Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Question 1

Anxiety Disorders

Answer 1

Anxiety is the primary symptom or the primary cause of other symptoms for all anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in the United States (19 million adults)

People with one anxiety disorder usually experience another as well

Question 2

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Answer 2

Experience excessive anxiety under most circumstances and worry about practically anything
Feeling of “free-floating anxiety”

The anxiety has no definite trigger or starting point, they experience little relief
The symptoms include at least three of the following: edginess, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension, sleep problems

Question 3

Panic Disorder

Answer 3

Anxiety disorder marked by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks

Attacks of intense anxiety along with severe chest pain, tightness of muscles, choking, sweating, other acute symptoms during

Symptoms can last a few minutes to a couple of hours (have no trigger)

Question 4

Specific Phobia

Answer 4

Intense, irrational fear responses to specific stimuli

Some people with a specific phobia may go to great lengths to avoid the phobic stimulus

When confronted with the object of their phobia, a person will generally enter a state of panic

Question 5

Agoraphobia

Answer 5

Afraid to be in public situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable if panic-like or embarrassing symptoms were to occur

Panic attacks in public places
Pronounced, disproportionate, and repeated fear about being in at least 2 of the following situations (public transportation, parking lots, bridges, or other open spaces, shops, theaters or other confined places, lines or crowds, away from home unaccompanied)

Fear of such situations derives from a concern that it would be hard or escape or get help if panic, embarrassment, or disabling symptoms were to occur

Avoidance of the agoraphobic situations

Question 6

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Answer 6

Compound disorder of thought and behavior

Obsessions are persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts that an individual cannot get out of his or her mind

Compulsions are ritualistic behaviors performed repeatedly

Question 7

Hoarding Disorder

Answer 7

Characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save the items and distress parting with them
Persons are repeatedly unable to give up or throw out their possessions, even worthless ones, because they feel a need to save them and want to avoid the discomfort of disposal

Persons accumulate an extraordinary number of possessions that severely clutter and crowd their homes

Question 8

Bipolar Disorder

Answer 8

Mood swings alternating between periods of major depression and mania

Rapid cycling is usually short periods of mania followed almost immediately by deep pression, usually for longer duration

Question 9

Bipolar Disorder I

Answer 9

Occurrence of a manic episode
Hypomanic or major depressive episodes may precede or follow the manic episode

Question 10

Bipolar Disorder II

Answer 10

Presence or history of major depressive episode(s)
Presence or history of hypomanic episode(s)
No history of a manic episode

Question 11

Major Depressive Disorder

Answer 11

Involves intense depressed mood, reduced interest or pleasure in activities, loss of energy, and problems in making decisions for a minimum of 2 weeks