Lecture Material Flashcards
(141 cards)
What PDM spectrum do clinicians use to understand personality pathology?
Spectrum of personality organization from neurotic to psychotic (with borderline in the middle)
Used to figure out, in general, how healthy the individual is!
Used to be a black and white perspective of being either neurotic or psychotic, but now there is more of a spectrum.
What are some characteristics of neurotic behavior?
- Anxiety based
- No distortion in reality
- Suffer from specific areas (loss, rejection, self-punitive)
- Can be rigid and inflexible (ex. treating everyone with suspicion)
- Able to recognize that their behaviours are problamatic
Ex. eating disorders is a prime example of neurotic behaviour
True or False: Individuals with neurotic behavior have perceptual distortions like hallucinations or delusions.
False!!
No distrortion to reality
How do neurotic individuals perceive their behavior?
Use the mice example in your explination
They recognize that their behavior is problematic!
Ex. phobia of mice → an outsider would be able to tell if one has a fear of mice by the panic, and may choose to calm them down by saying “oh it can’t hurt you” → the neurotic person KNOWS that is cannot them still remains terrified (able to recognize that their reaction is way out of proportion but cannot change reaction!)
Fill in the blank: Neurotic behavior is characterized as a ———– behavior pattern that does not involve any distortions in reality.
[maladaptive]
What are the 3 levels of functioning people can operate on?
- Neurotic
- Borderline
- Psychotic
These characteristics have a dramatic impact on diagnoses, as these levels identify the level of psychopathology within the disorder and can determine treatment!
People with neurotic behaviour have personalities that are often ——-, but are clearly compromised in some domains.
Provide an example of this.
INTACT (no issues of personality disorganization)
Ex. Someone has very significant depression, and it shows up badly in the work domain, but they can still have good relationships.
What are some characteristics of borderline personality?
- Show both neurotic and psychotic tendencies
- Affect regulation difficulties (hard time controlling emotions)
- Relational difficulties (challenges relating and interacting with others)
- Intimacy, work, impluse regulations.
What defines psychotic behavior?
- Major distortions in reality
- Some personality disorganization
- Lack of insight into the problem (does not know their behaviour is problematic)
- Socially inappropriate
- Psychic equivilance
Explain how these two quotes relate to neurotic behaviour:
- “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome”
- “You yourself produce the thing you fear the most”
- A neurotic person can gain insight into their patterns, but often continues to do the same thing expecting a different outcome (even with the knowledge that way they are doing is not working)
- A neurotic person often procduses or contributes to their own problems.
Ex. a perfectionist wants to appear perfect to find a sense of beloning, but their perfectionist behaviour often drives people away, creating their own problems in a sense.
What is the neurotic paradox?
Behaving in ways to reduce anxiety that ultimately causes greater suffering!
This paradox involves dealing with anxiety in defensive fashion, usually avoidance reduces anxiety in the short term (but is damaging in the long term)
What types of disorders does neurotic behavior include?
With anxiety-based disorders including:
- Generalized Anxiety
- Panic
- Obsessive Compulsive
- Phobias
- Others with anxiety as a basis
Neurotic individuals are ego dsystonic. What does this mean for their perceptions of their behaviours?
ego dsystonic = apart from the ego/self
They know their behaviour is unacceptable or irrational and know people do not like them, but do NOT know that they are creating/contributing to the problem.
What is neurotic anxiety?
A central component of anxiety disorders where people feel fear when there is no obvious danger or threat
Event or stimulus is objectively minor or inssignificant
Response to a stimulus with anxiety that is is way out of proportion
(ex. mice, thunder, shoppig malls, etc.)
The defensive behaviour of the ——- ———— results in self-defeating behaviour!
Neurotic Paradox!
Neurotic people view basic things (innocuous events) as dangerous, causing avoidance of things that are vital to our survival (like social support/interactions).
What are long-term outcomes of the neurotic paradox?
- Blocks personal growth
- Relationship problems
- Anxiety becomes the focus of life
- Lack of energy and enthusiasm
- Egocentric concerns (very focused on themselves and lacks ability to engage with others)
Example of neurotic behavior: A person repeatedly chooses partners who do not work out. What does this illustrate?
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.
Neurotic person knows what they’re doing is not working but continues to engage in the same behaviour.
True or False: Some neurotic people function in ways where they avoid pain and minimize pleasure.
meaning they essentially have no enthusiasm or enjoyment for positive things
True
Whereas healthy people usually maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
What did Doug, the graduate student going on many dates, exemplify in terms of neurotic behavior?
Criticizing dates for little things despite wanting a long-term relationship.
Very good example of neurotic people creating their own problems (neurotic paradox)
What is the immediate effect and the long term effect of the Neurotic Paradox?
Immediate Effect of Neurotic Paradox = Reduce Anxiety
Long Term of Neurotic Paradox = Don’t resolve the actual problem
What are neurotic styles?
They are ways of relating to others in a problematic manner
NEUROTIC STYLES ARE NOT PERSONALITY DISORDERS!
What are the three main themes/issues present within neurotic syltes (problematic ways of relating to others)
1. Deficit in behavioural repertoire (inhibition)
- The person INHIBITS certain behaviours and becomes anxious in specific contexts.
- Ex. so anxious to ask someone on a date that they will inhibit their date requesting behaviours.
2. Behaves in an inflexible and exaggerated manner opposite to the deficient behaviour
- I inhibit one behaviour so I really go overboard with the opposite behaviour
3. Behaviour does not fully contain the anxiety
What happens when a neurotic individual exhibits exaggerated behaviour opposite to their inhibited behaviour?
They overcompensate by behaving in an inflexible and exaggerated manner! (common in the neurotic styles)
What are the 4 different neurotic styles?
- Aggression/Assertion Inhibition
- Responsibility/Independence Inhibition
- Compliance/Submission Inhibition
- Intimacy/Trust Inhibition