Key Terms*Psychological Disorder - deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional behavior patterns.
Medical Model - the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured. When applied to psychological disorders, assumes that these mental illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital. *DSM V - the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a widley used system for classifying psychological disorders. Neurotic Disorders - usually distressing but allows one to think rationally and function socially. Anxiety Disorders - psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder - an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal. *Psychotic Disorders - severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. *Phobia - an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations. *OCD - an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and or actions. *Panic Disorder - an anxiety disorder marked by a minutes-long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations. *Somatoform Disorders - disorders characterized by physical symptoms for which no known physical cause exists. Conversion Disorder - a mental disorder characterized by the conversion of mental conflict into somatic forms (into paralysis or anesthesia having no apparent cause). Illness Anxiety Disorder- A somatoform disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation with health concerns and incessant worry about developing physical illnesses. *ADHD - a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. *Dissociative Disorders - disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings. *Dissociative Amnesia (includes fugue) - partial or total loss of memory. Fugue - dissociative disorder in which a person forgets who who they are and leaves home to creates a new life. *Dissociative Identity Disorder - a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. *Mood Disorders - psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes. *Major Depressive Disorder - a mood disorder in which a person, for no apparent reason, experiences two or more weeks of depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminishes interest or pleasure in most activities. *Bipolar Disorder - a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. *Mania - a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state. *Schizophrenia - a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions. *Delusions - false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders. *Personality Disorders - psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning. *Antisocial Personality Disorder - a personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist. *Biopsychosocial Approach - an integrated perspective that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis. *PTSD - an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. |
Videos to WatchBelow: The girl below was on a Dr. Phil show where he discusses her schizophrenia more in depth. You'll find the video in the "Mental Disorders" section of "Documentaries" tab on this website. It's highly recommended to be watched but the second half is not as informative and can be skipped. Here is a short video on the girl's condition.
Articles to ReadTricky Spots |
Psychological Disorders
Have you ever wondered why that neighbor next to you always made sure that everything was in the same exact order everyday, clean as a whistle. Or why your other neighbor's daughter kept talking to the ground like there was a cat there, even though she was sixteen and way too old to have imaginary cats? And have you wondered why you were in this strange place with all these strange people with white walls surrounding you. Perhaps that's why all you can think about is your traumatic past and keep having nightmares... I wonder...