud to yourself when you are
alone.
Finding that you cannot remember whether
or not you have just done something or
perhaps had just thought about doing it.
Feeling sometimes as if you were looking at
the world through a fog such that people
and objects appear faraway or unclear.
Section 4
SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

somatization- expression of
psychological distress through physical
symptoms

What are the symptoms?
 psychological
problems and unexplainable
physical symptoms
Section 5
MOOD DISORDERS
What do all these people have in
common?
True or False?????







Every year more than 32,000 Americans
commit suicide.
Approximately once every 16 minutes a suicide
occurs in the United States.
More women than men attempt suicide.
Of those who attempt suicide, more men than
women succeed.
Suicide is most common among the elderly.
Suicide is the second most common cause of
death among college students.
Individuals who threaten suicide or make an
unsuccessful attempt usually are serious.







Approximately 70% of suicide victims threaten to kill
themselves sometime during the three months
preceding the suicide.
Suicide rates among youth have nearly tripled since
the 1950’s.
A firearm is used in over 60% of all suicides.
Fewer than 5% of elderly suicide victims had been
diagnosed with a terminal illness when they
committed suicide.
Nevada consistently has the highest suicide rate in
the United States.
States with stricter gun control laws have lower
suicide rates.
The suicide rate for children ages 10 to 14 more than
doubled between 1985 and 2000.
Edvard Munch





born December 12, 1863—Loten, Norway
Norwegian painter and printmaker
played an important role in the development
of German expressionism
parents, brother and sister died when he was
young
his work often displayed themes such as
misery, sickness, death
“Sickness and insanity
and death were the
black angels that
hovered over my cradle
and have since followed
me throughout my life.”
Self-Portrait with Burning
Cigarette,
1895
The Scream
(or The Cry),
1893
Death in the Sickroom, 1895
Two categories of mood
disorders:
•depression-typically involves
feelings of helplessness, hopelessness,
worthlessness, guilt, great sadness
•bipolar disorder-involves a cycle of
mood changes from depression to wild
elation and back again
Types of Mood Disorder:
Major Depression


To be diagnosed, you must exhibit 5 of the following
9 symptoms for at least 2 weeks, nearly every day.
One of the 5 symptoms must be #1 or #2
1.
2.
persistent depressed mood for most of the day
loss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all
activities

The remaining 4 symptoms can be any of
these…
3. significant weight loss/gain due to changes in
appetite
4. sleeping more or less than usual
5. speeding up or slowing down of physical and
emotional reactions
6. fatigue or loss of energy
7. feelings of worthlessness or unfounded guilt
8. reduced ability to concentrate or make meaningful
decisions
9. recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Bipolar Disorder


Characterized by dramatic ups and downs in mood
manic phase- characterized by a mood that is
persistently and abnormally elevated and by some
of the following:

inflated self-esteem; inability to sit still or sleep
restfully; pressure to keep talking and switching from
topic to topic; racing thoughts; difficulty concentrating
Robert, a dentist, awoke one morning with the idea that he was the most gifted dental surgeon
in his tristate area. He decided that he should try to provide services to as many people as
possible, so that more people could benefit from his talents. Thus, he decided to remodel his
two-chair dental office, installing 20 booths so that he could simultaneously attend to 20
patients. That same day he drew up plans for this arrangement, telephoned a number of
remodelers, and invited bids for the work. Later that day, impatient to get rolling on his
remodeling, he rolled up his sleeves, got himself a sledgehammer, and began to knock down the
walls In his office. Annoyed when that didn’t go so well, he smashed his dental tools,
washbasins, and X-ray equipment. Later, Robert’s wife became concerned about his behavior
and summoned two of her adult daughters for assistance. The daughters responded quickly,
arriving at the family home with their husbands. In the ensuing discussion, Robert—after
bragging about his sexual prowess—made advances toward his daughters. He had to be
subdued by their husbands. (Adapted from Kleinmuntz, 1980, p. 309)
Characteristics
Manic Episode
Depressive
Episode
Emotional
elated, euphoric, very
sociable, impatient at
any hindrance
gloomy, hopeless, socially
withdrawn, irritable
Cognitive
characterized by racing
thoughts, flight of ideas,
desire for action, and
impulsive behavior;
talkative, self-confident;
experiencing delusions of
grandeur
characterized by
slowness of thought
processes, obsessive
worrying, inability to
make decisions, negative
self-image, self-blame
and delusions of guilt and
disease
Motor
hyperactive, tireless,
requiring less sleep than
usual, showing increased
sex drive and fluctuating
appetite
less active, tired,
experiencing difficulty in
sleeping, showing
decreased sex drive and
decreased appetite
Section 7
Personality Disorders
What is a personality disorder?

patterns of inflexible traits that disrupt
social life or work and/or distress the
affected individual
What is the difference between personality
disorders and other psychological disorders?

other disorders are “episodes of illness that
an individual experiences”; P.D. are “enduring
traits that are major components of the
individual’s personality”
Types of Personality Disorders
Paranoid Personality Disorder:
people tend to be distrustful and
suspicious of others; perceive others’
behavior is threatening/insulting
Schizoid Personality Disorder:
no interest in relationships with other
people; lack normal emotional
responsiveness
Antisocial Personality Disorder:
behavior pattern of disregard for/
violation of the rights of others; does
not feel guilt or remorse
(less than 1% to almost 10% of the population)
Avoidant Personality Disorder:
desire relationships, but prevented
from forming them by tremendous fear
of disapproval of others
Section 6
Schizophrenia
“schism” or “split mind”





usually considered most
serious
characterized by a loss of
contact with reality
usually first appears in
young adulthood
often worsens over time
affects approximately 1%
of the world’s population

characterized by
 disorganized and delusional thinking
 disturbed perceptions
 inappropriate emotions and actions
Paranoid Schizophrenia


delusions or hallucinations relating to a
single theme
less disordered thoughts and bizarre
behavior, but may be agitated,
confused, afraid
Disorganized Schizophrenia
incoherent in their thought and speech;
disorganized in their behavior
 fragmented and unconnected delusions
and hallucinations
 emotionless/inappropriate emotions
 may neglect appearance/hygiene

Catatonic Schizophrenia


disturbance of
movement
may hold unusual,
uncomfortable body
positions for long
periods of time
How do we treat psychological
disorders?
Two categories of therapy:
1. psychotherapy-involves verbal interactions
between a trained professional and person
seeking help
2. biologically based- involves using drugs and
other medical procedures to treat
psychological disorders