PSYC 238 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Palpitations, Group Psychotherapy, Hypervigilance
16 Feb 2017
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Anxiety disorders - preoccupation with or persistent avoidance of thoughts and situations that provoke fear or anxiety. Can be adaptive in moderation: stimuli, meaning, physiological response. Prevalence anxiety disorders are more common than any other form of mental disorder. Highly comorbid: between different anxiety disorders, between anxiety and substance abuse, between anxiety and depression. Systematic desensitization the client is taught to relax and while in a relaxed state they are presented with items on a fear hierarchy, starting with the least threatening. Flooding (rarer) exposure to the most threatening or frightening stimuli first. Interoceptive exposure client confronts somatic responses in a controlled matter. Specific phobia excessive or unreasonable fear related to a specific object/situation that interferes with functioning. Epidemiology: specific phobia most common form of anxiety disorder, women are 3x more likely to experience specific phobias than men. Attention selective attention to cues of poor social interaction. Memory biased memory of social interactions.
