Psychological Disorders

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Psychological Disorders
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Earlier ways of thinking about Mental Disorders

• Prior to 18th century

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Abnormal Behavior Today

• Medical Model considers forms of abnormal
  behavior to be a disease
• The major issue with diagnosis of abnormal
  behavior
• Where is the line between abnormal behavior
  and illness?

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Criteria of Abnormal behavior

• What determines a psychological disorder?
• Clinical Criteria
• 1.) Deviance Behavior deviates from what
  society considers acceptable
• 2.) Maladaptive Behavior interferes with
  persons everyday functioning
• 3.) Personal Distress- Behavior causes person
  some distress
• Diagnosis issues

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Classification of Disorders

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders (DSM-IV)
• This book outlines the system for classifying
  psychological disorders

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Anxiety Disorders

• 1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• 2.) Phobic Disorder
• 3.) Panic Disorder
• A.) Agoraphobia
• 4.) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• 5.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

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• 1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Marked by chronic, high level of anxiety not tied
  to any specific threat
• 2.) Phobic Disorder
• Person has a persistent and irrational fear of
  object or situation presenting no real danger
  (phobia)
• 3.) Panic Disorder
• Recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that
  usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly
• Often leads to agoraphobia
• Agoraphobia fear of going out to public places

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• 4.) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Marked by persistent, uncontrollable intrusions
  of unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urges to
  engage in senseless rituals (compulsions)
• Some common behaviors
• Howard Hughes
• 5.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Enduring psychological disturbance attributed to
  experience of a major traumatic event.
• Example events
• Symptoms

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Anxiety Disorder explanations

• Seems to be a moderate genetic predisposition
• These may be acquired through classical or
  operant conditioning
• How so?
• A certain style of thinking may lead a person to
  be more vulnerable

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Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple
  Personality Disorder)
• Involves coexistence in one person of two or more
  largely complete and usually very different
  personalities
• Characteristics

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Controversy regarding Dissociative Identity
Disorder

• Specific cause of disorder unknown
• Some believe disorder is not real
• Others believe it is authentic

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Mood Disorders

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Persistent feelings of sadness and despair loss
  of interest in previous sources of pleasure
• Symptoms
• Average episode length
• Percentage of Americans who suffer at some point

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Mood Disorders

• Bipolar Disorder
• Marked by experience of both depressed and manic
  periods
• What is behavior like during manic period?
• What is behavior like during depressed period?

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Explanations for Mood Disorders

• Heredity can cause a predisposition
• Neurochemical factors
• Abnormal levels of norepinephrine and serotonin
  may contribute

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Schizophrenia

• Sample Clip
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vgGnl8dqEoPQ
• What percentage of population may be afflicted
• Symptoms
• 1.) Delusions and Irrational Thought
• Sample thoughts
• Delusions of grandeur
• Chaotic, non linear thinking
• 2.) Deterioration of Adaptive Behavior

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• 3.) Distorted Perception
• Auditory Hallucinations most common
• Hallucinations Sensory perceptions that occur
  in absence of a real, external stimulus
• 4.) Disturbed Emotion
• Flattening of emotions or inappropriate emotional
  responses to situations