Lecture 5 Flashcards
(55 cards)
1
Q
What distinguishes fear from anxiety?
A
- fear is a state of immediate alarm in response to a serious, known threat to one’s well being
- Anxiety is a state of alarm in response to a vague sense of being in danger
2
Q
What features do both anxiety and fear have?
A
Both have the same physiological features- increased respiration, perspiration, muscle tension
3
Q
How can anxiety be useful?
A
- prepares us for action- “fight or flight”
- gives us energy, motivation, helps make decisions
4
Q
Which disorder is the most common in the U.S.?
A
Anxiety disorders
5
Q
What is the lifetime prevalence for anxiety disorders?
A
about 29% (1/3)
6
Q
How many individuals with anxiety disorder seek treatment?
A
Only 20%
7
Q
What is a comorbidity for anxiety?
A
depression
8
Q
What are the five anxiety disorders?
A
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Specific phobias
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Agoraphobia
9
Q
What is Generalized anxiety disorder?
A
GAD; excessive anxiety under most circumstances and worry about practically anything
10
Q
What are the symptoms for GAD?
A
feeling restless or on “edge”, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems
11
Q
How long must symptoms last for GAD?
A
at least 6 months
12
Q
What is the lifetime prevalence for GAD?
A
about 6%
13
Q
Which gender is twice as often diagnosed with GAD?
A
Women
14
Q
What percentage of people with GAD are in treatment for it?
A
about 25%
15
Q
What is the onset for GAD?
A
typically in childhood or adolescence
16
Q
What is the Sociocultural Perspective on GAD?
A
- social conditions that are truly dangerous increase rates
- powerful form of societal stress is poverty
- race is correlated to stress, so race is linked to GAD
17
Q
What are some examples of race linked to GAD?
A
- African Americans are 30% more likely than Caucasian Americans to suffer from GAD
- Second generation Latino Americans have higher rates of GAD than first generation LAs
18
Q
What is the Psychodynamic Perspective of Freud of GAD? What are each type of anxiety he talks about?
A
- Freud believed that all children experience anxiety:
- Realistic anxiety- when facing actual danger
- Neurotic anxiety- when prevented from expressing id impulses
- Moral anxiety- when punished for expressing id impulses
- If defense mechanisms are weak, may develop GAD
19
Q
What does today’s psychodynamic theorists agree with Freud’s hypothesis?
A
that anxiety stems from parent/child relationship
20
Q
What does research support about people with GAD?
A
people with GAD use certain defense mechanisms (repression, denial)
21
Q
What does research support about children who suffer more punishment?
A
more anxiety as adults
22
Q
What are Psychodynamic techniques to treat all problems?
A
- free association
- interpretations of conflict and dreams
23
Q
What are psychodynamic therapies for GAD?
A
- Focus on reducing fear of id impulses and controlling them
- object-relations therapists identify relationship problems
- short-term psychodynamic therapy that focuses on a single problem shown to be more effective than traditional psychodynamic therapy
24
Q
What is the Humanistic Perspective of GAD?
A
- GAD arises when people stop looking at themselves honestly and acceptingly
25
What is Carl Roger's explanation of GAD from the humanistic perspective?
- lack of "unconditional positive regard"
- we develop "conditions of worth"
- threatening self-judgments break through and cause anxiety, leading to GAD
26
What are Humanistic therapies for GAD?
- practitioners using a "client-centered" approach show unconditional positive regard to clients and empathize to help clients feel secure
- Studies show humanistic therapies are no better than placebo/control groups
27
What is the Cognitive Perspective of GAD?
- psychological problems are often caused by dysfunctional ways of thinking
- excessive worry is a key symptom
28
What type of theorists dominate the area of anxiety disorder?
Cognitive theorists
29
Which two psychologists are vital to cognitive theory?
Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis
30
What are Cognitive therapies for GAD?
- Rational-emotive therapy: change maladaptive assumptions
- helping clients understand the role that worrying plays, changing views and reactions to it
- Mindfulness
31
Who is responsible for Mindfulness cognitive therapy? What is it?
- Psychologist Steven Hayes
- Based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
32
What is the Biological Perspective of GAD?
- supported by family pedigree studies:
- biological relatives more likely to have GAD
- closer relatives have greater likelihood
- Gamma-amino Butyric Acid (GABA, NT):
- In 1950s, benzodiazepines found to reduce anxiety
- GABA inhibits neuron firing
33
What are Biological Therapies for GAD?
1. Antianxiety drug therapy history
2. Relaxation training: non-chemical biological technique
3. Biofeedback
34
What is the antianxiety drug therapy history?
- early 1950s: barbiturates
- Late 1950s: benzodiazepines
- more recently: antidepressants, antipsychotics
35
What is some facts about the relaxation training?
- more effective than placebo or no treatment
- best in combination with cognitive therapy or biofeedback
36
What is biofeedback? What is an example?
-therapist uses electrical signals from the body to train people to control physiological processes
- electromyograph (EMG): muscle tension
- found to have a modest effect
37
How do phobias differ from common fear?
- more intense and persistent fear
- great desire to avoid the object or situation
- distress that interferes with functioning
38
What are some causes for specific phobias?
- best evidence: conditioning:
- fears are learned, avoiding object/situation stabilizes fear
39
What do Evolutionary Psychologists believe is the cause of specific phobias? What type of treatments do they use?
- species-specific biological predisposition to develop certain fears- biological "preparedness"
- Exposure treatments: desensitization, flooding, modeling
40
Wha is an example given for biological preparedness?
cats vs cucumbers
41
What was social anxiety disorder formerly known as?
Social phobia
42
What is social anxiety disorder?
- severe, persistent, and irrational fears of social or performance situations in which scrutiny by others and embarrassment may occur
43
What is Narrow social anxiety disorder? Broad social anxiety disorder?
Narrow: talking, performing, eating in public
Broad: general fear of poor social performance
44
What are the causes of social anxiety disorder according to Cognitive theorists?
People with social anxiety disorder have social beliefs and expectations that consistently work against them, including:
- unrealistically high social standards
- think they're unattractive or socially unskilled
45
What treatments are used for social anxiety disorder?
- antianxiety medications
- psychotherapy
- social skills training
46
What are the components of Psychotherapy used to treat social anxiety disorder?
Exposure and cognitive components:
- as effective as medication
- less likely to relapse than people treated with drugs alone
47
What are some details of social skills training?
- therapists provide feedback and reinforcement
- allows clients to practice skills with other group members
48
What is Panic Disorder?
- dysfunctional changes in thinking or behavior because of "panic attacks"
- periodic, short attacks that occur suddenly, reach a peak, and pass
- fear they will die, go "crazy", or lose control
- attacks happen in the absence of a real threat
49
What are some causes of Panic Disorder?
- Norepinephrine: implicated in the experience of panic attacks
- Locus coeruleus: area of the brain involved with panic attacks; has a lot of neurons that use norepinephrine
- Amygdala: host of a whole lote of emotions; if a lot of activity occurs here, you're going to form a lot of memories of that experience
- Monozygotic twins: rate is as high as 31%
- Dizygotic twins: rate is 11%
50
What is the cognitive perspective cause of panic disorders?
panic reactions are experienced only by people who misinterpret bodily events
51
What is the treatment for panic disorder according to cognitive theorists?
correct misinterpretations through psychoeducation and coping skills
52
What is Agoraphobia?
- afraid of being in situations where escape might be difficult, should they experience panic
- avoid outdoors, crowded places, driving, and public transportation
- intensity often fluctuates
53
What is the cause of Agoraphobia?
- explained in ways similar to specific phobias
- prone to "panic attacks"- often also diagnosed with panic disorder
54
What is the most effective treatment for agoraphobia?
Behavioral therapy with an exposure approach
- gradual exposure: systematic desensitization
- use support groups and self-help programs
55
How effective is behavioral therapy for agoraphobia?
- b/t 60-80% of clients find it easier to enter public places and the improvement lasts for years
- Relapses are common
