Application

• Anxiety disorders are defined as a continuous feelings of fear which have a negative impact on daily life.

  Phobias are an example of an anxiety disorder characterised by an intense, irrational and persistent fear of a particular object or situation.
• To be diagnosed patients must show symptoms for 6 months or more.

  DSM symptoms:

  • Phobic stimulus provokes immediate fear and anxiety

  • Phobic stimulus is deliberately avoided or endured with strong anxiety or fear

  • Fear and anxiety caused by stimulus is disproportionate to the actual danger it poses

  • Phobic distress is persistent, lasts 6 months or more

  • Phobia causes significant distress and impairment in areas of functioning such as social life or work
• Affective disorders include a broad group of illnesses affecting mood which can range from mild to severe. Typically individuals may experience marked feelings of sadness, emptiness or irritability.

  Depression is an example of an affective disorder and is seen as intense feelings of sadness which negatively affects how a person acts, thinks and feels.
• DSM symptoms - 5 symptoms need to be shown every day or nearly every day for 2 consecutive weeks. At least one of the symptoms is a main symptom.

  Main symptoms present in the past two weeks:

  • Depressed mood for most of or all of the day, nearly every day

  • Loss of interest in all or most activities once enjoyed

  Other symptoms include:

  • Significant weight/appetite loss or gain

  • Frequent insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)

  • Daily fatigue or loss of energy
• Psychotic disorders - involve a loss of contact with reality.

  Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder. It affects the minds ability to function. It is characterised by an inability to distinguish between real and unreal experiences.
• DSM symptoms of schizophrenia- 2 active symptoms over a 1 month period. At least one of the symptoms must be a positive symptom.

  Positive symptoms (in addition to our normal experiences)

  • Hallucinations are distortions to perception and these are most often auditory, e.g. hearing voices.

  • Delusions are irrational beliefs e.g. that the patient is someone else or is being controlled by someone else.

  Negative symptoms (loss of normal functioning).

  • Reduced emotional responsiveness

  • Avolition- Reduced motivation

  • Confused and disordered thinking and speech (impaired cognition)