Psychological Disorders

I.    Patterns of behavior or mental processes that are connected with emotional distress or significant impairment in functioning.

    A.    Classifying Psychological Disorders

    B.    Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV)

        1.    Provides clear descriptions of diagnostic categories in order to aid in objective and consistent diagnosis.

II.    Anxiety Disorders

    A.    Physical and emotional responses of fear or nervousness in presence of situations that are not threatening enough to warrant it.

        1.    Phobias: irrational fear of an object or situation.

            a.    Agoraphobia (fear of being in public/open spaces) and Panic attack (recurring attacks of EXTREME anxiety and terror)

    B.    Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): More or less constant symptoms of anxiety such as muscle tension, apprehension, etc.

    C.    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

III.    Mood Disorders

    A.    Characterized by a disturbance in expressed emotions.

        1.    Major depression: lowering of mood tone. (“common cold of mental disorders”)

            a.    lack of energy

            b.    loss of self esteem

            c.    pessimism

            d.    feelings of guilt and worthlessness

            e.    altered appetite and sleep

        2.    Bipolar depressive disorder: mood alternates or cycles between mania and depression

            a.    mania (manic): elated; showing excessive excitement.

    B.    Suicide: depression is a factor in 30-70% of suicides.

IV.    Schizophrenias

    A.    Characterized by bizarre thinking, inappropriate emotional reactions, and failures at reality awareness.

        1.    Paranoid schizophrenia: delusions, primarily of persecution, and hallucinations.

        2.    Disorganized schizophrenia: incoherence; disorganized behavior; hallucinations.

        3.    Catatonic schizophrenia: impairment in motor activity.