Abnormal Psychology - Obsessive-Compulsive-Related & Trauma-Related Disorders

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• Obsessions - intrusive & unwanted thoughts, urges or images that persist or recur & usually cause distress or anxiety; people try to ignore, suppress, or neutralize them.

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• Compulsion - an excessive repetitive behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to carry out - it usually must be performed according to rigid "rules" or corresponds to an obsession & serves to "neutralize" the obsession & decrease anxiety or distress.

Common Compulsions:

• washing
• ordering
• counting
• checking

OCD often involves an unrealistic or disproportionate fear of adverse consequences if the compulsive behavior is not completed

Disorders Related to OCD:

• Trichotillomania
• Excoriation
• Hoarding
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder - excessive preoccupation with a perceived defect in appearance and repetitive behaviors to hide the perceived defect

Exposure with response prevention - treatment for OCD

Trauma-Related Disorders

4 types of symptoms:

• Intrusive re-experiencing of the traumatic event
• Avoidance
• Negative thought & mood, & dissociation
• Increased arousal & reactivity

2 Types of Trauma-Related Disorders:

• Acute Stress Disorder
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

A Traumatic Event Involves:

• Directly experiencing actual or threatened trauma
• Personally witnessing above
• Learning of a violent or accidental death or threatened death
• Experiencing extreme exposure to aversive details about the traumatic event

Factors determine whether a TRD will develop:

• Kind of trauma
• Severity of the traumatic event, its duration and its proximity

PTSD:

• Persistently re-experiencing the event
• Avoid stimuli related to the trauma
• Have negative changes in thoughts & mood
• Have symptoms of reactivity & hyper-arousal
• Symptoms persist for at least 1 month

Acute Stress Disorder - involves at least 9 of 14 symptoms and lasts for 3 days to 1 month

Factors for PTSD:

• Personal & world beliefs
• Dissociating
• Having severe mental disorders
• Having an anxiety disorder
• Having a previous traumatic experience

Other factors for PTSD:

• Social
• Socio-economic status
• Culture

Treatment for PTSD:

• Relaxation & deep breathing
• EMDR
• Education
• Make the person feel safe
• Family education