Anxiety Related Disorders
Theories that explain the role of stress or emotion in the development of anxiety-related disorders
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
3 stages of fight or flight response
a. alarm stage
fight or flight response
Occurs when the sympathetic nervous and endocrine system react to stress
b. Resistance stage
Adaptive responses that attempt to limit the damage of stress
c. Exhaustion stage
Occurs when physiologic and psychological resources are depleted
Etiology
1. Emotional Specificity Theory
Characteristics of a stress-prone personality
always focusing on personal problems
often feeling trapped
Feeling inadequate to deal with most situations.
Being overly competitive.
Being overly critical of self and others
Always trying to better oneself
Being impatient and easily frustrated.
Attempting to do more than one thing at a time.
Difficulty relaxing
Constantly watching the time
Talking quickly during conversations
Taking on multiple jobs
Constantly dealing with deadlines
2. Organ Specificity Theory
3. Familial Theory
Psychosomatogenic family
Family Systems Theory states that family members are so connected that one's anxiety can be
unconsciously spread to other members.
4. Learning Theory
A person learns to produce a physiologic response to achieve a reward, attention, or some other
reinforcement.
the learning is of an unconscious nature
There was a reward or reinforcement in the past when the person experienced specific
physiologic symptoms
Reinforcement can be positive or negative
The person is unable to give up the disorder willfully
Types of Anxiety-Related Disorders
Anxiety disorder due to a general medical condition
The prominent features would include prominent anxiety, panic attacks, obsessions or
compulsions that are said to be caused by a physiologic effect of a medical condition.
Medical Problems that can cause anxiety
Cardiovascular: arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, mitral valve
prolapses, pulmonary embolism
Endocrine: Addison’s disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism,
, Hematologic: Anemia, cancer, pheochromocytoma
Neurologic: Cerebrovascular accident, encephalopathy, neoplasms, encephalitis
Nutritional: Vitamin B12, folate, iron deficiencies, porphyria
Respiratory: COPD, pneumonia, hyperventilation
Psychological factors (anxiety) affecting medical condition
Features would include the presence of one or more specific psychological or behavioral factors
such as anxiety that affect a general medical condition.
Possible Medical Problems and Conditions Caused by Psychological Factors (Anxiety)
Allergies: asthma, hay fever
Cardiovascular: arrhythmia and an increased possibility of stroke, distress of coronary arteries,
high blood pressure
Immune: reduced number of white blood cells
Gastrointestinal: colitis, diarrhea, nausea, ulcers
Genitourinary: menstrual problems, sexual dysfunction
Locomotor: rheumatoid arthritis
Muscular: backaches, headaches, migraines
Skin: acne, dermatitis, eczema
Somatoform disorders
These are disorders with physiologic complaints or symptoms which are not under voluntary
control, and do not demonstrate organic findings.
Types:
a. Body dysmorphic disorder (dysmorphophobia) – an individual who is preoccupied with an
imagined defect in his physical appearance.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition. A person with BDD is consumed with
thoughts about an imagined or very slight defect in their body. The obsession interferes with
their work, school, home and social life.
The most common areas of concern for people with this condition include:
Skin imperfections, including wrinkles, scars, acne and blemishes.
Hair, including head or body hair or baldness.
Facial features, most often the nose.
Stomach or chest.
Other areas of concern include:
Penis size.
Muscles.
Breasts.
Thighs.
Buttocks.
Body odors.
Other factors that might influence the development of or trigger body dysmorphic disorder
include:
Experience of traumatic events or emotional conflict during childhood.
Low self-esteem.
Parents and others who were critical of the person's appearance.
Pressure from peers and a society that equates physical appearance with beauty and
value.
Some of the warning signs that a person may have body dysmorphic disorder include the
following:
Preoccupation with one or more defects or flaws in physical appearance that cannot be
seen by others, or that appear slight to others.
Engaging in repetitive and time-consuming behaviors, such as looking in a mirror,
picking at the skin, and trying to hide or cover up the defect.
Constantly asking for reassurance that the defect is not visible or too obvious.
Having problems at work or school or in relationships because the person cannot stop
focusing on the defect.
Theories that explain the role of stress or emotion in the development of anxiety-related disorders
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
3 stages of fight or flight response
a. alarm stage
fight or flight response
Occurs when the sympathetic nervous and endocrine system react to stress
b. Resistance stage
Adaptive responses that attempt to limit the damage of stress
c. Exhaustion stage
Occurs when physiologic and psychological resources are depleted
Etiology
1. Emotional Specificity Theory
Characteristics of a stress-prone personality
always focusing on personal problems
often feeling trapped
Feeling inadequate to deal with most situations.
Being overly competitive.
Being overly critical of self and others
Always trying to better oneself
Being impatient and easily frustrated.
Attempting to do more than one thing at a time.
Difficulty relaxing
Constantly watching the time
Talking quickly during conversations
Taking on multiple jobs
Constantly dealing with deadlines
2. Organ Specificity Theory
3. Familial Theory
Psychosomatogenic family
Family Systems Theory states that family members are so connected that one's anxiety can be
unconsciously spread to other members.
4. Learning Theory
A person learns to produce a physiologic response to achieve a reward, attention, or some other
reinforcement.
the learning is of an unconscious nature
There was a reward or reinforcement in the past when the person experienced specific
physiologic symptoms
Reinforcement can be positive or negative
The person is unable to give up the disorder willfully
Types of Anxiety-Related Disorders
Anxiety disorder due to a general medical condition
The prominent features would include prominent anxiety, panic attacks, obsessions or
compulsions that are said to be caused by a physiologic effect of a medical condition.
Medical Problems that can cause anxiety
Cardiovascular: arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, mitral valve
prolapses, pulmonary embolism
Endocrine: Addison’s disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism,
, Hematologic: Anemia, cancer, pheochromocytoma
Neurologic: Cerebrovascular accident, encephalopathy, neoplasms, encephalitis
Nutritional: Vitamin B12, folate, iron deficiencies, porphyria
Respiratory: COPD, pneumonia, hyperventilation
Psychological factors (anxiety) affecting medical condition
Features would include the presence of one or more specific psychological or behavioral factors
such as anxiety that affect a general medical condition.
Possible Medical Problems and Conditions Caused by Psychological Factors (Anxiety)
Allergies: asthma, hay fever
Cardiovascular: arrhythmia and an increased possibility of stroke, distress of coronary arteries,
high blood pressure
Immune: reduced number of white blood cells
Gastrointestinal: colitis, diarrhea, nausea, ulcers
Genitourinary: menstrual problems, sexual dysfunction
Locomotor: rheumatoid arthritis
Muscular: backaches, headaches, migraines
Skin: acne, dermatitis, eczema
Somatoform disorders
These are disorders with physiologic complaints or symptoms which are not under voluntary
control, and do not demonstrate organic findings.
Types:
a. Body dysmorphic disorder (dysmorphophobia) – an individual who is preoccupied with an
imagined defect in his physical appearance.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a mental health condition. A person with BDD is consumed with
thoughts about an imagined or very slight defect in their body. The obsession interferes with
their work, school, home and social life.
The most common areas of concern for people with this condition include:
Skin imperfections, including wrinkles, scars, acne and blemishes.
Hair, including head or body hair or baldness.
Facial features, most often the nose.
Stomach or chest.
Other areas of concern include:
Penis size.
Muscles.
Breasts.
Thighs.
Buttocks.
Body odors.
Other factors that might influence the development of or trigger body dysmorphic disorder
include:
Experience of traumatic events or emotional conflict during childhood.
Low self-esteem.
Parents and others who were critical of the person's appearance.
Pressure from peers and a society that equates physical appearance with beauty and
value.
Some of the warning signs that a person may have body dysmorphic disorder include the
following:
Preoccupation with one or more defects or flaws in physical appearance that cannot be
seen by others, or that appear slight to others.
Engaging in repetitive and time-consuming behaviors, such as looking in a mirror,
picking at the skin, and trying to hide or cover up the defect.
Constantly asking for reassurance that the defect is not visible or too obvious.
Having problems at work or school or in relationships because the person cannot stop
focusing on the defect.
