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Psychological DisordersMarina Sangkavichai

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As a counselor/psychologist, how would you help someone overcome their fear of public speaking? If you have this fear, how would you take steps to become a polished and effective speaker?

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Psychopathology: Scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders

Subjective Discomfort: Feelings of anxiety, depression, or emotional distress

Social Nonconformity: Disobeying societal standards for normal conduct; usually leads to destructive or self-destructive behavior

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Situational Context: Social situation, behavioral setting, or general circumstances in which an action takes place◦ Is it normal to walk around strangers naked? If

you are in a locker room and in the shower area, yes!

Cultural Relativity: Judgments are made relative to the values of one’s culture

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Maladaptive Behavior: Behavior that makes it difficult to function, to adapt to the environment, and to meet everyday demands

Those with mental illness lose the ability to adequately control thoughts, behaviors, or feelings

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Psychotic Disorder: Severe psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations and delusions, social withdrawal, and a move away from reality/For example, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders may have features of psychosis

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Mood Disorder: Disturbances in mood or emotions, like depression or mania

Anxiety Disorder: Feelings of fear, apprehension, anxiety, and behavior distortions

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Social Conditions: Poverty, homelessness, overcrowding, stressful living conditions, lack of social support, social isolation

Family Factors: marital or relationship problems Psychological Factors:, stress, traumatic

experiences Biological Factors: Genetic defects or inherited

vulnerabilities; poor prenatal care, head injuries, exposure to toxins, chronic physical illness, or disability

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Biolological: it is a physical disorder caused by a structural or biochemical abnormality in the brain, by genetic inheritance, or by infection.

Biopsychosocial: it is a combination of biological, psychological, and social causes

Psychodynamic: stems from early childhood experiences and unresolved, unconscious sexual or aggressive conflicts

Learning: abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are learned and sustained like any other behaviors or there is a failure to learn appropriate behaviors

Cognitive: faulty thinking or distorted perceptions can cause psychological disorders

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Definition: A legal term; refers to an inability to manage one’s affairs or to be aware of the consequences of one’s actions◦ Those judged insane (by a court of law) are not held

legally accountable for their actions◦ Can be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric

hospital◦ Some movements today are trying to abolish the

insanity plea and defense; desire to make everyone accountable for their actions

◦ How accurate is the judgment of insanity? Expert Witness: Person recognized by a court of

law as being qualified to give expert testimony on a specific topic ◦ May be psychologist, psychiatrist, and so on

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Definition: A person who lacks a conscience (superego?); typically emotionally shallow, impulsive, selfish, and manipulative toward others◦ Oftentimes called psychopaths or sociopaths

Many are delinquents or criminals, but many are NOT crazed murderers displayed on television

Create a good first impression and are often charming/entertainers, politicians, cheat their way through life!

Cheat their way through life

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Possible Causes:◦ Childhood history of emotional deprivation,

neglect, and physical abuse◦ Underarousal of the brain◦ Many murderers have antisocial personality

disorder, lack or remorse, tortured animals Very difficult to effectively treat; will likely

lie, charm, and manipulate their way through therapy

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© Robert Hare

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Anxiety: Feelings of apprehension, dread, or uneasiness◦ Usually suffer sleep disturbances, irritability, and

depression◦ Examples: Grief reactions, lengthy physical

illness, unemployment, panic attacks, phobias

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Duration of at least six months of chronic, unrealistic, or excessive anxiety

Free-Floating Anxiety: Anxiety that is very general and persuasive

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Panic Disorder (without Agoraphobia): A chronic state of anxiety with brief moments of sudden, intense, unexpected panic (panic attack)◦ Panic Attack: Feels like one is having a heart

attack, going to die, or is going insane ◦ Symptoms include vertigo, chest pain,

choking, fear of losing control Panic Disorder (with Agoraphobia):

Panic attacks and sudden anxiety still occur, but with agoraphobia

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Agoraphobia (with Panic Disorder): Intense, irrational fear that a panic attack will occur in a public place or in an unfamiliar situation◦ Intense fear of leaving the house or entering unfamiliar

situations◦ Can be very crippling◦ Literally means fear of open places or market (agora)

Agoraphobia (without Panic Disorder): Fear that something extremely embarrassing will happen away from home or in an unfamiliar situation

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Irrational, persistent fears, anxiety, and avoidance that focus on specific objects, activities, or situations

People with phobias realize that their fears are unreasonable and excessive, but they cannot control them

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Intense, irrational fear of being observed, evaluated, humiliated, or embarrassed by others (e.g., shyness, eating, or speaking in public)

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Extreme preoccupation with certain thoughts and compulsive performance of certain behaviors

Obsession: Recurring images or thoughts that a person cannot prevent ◦ Cause anxiety and extreme discomfort◦ Enter into consciousness against the person’s will◦ Most common: Being dirty, wondering if you performed

an action (turned off the stove), or violence (hit by a car) Compulsion: Irrational acts that person

feels compelled to repeat against his/her will◦ Help to control anxiety created by obsessions◦ Checkers and cleaners

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Person has two or more distinct, separate identities or personality states; previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder◦ Often begins with horrific childhood experiences

(e.g., abuse, molestation, etc.)◦ Goal: Integrate and fuse identities into single,

stable personality

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Schizophrenia: disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions.

Delusions: false beliefs, often of persecution or granduer

Person with schizophrenia is out of touch with what’s going on in his/her environment

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This morning when I was at Hillside Hospital I was making a movie. I was surrounded by movie starts. The X-ray technician was Peter Lawford. The security guard was Don Knotts. That Indian doctor in Building 40 was Lou Costello. I’m Mary Poppins. Is this room painted blue to get me upset? My grandmother died four weeks after my eighteenth birthday.

Breakdown in selective attention/can’t focus on one idea for very long

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Emotions of schizophrenia are often utterly inappropirate.

Laugh after recalling grandmothers death or become angry for no reason

Flat affect: some individuals with schizophrenia feel no emotion at all!

Hallucinations: a person with schizophrenia may perceive things that are not there/usually auditory. Hearing voices that insult them or tell them to harm themselves.

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© Bruce Ely/Getty Images

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© Dennis Brack/Stockphoto.com76

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Major disturbances in emotion, such as depression or mania

Mania can be characterized by elevated mood, euphoria, going on shopping sprees, feeling invincible

Depressive Disorders: Sadness or despondency are prolonged, exaggerated, or unreasonable

Bipolar Disorders: Involve both depression and mania or hypomania use to be called manic depression

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