Abnormal Psychology By: Jennifer Williams

Anxiety Disorder In an anxiety disorder, aberrant fear is the central disturbance.

PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is classified as a anxiety disorder. This type of disorder can occur after one has gone through a highly emotional trauma.

Symptoms True symptoms of PTSD last more than 30 days, these symptoms are categorized as affective, behavioral, cognitive, and somatic: Affective Symptoms: emotional numbing and/or a lack of positive emotions; anhedonia Behavioral Symptoms: hypervigilance, passivity, nightmares, flashbacks, and exaggerated startle response

Symptoms (cont.) Cognitive Symptoms: invasive memories, lack of concentration, and hyperarousal Somatic Symptoms: digestion problems, lumbar pain, inability to sleep, headaches, stomach aches, and regression in some children (losing already acquired developmental skills)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Prevalence: In the US the prevalence rate is 1-3% with a lifetime prevalence of 10% for women and 5% for men Davidson et al. (2007) & Breslau et al. (1998) estimated that PTSD affects 15-24% of people who experienced traumatic events The most common trauma trigger of PTSD is the loss of a loved one which makes up 1/3 of all cases

PTSD Etiology BLOA: Noradrenaline (neurotransmitter) plays an important part in emotional arousal, people with PSTD have higher levels of noradrenaline than average (Geracioti 2001). CLOA: Intrusive memories are memories that appear at random, they can be triggered by sounds, sights, and/or smells which are related to the traumatic experience. Ex. A war veteran experiencing flashbacks because of a firework display SCLOA: Experiences of racism and oppression can be predisposing factors of PTSD, as can a close run-in with death, threat, rape, and witnessing domestic violence.

Gender/Cultural Considerations Gender Breslau et al. (2001) found that of 1007 young adults exposed to community violence 11.3% of women experienced PTSD compared to 3% of men Horowitz et al. (1991) found that women have a 5 times greater risk than men to develop PTSD after a traumatizing experience Men become irritable and impulsive and are more likely to take to substance abuse and women portray numbing and avoidance Cultural In non-western societies, people who have somatic complaints seek treatment after a traumatic event In non-western survivors body memory symptoms are more commonly considered a part of PTSD

Eating Disorder Psychological disorders which are characterized by strange eating habits.

Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia is when a large amount of food is consumed in a short period of time followed by self-induced vomiting, exorbitant exercise, or unnecessary use of laxatives to prevent weight gain.

Symptoms The Symptoms of Bulimia are categorized by affective, behavioral, cognitive, and somatic: Affective Symptoms: feelings of incompetence, guilt, or shame. Behavioral Symptoms: reoccurring episodes of binge eating, self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and excessive exercise

Symptoms Cont. Cognitive Symptoms: poor self/body image and perfectionism Somatic Symptoms: tooth enamel erosion, swollen salivary glands, stomach/intestinal problems, and in severe cases-heart problems

Bulimia Prevalence: 2-3% in women and % in men (female:male ratio- 10:1) Around 2% of all adults are affected by Bulimia; it is the most common eating disorder Prevalence rates similar to these are also found in some European countries and Japan

Bulimia Etiology BLOA: Some support for genetic diathesis in eating disorders is shown by twin research (this research is still in its early stages). Serotonin is prevalent in bulimia, increased levels of serotonin stimulate the medial hypothalamus and decrease food intake. CLOA: For people with eating disorders, body image is run by their emotions rather than the perception of what’s actually there (Burch et al. (1962). These people suffer from the cognitive delusion of thinking they are fat. Fallon and Rozin (1985) conducted a study that concluded men’s perception of their body shape helped them stay satisfied with their image while women had perceptions that put pressure on them to lose weight. SCLOA: People constantly compare themselves with others which affects self-esteem. Due to the media, we have become accustomed to standards of beauty that are very hard to attain. Women who are not considerably overweight will get it in their minds that they NEED to go on a diet, this is how many eating disorders begin.

Gender/Cultural Considerations Gender It is much more likely for women to be the targets of media propaganda that promotes thinness than men or children Episodes of binge eating have been found in up to 40% of college women (Keel et al. 2006) Cultural In industrialized countries, eating disorders are believed to be more common In Tehran, Iran the lifetime prevalence of bulimia in women is 3.2%, a desire to be thin is common in their culture

Works Cited Crane, John, and Jette Hannibal. IB Diploma Programme: Psychology Course Companion. Oxford: Oxford UP, Print.