Unit 8: Clinical Psychology

repeatedly thinking and talking about past experiences; can contribute to depression

combinations of therapies

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

delusions and hallucinations

restricted emotion, decreased thought and speech, lack of motivation, inability to relate to others

a disorder characterized by extremely elevated moods during manic episodes and, frequently depressive episodes as well

feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria but poor judgement

a mood disorder in which a person feels sad and hopeless for weeks or months

depressive disorder characterized by a chronically sad and melancholy mood

excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events for no obvious reason

sudden, intense fear

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic

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

an anxiety disorder characterized by repetitive obsessions and compulsions

significant focus on physical symptoms to a level that results in major distress

when a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

disorder occurring when a person seems to have two or more distinct personalities within one body

weird: paranoid, schizotypal, schizoid

wild: borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial

worried: avoidant, dependent, obsessive compulsive

belief that the disorder is a disease that can be treated in a hospital

a diagnostic model that proposes that a disorder may develop when an predisposed vulnerability is coupled with environmental stressors

eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight and intense fear of gaining weight

eating disorder characterized by binge eating, followed by self-induced purging

frequent consumption in usually large amounts of food in one sitting

client’s problems can’t be resolved without becoming aware of their origins

study of unconscious to treat mental disorders

therapy deriving from the psychoanalytic tradition that views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood experiences, and that seeks to enhance self-insight

actively listening to support and increase self-acceptance, talks about present to promote growth → client-centered therapy

social context shows that you are not alone and can see how others deal with similar issues

all behavior is learned, so we can identify and learn to change unhealthy behaviors

An approach to treatment that involves confronting an emotion-arousing stimulus directly and repeatedly, ultimately leading to a decrease in the emotional response

associate relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli (ex. from touching picture of spider to holding one)

learn to associate an unpleasant state with an unwanted behavior to get rid of it

offer rewards for desired behaviors

talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave (commonly used to treat anxiety and depression)

drugs used in the treatment of psychotic disorders that help alleviate hallucinations and delusional thinking

a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient

exposure to prenatal virus, susceptibility seems genetic, social rejection, dysfunctional family communication patterns, childhood trauma, hyperactive dopamine transmission

characteristics of psychological disorder

Irrational and excessive fears of particular stimuli

extensive gaps in memory that result from emotional, rather than physiological; can be caused by trauma

subtype of dissociative amnesia in which patients construct new identities and personal histories for themselves

ideal self being similar with what you actually are (humanistic approach to therapy)

misalignment between the real self and the ideal self; lacking in self-image and self-esteem (humanistic approach to therapy)

therapist accepting and supporting the client regardless of what he or she says or does

patient is encouraged to verbalize without censorship or selection whatever thoughts come to mind (Freud)

unwillingness to recall repressed memories to consciousness

project feelings about someone else onto your therapist

How do SSRIs work to treat depression (antidepressant)

helps a person challenge unhelpful and irrational thoughts to avoid negative emotions or behaviors