May 9, 2013A woman previously diagnosed with a psychological

disorder was caught on videotape stealing a police car. The police officers used restrain, even after she threatened them with what appeared to be a weapon, and took her into custody unharmed. After the incident, her husband appealed to lawmakers to change the law that allows someone who has been diagnosed with a psychological disorder to refuse treatment. The woman’s family believed that the incident could have been avoided if they had been allowed to admit her psychiatric care.

Your Question to answer on a sheet of paperShould the laws be changed? Under what circumstances

should someone’s caregivers be able to force treatment?

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

What are Psychological Disorders - Intro story page 447 Difficult to draw a line between

normal and abnormal behavior Just because a person is different does

not necessarily mean that he or she is suffering from mental illness

Defining and identifying psychological Disorders Popular ways of drawing the line

between normal and abnormal behavior Deviation from Normality

○ Whatever most people do is the norm therefore any deviation is abnormal

○ Majority is not always right or bestAdjustment

○ Normal people are able to get along in the world – physically, emotionally, and socially

When psychological problems become severe enough to disrupt everyday life it is thought of as an abnormality or illness

The Problem of Classification Psychological problems cannot be

categorized the same way that physical illnesses can

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)1. Essential Features – characteristics that

define the disorder2. Associated Features – Additional features 3. Differential Diagnosis – how to distinguish

this disorder from other disorders 4. Diagnostic Criteria – List of symptoms

The Problem of Classification DSM-IV

Often a person shows more than one disorder or may be experiencing other stresses that complicate the diagnosis

Axes – each axis reflects a different aspect of a patient’s case○ Axis I – classify current symptoms into defined

categories ○ Axis II – Describe developmental disorders and

long standing personality disorders or traits such as compulsiveness, over-dependency, or aggressiveness

The Problem of Classification Axis III – describe physical disorders or

general medical conditions that are potentially relevant to understanding or caring for the person

Axis IV – measurement of the current stress level at which the person is functioning

Axis V – describes the highest level of adaptive functioning present within the past year

Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is a general state of dread or

uneasiness that a person feels in response to real or imagined danger

Anxious people have difficulty forming stable and satisfying relationships

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Anxiety can develop into a full

fledged panic attackChoking sensations, chest pains, dizziness,

trembling, and hot flashes People become so preoccupied with

internal problems they neglect social relationships and have trouble dealing with family and friends

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Why are people anxious?

Some theorists stress the role of learning ○ Example: If a man feels very anxious on a

date and the thought of another date makes him nervous he learns to avoid dates and never unlearns the behavior

Environmental Factors ○ Unpredictable traumatic experiences in

childhood can allow people to develop an anxiety disorder

Phobic Disorder Phobia – when severe anxiety is focused

on a particular object, animal, activity, or situation that seems out of proportion to the real dangers involved

Phobic individuals develop elaborate plans to avoid the situation

Phobias range from mild to extremely severe One form of treatment is to provide

opportunities for the phobic person to experience the feared object under SAFE conditions

Phobia Poster!!!! YAY! Pick a Phobia – any phobia will do

Phobialist.com REQUIREMENTS FOR POSTER

Define the phobiaSymptoms of the phobiaImpacts of the phobia – socially, privately

etc.Visual Representation of the phobiaSteps to overcome the phobia

Panic Disorder Panic Disorder – extreme anxiety that

shows itself in the form of panic attacks Panic Attacks

○ Victims experience sudden and unexplainable attacks of intense anxiety

○ Feel that doom is inevitable and he or she is about to die

○ Sense of smothering, choking, difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea and chest pains

○ Last a few minutes but occur with no warning

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Obsession – uncontrollable pattern of

thoughts Compulsions – repeatedly perform

coping behaviors Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder –

puts obsessions and compulsions together

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders When is it a problem?

When thoughts and activities interfere with what a person wants and needs to do

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD – person who has experienced

a traumatic event feels severe and long-lasting aftereffectsMay begin immediately or develop laterInvoluntary flashbacks or recurring

nightmaresNot everyone who experiences traumatic

events experience PTSD

Somatoform Disorders Conversion Disorders

Conversion of emotional difficulties into the loss of a specific physiological function ○ Can result in a real and prolonged handicap:

person literally cannot feel or move anything

Somatoform Disorders Hypochondriasis – a person who is in

good health becomes preoccupied with imaginary ailments

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Disorder – significant

breakdown in a person’s normal conscious experience – loss of memory or identity

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Amnesia – attempt to

escape from problems by blotting them out completely Often results from a traumatic event

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Fugue – amnesia is

coupled with active flight to a different environmentExample: A Woman may suddenly

disappear and wake up three days later in a restaurant 200 miles from home○ She may repress all knowledge of a previous

life○ May last a few days or for decades

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple

personality disorder)Eve White – 22 personalities Sybil – 16 personalitiesThese cases are extremely rare and

controversial ○ People diagnosed with this disorder usually

suffered from severe physical. Psychological, or sexual abuse

○ Learned to dissociate themselves from stressful events by forgetting them

Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders Schizophrenics have difficulty using

language to communicateWill not remember the beginning of a

sentence and then finish it with an unrelated thought

People with schizophrenia may withdraw from normal life and reach an irrational, fear-laden, and unimaginable ways that are difficult for others to understand

Schizophrenia What is Schizophrenia?

Problems with cognition but also emotions, perceptions and motor functions

Affects 1 in 100 people in the world○ 1 in 10 if schizophrenia runs in the family

Involves confused and disordered thoughts and perceptions and the person has lost contact with reality

There is no single cause or cure

Types of Schizophrenia Paranoid Type

Involves hallucinations and delusions Catatonic Type

Remain motionless for long periods Disorganized Type

Incoherent language, inappropriate emotions

Remission Type Symptoms are completely gone or still exist

but are not severe enough

Causes of Schizophrenia Many Theories Biological Influences

Genetics is involved Identical Twins – If one twin develops

schizophrenia only 42% of the twin’s siblings will develop it

4 Identical Girls in 1930

Causes of Schizophrenia Biochemistry and Physiology

Too much or too little of certain chemicals in the brain

Chemicals do play a role but it’s hard to tell if these chemicals are the cause of Schizophrenia or the result of it

Mood Disorders We all experience mood swings Major Depressive Disorder

People spend at least two weeks feeling depressed, sad, anxious, fatigued and agitated

Reduced ability to function and interact with others

Bipolar Disorder Individuals are excessively and

inappropriately happy or unhappyManic Phase – person has extreme

confusion, distractibility and racing thoughts○ People may behave as if they need less sleep

and their activity level usually increasesDepressive Phase – overcome with

feelings of failure, sinfulness, worthlessness, and despair

Seasonal Affective Disorder Develop a deep depression in the

midst of winterMany of these people can be treated by

sitting under bright fluorescent lights during the evening or early morning hours

Suicide and Depression Not all people who commit suicide are

depressed – not all depressed people attempt suicide

1 suicide occurs every 16 seconds Women ATTEMPT suicide more than

men but. . . Men SUCCEED in suicide more than

women

Personality Disorders People generally

do not suffer from acute anxiety nor do they behave in unexplainable ways

Antisocial Personality Once referred to as sociopaths or

psychopaths Exhibit a persistent disregard for and

violation of others’ rights Treat people as objects – things used

for gratification and then cast them aside

Getting caught doing something wrong does not seem to bother them

Guilt and anxiety have not place in their world

Drug Addiction Psychological Dependence – Users depend

so much on the feeling of well being they get from the drug they feel compelled to keep using the drugAlcohol, caffeine, nicotine, marijuana

Addiction – if the drug is not in the body the user will experience extreme physical discomfort

Withdrawals – state of physical and psychological upset in which the body and mind revolt against but eventually gets used to the absence of the drug