Topic 4: Anxiety/OCD/Somatic Flashcards
what is anxiety
subjective emptional state, often with feelings of apprehension, uneasiness, uncertainty and dread
normal anxiety
a healthy life force that is necessary for survival, normal anxiety motivates people to take action (an appropriate response)
acute anxiety
is precipitated by an imminent loss ot threat (stress response)
pathological (disordered) anxiety
differen from normal anxiety in terms of duration, intensity and disturbance in a persons ability to function, ecihc persists after the threat is resolved
chronic anxiety
a long term issue, associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disorders (ususally begins in childhood)
Anxiety vs. Fear
Fear: a reaction to a specific danger or stressor (fight-or-flight response)
Anxiety: results from a real or perceived threat or stressor whose actual source is unknown or unrecognized
stress
a state produced by a change in the environment (a stressor) that is perceived as challenging, threatening, or damaging to one’s well-being
which gender is more frequently affected by anxiety
women
what are some HIGHLY co-occuring disorders that come with anxiety
substance abuse, major depressive disorder (MDD)
what are FREQUENTLY co-occuring disorders that come with anxiety
eating disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia
what are co-occuring MEDICAL conditions with anxiety
cancer, heart disease, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, renal or liver dysfunction, reduced immunity.
when do anxiety disorders usually begin?
in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood
anxiety and genetics
*family ties, high concordance of panic & anxiety with monozygotic twins
anxiety and neurobiology
*imbalances of serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA; involvement of multiple brain areas
Cultural Perspectives on Anxiety: latin americans and northern europeans
*panic attack symptoms: choking, smothering, fear of dying
Cultural Perspectives on Anxiety: japanese and korean
*social phobia related to offensive body odors
Cultural Perspectives on Anxiety: african Americans and asian americans
*least likely to seek mental health services
Cultural Perspectives on Anxiety: other cultures
*panic attacks may be viewed as magic or witchcraft
Healthy defense mechanisms
Altruism
Sublimation
Suppression
Humor
intermediate defense mechanisms
repression, displacement, reaction formation, somatization, undoing, rationalization
immature defense mechanisms
Passive aggression
Acting out
Dissociation
Devaluation
Idealization
Splitting
Projection
Denial
altruism
emotional conflicts and stressors are addressed by meeting the needs of others
Sarah went through a traumatic experience when she lost her younger brother to a chronic illness. The grief was overwhelming, and she struggled with feelings of guilt and helplessness. Instead of succumbing to her sorrow, Sarah decided to channel her emotions into starting a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families with children suffering from the same illness. By doing so, Sarah not only found a way to cope with her grief but also created a lasting impact in her community.
sublimation
directing energy from unacceptable drives into socially acceptable behavior.
A person with aggressive tendencies, instead of acting out violently, might channel that aggression into competitive sports or martial arts. Here, the aggressive impulse isn’t suppressed or denied but is expressed in a controlled, socially acceptable, and even beneficial manner. The person might become a dedicated athlete or martial artist, receiving accolades for their dedication and skills, all while healthily venting their aggressive tendencies.
humor
emphasizing the assuming or ironic aspects of the conflict or stressor through humor
supression
conscious denial of disturbing situation or feeling
Imagine Sarah, a medical professional, learns that a close family member has passed away right before she is about to perform a critical surgery. At that moment, Sarah decides to suppress her feelings of grief and sorrow, choosing to focus solely on her professional responsibilities. She acknowledges internally that her feelings are valid and important, but she also recognizes that it’s essential for her to remain composed and attentive to perform the surgery safely.
repression
unconscious involuntary forgetting of unacceptable or painful thoughts, feelings, or actions
displacement
transfer of emotions associated with a specific person, object or situation to ANOTHER person, object, or situation that is nonthreatening
Imagine a man who had a challenging day at work because his boss criticized him in front of his colleagues. He felt humiliated and angered by his boss but couldn’t express his feelings there because it might jeopardize his job. When he comes home, he finds that his dog has chewed on one of his shoes. Instead of handling it calmly, he becomes excessively angry and yells at the dog or punishes it more harshly than usual.
reaction formation
unacceptable feelings or behaviors are kept out of awareness by developing the oppositee behavior or emotion
Imagine a young boy in school who has developed a crush on a classmate. He might find these feelings overwhelming or unacceptable (perhaps he’s been teased by friends or doesn’t know how to cope with the new emotions). Instead of showing affection or trying to be near the classmate he has a crush on, he might do the opposite: tease her, be mean to her, or even claim to dislike her when talking to others.
somatization
occurs when represssed anxiety is demonstrated in the form of physical symptoms that have no organic cause
Imagine a woman who is under extreme stress and anxiety due to conflict in her marriage. She might not openly discuss or even acknowledge her feelings, perhaps because she’s been conditioned to suppress emotional distress or doesn’t have an outlet to express them. Over time, she starts experiencing frequent headaches, stomach upsets, or unexplained muscle aches. She visits various doctors and undergoes a series of tests, but they all come back normal, and no organic cause can be found for her symptoms.
undoing
a compulsive response that negates or reverses a previous unacceptable action
Let’s say a man has an argument with his wife and says something hurtful to her out of anger. Later, he feels guilty about what he said. To try and “undo” the harm he believes he caused, he might engage in overcompensatory behaviors like buying her unexpected gifts, doing extra household chores, or being excessively affectionate. These behaviors are an attempt to cancel out or reverse the hurtful action
rationalization
offering a socially acceptable or logical explanation for otherwise unacceptable impulses, feelings, and behaviors
passive aggression
an individual dealth with emotional conflict or stressors by indirectly and unassertively expressing aggresstion toward others
Acting out behaviors
An individual addresses emotional conflicts or stressors by actions rather than by reflections or feelings.
Imagine a teenager named Mia who recently experienced a breakup with her first serious boyfriend. Instead of talking about her feelings, seeking support, or processing the pain of the breakup, she starts to skip school, gets involved in risky behaviors like underage drinking, and begins to hang out with peers who encourage her reckless actions.
dissociation
disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment
Imagine a young child who is frequently abused by a caregiver. The traumatic experience of the abuse can be too much for the child to bear. To cope, the child might use dissociation. During episodes of abuse, the child might feel as though they are floating above their body, watching the events unfold as if they were happening to someone else. This is often referred to as “derealization” or “depersonalization.” Later in life, the child might not have a clear memory of the abuse due to the dissociative state they entered during those traumatic times. They might have fragmented or missing memories, and may only recall the sensation of floating or being disconnected, rather than the specific details of the abuse.
devaluation
occurs when emotional conflicts or stressors are handled by attributing negative qualities to self or others
Another example can involve self-devaluation. If a student gets a poor grade on a single test, instead of recognizing it as one bad day or one subject they struggled with, they might start thinking, “I’m stupid,” or “I’m a failure.” They attribute exaggerated negative qualities to themselves based on a single event.
idealization
emotional conflicts or stressors are addressed by attributing exaggerated positive qualities to others
Consider a young woman named Lisa who has had a series of negative relationships in the past. She meets Michael, who shows her some kindness and attention. Instead of seeing Michael as a multi-dimensional person with both strengths and flaws, Lisa might immediately elevate him to a pedestal, viewing him as the “perfect” partner. She believes he can do no wrong, and attributes to him qualities he might not actually possess, such as extreme intelligence, unparalleled compassion, or unmatched skills. When Michael shows any signs of human flaw or makes a mistake, Lisa might dismiss it or make excuses for him, preserving her idealized image of him. This can be a coping mechanism for Lisa, as she might be trying to protect herself from another negative relationship experience by believing she’s found the “perfect” partner.
splitting
is the inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive image
Anna has a close friend named Beth. When things are going well in their relationship, Anna sees Beth as the best friend anyone could ever have — generous, caring, and simply perfect. However, if there’s a disagreement or if Beth does something that Anna doesn’t like, Anna’s view can rapidly shift. Suddenly, Beth becomes the “worst” friend, someone who never truly cared, who is entirely selfish, and who cannot be trusted at all. Instead of recognizing that Beth, like everyone, has both strengths and weaknesses, and that sometimes disagreements or misunderstandings can occur, Anna switches between viewing Beth as all-good or all-bad. It becomes difficult for Anna to maintain stable relationships, as she can swing between over-attachment and complete detachment.
projection
attributing our own thoughts or impulses to another person
Let’s say Mark is having feelings of attraction towards a co-worker named Jane, even though he’s in a committed relationship. Instead of acknowledging his feelings and dealing with them responsibly, he becomes convinced that Jane is the one who is attracted to him and is trying to seduce him. He might even complain to friends that Jane is “clearly” interested in him and is being inappropriate, even if she has done nothing of the sort.
denial
avoidance of disagreeable (uncomfortable) reality by ignoring or refusing to recognize it
Let’s say Jenny’s father has been a heavy drinker for years. Every time family members express concern about his drinking habits, Jenny dismisses their worries, saying, “He just likes to have a drink after work, it’s not a big deal.” Even when her father starts missing work, getting into altercations, or neglecting his responsibilities due to his drinking, Jenny maintains that he doesn’t have an alcohol problem and that people are overreacting.
compensation
putting forth extra effort to achieve in area of real (or imagined) deficiency
Growing up, Sam always felt physically weak. He was smaller than his peers and often got teased for his stature. As he got older, Sam felt that he had to compensate for his perceived physical inadequacy. So, instead of focusing on physical prowess, he dedicated himself to academics with immense vigor. Sam believed that if he could be the top student, garner academic awards, and achieve professional success, it would offset his feelings of physical inferiority. Over time, Sam becomes an esteemed scholar and is recognized for his academic achievements. This success provides him with a sense of worth and self-esteem that he felt he lacked due to his physical size
Regression
returning to an earlier level of emotional development
7-year-old boy named Jake who has always been independent and hasn’t wet the bed since he was a toddler. However, after the birth of his baby sister, he starts wetting the bed again. Additionally, he begins to act more baby-like, wanting to be held and asking for a bottle instead of a cup. In this scenario, Jake is experiencing feelings of insecurity and perhaps jealousy with the arrival of the new baby, who is getting a significant amount of attention. As a result, he regresses to earlier behaviors that once garnered him more care and attention from his parents. By acting like a baby, Jake might be trying to recapture some of the attentio
mild anxiety
is experienced during everyday life events, and is normal.
possible signs of mild anxiety
Mild tension-relieving behaviors (e.g., tapping, fidgeting, chewing)
possible symptoms of mild anxiety
· Slight discomfort
· Restlessness
· Irritability
· Impatience
· Enhanced problem-solving ability
Enhanced ability to focus on & work toward goals
Moderate anxiety
the person’s ability to think clearly is affected, but they can still solve problems, they can be selective to what they pay attention to.
possible signs of moderate anxiety
· Vocal tremors
· Change in voice pitch
· Increased respiratory rate, pulse rate
· Shakiness
· Repetitive questioning
· Increased muscle tension
Moderate tension-relieving behaviors (e.g.,pacing, banging hands on table)
possible symptoms of moderate anxiety
· Narrow perceptual field (grasps less of what is occurring around them)
· Selective inattention (will benefit from guidance)
· Able to solve problems, though not at optimal ability
· Somatic complaints
Difficulty concentrating
