OCD
The belief that thinking something is as bad as doing it. Causes a tendency to feel responsible for preventing harm.
Thought-action fusion theory
Idea that fears/phobias are an evolutionary advantage. We're predisposed to making associations between certain stimuli, especially ones that threaten our lives.
Biological preparedness/prepared learning theory
Causes slower physiological recovery from stress
Rumination
Onset and Course:
ages 3-9, peaks in early teens, improves in late teens/adulthood
Extreme response to a severe stressor, for at least 1 month
PTSD
The person experiencing the symptoms knows they are irrational, and sees them as inconsistent with their identity/personal beliefs
Ego dystonic
Relaxation response is repeatedly paired with anxiety-provoking stimulus, in increasingly difficult degrees of exposure
Systematic desensitization
Cognitions cause worrying somatic symptoms, which create more anxious cognitions.
Positive feedback loop
Oversupply of dopamine
Hyperinnervation
Physiological distress to symbolic stimuli. Re-experiencing the trauma/flashbacks, unwanted memories
Intrusion
Creates a rebound effect: when suppressing thoughts only leads to an increase in those thoughts later. I.e. white bear study.
Thought suppression
Diathesis for Social Anxiety Disorder
Avoidance Conditioning, Overly negative self evaluation, Avoidant social behaviors, Oversensitivity to social hierarchy
4 main psychological functions impacted by anxiety.
Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral, Physiological.
Uses more than 1 muscle group, e.g. bending, repeating observed movements, stepping in certain patterns
Complex tics
Empirically validated form of CBT. Identifies "stuck points" to reduce maladaptive interpretations of trauma.
Cognitive processing therapy
Difficulty using evidence to make decisions. People with OCD trust their 'not quite right' feelings more than evidence.
Transition uncertainty
Central nervous system depressants linked to GABA receptors.
Benzodiazepines. Side effects: physiological tolerance + withdrawal symptoms (risk for addiction)
Elevated activity in the amygdala, diminished activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (regulates amygdala + extinction of fear)
Fear Circuit
Monozygotic concordance:
Dyzygotic concordance:
Name 4 arousal-related symptoms of PTSD
heightened autonomic arousal, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated startle response
Compulsive behaviors are negatively reinforced by fear conditioning (avoidance learning).
Compulsions are operantly conditioned
Aversion to rapid shifts in emotion. To them, it is better to maintain a chronic sense of distress
Contrast Avoidance Model
Tendency to respond negatively to novel stimuli
Behavioral Inhibition
Dysfunction in inhibitory pathways of this part of the brain involved in motor control and habit formation
Basal ganglia
Name 3 negative alternations in cognition and mood.
Amnesia for aspects of trauma, negative cognitive distortions, withdrawal, and emotional numbing/anhedonia