Phobias

– Humans are predisposed – biologically prepared to acquire certain fears

• Fear of particular situations – flying, driving, tunnels, bridges, elevators, crowds, enclosed places

• Fear of features of the natural environment – thunder, heights, water

• Fear of injury or blood – injections, needles, medical or dental procedures

• Fear of animals and insects – snakes, spiders, dogs, slugs, bats

Phobias

• Agoraphobia – fear of panic attacks in public places

• Social phobias – social anxiety disorders– More women than men– Irrational fear of being embarrassed, judged or

critically evaluated by others– Realize that their fear is excessive but they still

approach social situations with tremendous anxiety

Phobias• More unusual phobias:

– Amathophobia- fear of dust– Amenophobia – fear of wind– Aphephobia – fear of being touched by another person– Bibliophobia- fear of books– Catotrophobia – fear of breaking a mirror– Ergophobia – fear of work or responsibility– Gamophobia – fear of marriage– Hypertrichophobia – fear of growing excessive amounts of body hair– Levophobia – fear of things being on the left side of your body– Phobophobia – fear of acquiring a phobia– Phonophobia – fear of sound of your own fource– Triskaidekaphobia – fear of the number 13

Somatoform Disorders

– Symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause

Conversion disorder: person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no physiological basis can be found

Hypocondriasis: person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

Body dysmorphic disorder: exaggerated concern and preoccupation about minor or imagined defects in appearance

Mood Disorders

• Extreme and persistent feelings of despondency, worthlessness and

hopelessness, causing…

impaired emotional, cognitive, behavioral and physical functioning

Types of mood disorders

• Major depression – “common cold” of psychological disorders

• Dysthymic disorder • Seasonal affect disorder – depression

associated with seasons• Bipolar – emotional roller coaster• Cyclothymic Disorder - moderate mood

swings

Etiology of Mood Disorders

• Genetic predisposition• Disruptions in brain chemistry– Antidepressants – increase 2 neurotransmitters• Norepinephrine• Seratonin

– Lithium – regulates avaliability of NT called glutamate

• Stress

Personality Disorders

• Inflexible, maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, behavior and interpersonal functioning that are stable over time and across situations, and deviate from the expectations of the individual’s culture

• Person doesn’t consider his personality characteristics as problematic => don’

Types of Personality Disorders

•Paranoid Personality Disorder

•Schizoid Personality Disorder

•Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Odd, eccentric

•Antisocial Personality Disorder

•Borderline Personality Disorder

•Histrionic Personality Disorder

•Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Dramatic, emotional, erratic

•Avoidant Personality Disorder

•Dependent Personality Disorder

•Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Anxious, fearful