Abnormal Psychology (Chapter 18) Lecture Outline : “Abnormality” and diagnosis Anxiety Disorders Dissociative Disorders

On the sheet of paper, list three things you are afraid of

Abnormality Behavior is statistically unusual, nonadaptive, labeled “abnormal”, or has perceptual/cognitive distortion Historical examples of abnormal behavior: –psychosis: demon possession, syphillis –mentally retarded individuals & midgets were “court-jesters” –Salem witch trials: girls may have ingested ergot, LSD derivative

Salem witch trial

Models of abnormality Psychodynamic: Intrapsychic conflict –e.g., sexual abuse and conversion disorder Humanistic: Oversensitivity to others –e.g., alcoholism for social anxiety Behavioral: Reinforcement/Punishment –e.g., snake bite leads to snake phobia Cognitive: Distorted thinking –e.g., negative thoughts and depression Medical: Physiological imbalance

Diagnosis: DSM-IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Ed. (APA, 1994) Axis I: Clinical syndromes/ Mental disorders Axis II: Personality and Disorders Axis III: General Medical Conditions Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems Axis V: GAF Scale (1:low to 100:high)

Anxiety Disorders

Symptoms of Anxiety Symptoms of anxiety: –Mood: tension, apprehension and panic –Cognitive: catastrophe, concentration –Somatic: Sweat, pulse, dizzy, pounding –Motor: Tics, bite nails, pace, fidget Case examples of clients with anxiety disorders, with emphasis on panic disorder (video #92)

Case example: Social phobia "I couldn't go on dates or to parties. For a while, I couldn't even go to class. My sophomore year of college I had to come home for a semester." "My fear would happen in any social situation. I would be anxious before I even left the house, and it would escalate as I got closer to class, a party, or whatever. I would feel sick to my stomach--it almost felt like I had the flu. My heart would pound, my palms would get sweaty, and I would get this feeling of being removed from myself and from everybody else." "When I would walk into a room full of people, I'd turn red and it would feel like everybody's eyes were on me. Iwas too embarrassed to stand off in a corner by myself, but I couldn't think of anything to say to anybody. I felt so clumsy, I couldn't wait to get out."

Specific kinds of anxiety disorders Phobias: Simple, social, and agoraphobia Panic Disorder: Bouts of intense and uncontrollable anxiety Generalized anxiety disorder: Chronic Stress Disorder: PTSD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder –obsession: unwanted impulses or thoughts –compulsion: uncontrolled repetitive act

Etiology (Cause) of Anxiety Psychodynamic: External threats –guilt after id-superego struggle Learning theory: Classical conditioning –sexual anxiety after unprotected sex Cognitive: Anxious cognitions –public speaking catastrophes Humanistic-Existential: “A” gets a “B” Physiological: Autonomic reactivity

Who were the lambs, Clarice?

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative amnesia: Memory loss for specific events or people Fugue: Total memory loss after stress, relocation and starting a new life Dissociative Identity Disorder (MPD) –two or more identities that coexist –associated with child trauma such as abuse –abused children “leave their bodies” –hearing voices