Week 6 - Anxiety Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is anxiety as an emotion?
Nervousness, unease, restlessness
Physiological arousal
What is anxiety as a disorder?
Anxiety which is EXCESSIVE for the circumstances
Rumination and panic
What is the difference between anxiety and fear?
Fear = response to immediate/serious threat
Anxiety = more anticipatory, danger may be vague
***PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION MAY BE SIMILAR
Why is anxiety not totally bad?
It can warn us about RISKS and POTENTIAL dangers
Informative and motivating
What do some psychologists/neuroscientists think of the brain
What do they call it?
“Prediction machine”
What is allostasis?
Adaptive process that helps maintain HOMEOSTASIS
To maintain body in state of illness/health
What do existentialists think of anxiety?
It represents awareness of POSSIBILITY/CHOICE
Stems from awareness of possibility —> directed INTERNALLY
Why ultimately do we have anxiety?
Because we have free choice and freedom
Makes anxiety INHERENT
What is generalized anxiety?
Anxiety that both EXCESSIVE and fairly CONSTANT
No specific TRIGGERS
Is a disorder
True or false. If you have a relative with generalized anxiety disorder you more likely to have it
TRUE
What are some medical treatments of generalized anxiety disorder?
Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Valium etc…)
Where does abnormal GABA-ergic seem to affect most in the brain?
Amygdala
Which is important for fear responses and other emotions
True or false. GAD is more common in women, elderly, and people with low social status
TRUE
What is the biological perspective in terms of GAD?
Genetic factors = relative has GAD = more likely to have it
Abnormal GABA-ergic activity = affect amygdala = affects fear responses/emotions
What is the sociocultural perspective in terms of GAD?
More COMMON in women, the elderly, people with low SES
May INCREASE due to societal disruption
What is the cognitive-behavioural perspective in terms of GAD?
It is the result of MALADAPTIVE thinking and behaviour
Irrational assumptions
Pressure put on selves to meet HIGH STANDARDS = increases perceived THREAT of events
When failed, put BLAME on selves
What is “intolerance of uncertainty”?
(COG-BEHAV perspective)
Because negative events MIGHT happen, some people worry that they WILL happen
Ruminate on possibly, take steps to prevent, even when event is OUT OF THEIR CONTROL
*** = results in people worrying ALL THE TIME
What is “meta-worry”?
What is (+) beliefs?
What is (-) beliefs?
(COG-BEHAV perspective)
People WORRY about their WORRYING, they believe that their worrying is abnormal/harmful
Good GAD diagnosis
—————————————————————————————————
(+) beliefs: worrying allows you to praise
(-) beliefs: that worrying is harmful, uncontrollable
What is the “avoidance model”?
(COG-BEHAV perspective)
Anxiety is a kind of COPING mechanism
Worrying distracts people from the PHYSIOLOGICAL symptoms of arousal, or from larger adverse situations
What is “emotional dysregulation”?
(COG-BEHAV perspective)
1) experience more intense emotion
2) more negative beliefs about emotion
3) poorer understanding of their emotions
4) maladaptive emotion regulation strategies = reinforce their emotion
What is a panic disorder?
Anxiety may cause an INTENSE physiological and psychological response called a PANIC ATTACK
Usually last for several minutes
Panic disorder is accompanied by ___________ a fear of being __________/________
Agoraphobia
Outside/public
What are some treatments for a panic disorder?
SSRI’s/SNRI’s or benzodiazepines or CBT
Exposure therapy
Relaxation/breathing exercises
Cognitive reappraisal
What is existential dread?
The dread/anxiety we feel when confronted by mortality and life’s absurdity/meaningless/freedom of choice
