PSYC 435 Abnormal Psychology Chapter 6
Anxiety Disorders Summarized Notes for
Exam Athabasca University
, lOMoAR cPSD| 42147428
Chapter 6
ANXIETY DISORDERS
➢ we’ve taken categories from DSM 4 and broken them into categories of DSM 5
➢ Hoarding disorder used to be a subtype of OCD, now it’s its own thing
o What is the best approach to treating anxiety disorders?
▪ Pills
▪ Skills
▪ Pills + Skills
▪ Anxiety Disorders are untreatable
o SKILLS is the best long-term outcome!
o Pills – benzodiazepines are prescribed for anxiety, they should only be prescribed that for the
short term
o Those have a high tendency for dependence, so people get addicted to them easily
o Then when you discontinue them, you get a rebound effect of lots of anxiety
o Skills are the best option for the long term. Anxiety patients actually respond really well to
psychotherapy.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
➢ Excessive, uncontrollable anxious apprehension and worry about life events
➢ Accompanied by strong, persistent anxiety
➢ Somatic symptoms differ from panic
o E.g., muscle tension, fatigue, irritability
➢ Persists for 6 months or more
Facts and statistics
➢ pas year prevalence is about 1% of the general population
➢ women outnumber men approximately 2:1
➢ onset is often insidious, beginning in early adulthood (creeps up on you over time)
➢ typically begins in early adulthood
➢ unlikely to remain symptom free
➢ older adults more susceptible
Less physiologically reactive (autonomic restrictors: they don’t really process the emotion-based of what
they’re presented. It’s not a CONSCIOUS avoidance of emotion, but there seems to be some inhibition of
emotion)
➢ cognitive characteristics:
o intolerance of uncertainty
o erroneous beliefs about worry
▪ by worrying about the problem, they are trying to solve the problem
▪ “if I worry about my family, it shows I care about them”
▪ if I worry about something bad happening, then it is less likely to happen
o poor problem orientation
▪ they have an idea that they shouldn’t HAVE problems
▪ their problem-solving skills are not that great
o cognitive avoidance
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
➢ integrated model of GAD
o psychological and biological vulnerabilities
o stress activates somatic tension and worry process
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller saraciousstuvia. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £11.42. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
