PSY 2105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2105
• Professor: Julie Desjardins

Document Summary

Anxiety is characterized by (1) strong negative emotion and (2) bodily symptoms of tension in anticipation of future danger or misfortune (i. e. , fear) Anxiety can become a disorder when it is excessive and debilitating. Moderate amounts of anxiety are adaptive (prepares us physically and psychologically to cope with potentially dangerous situations) Fight/flight response: immediate reaction to perceived danger aimed at reducing potential harm either through confrontation or avoidance. Anxiety: future-oriented mood state which may occur in the absence of realistic danger; characterized by feelings of apprehension and lack of control over upcoming events. Fear: present-oriented emotional reaction to current danger; characterized by strong escape tendencies and surge in sympathetic nervous system. Panic: group of physical symptoms of fight/flight response that unexpectedly occur in the absence of obvious danger or threat; may trigger fear and anxiety. What is normative at one age can be debilitating at an older age. Whether a fear is normal also depends on its effect and duration.