Abnormal Psychology

• Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.
• Two components of the state of stress

  a stressor and response
• What are the key psychological stress disorders?

  Acute stress disorder and Post traumatic stress disorder
• What sets arousal and fear in motion?

  Hypothalamus
• What two systems does the hypothalamus trigger

  Autonomic Nervous System and Endocrine System
• What is the autonomic nervous system


  Network of nerve fibers that connects the central nervous system to all other organs of the body
• Which two systems produce arousal and fear systems?

  Sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway
• Pathway of facing a dangerous situation(sympathetic nervous system):

  1. Excitement of sympathetic nervous system
  2. Sympathetic nervous system symptoms (increased heart rate, dilated pupils, dry mouth, etc)
  3. Adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine
  4. Danger passes
  5. Parasympathetic Nervous system activated, returning body to homeostasis
• Pathway of dangerous situation (HPA Pathway)

  1. Hypothalamus signals pituitary gland
  2. Pituitary gland releases ACTH aka Major Stress Hormone
  3. ACTH stimulates the outer layer of adrenal glands
  4. Adrenal Glands release corticosteroids
  5. Arousal and Fear
• Stress disorder with symptoms beginning within four weeks of the traumatic event and lasting for less than a month

  Acute Stress disorder
• If stress symptoms last over a month it is called

  Post traumatic stress disorder
• PTSD and Acute Stress disorder are listed under (DSM)

  Used to be listed as anxiety disorders, now under "Trauma and Stressor Related)
• What is trait anxiety?

  One's general level of arousal and anxiety; differences in tense vs relaxed appear soon after birth
• What is state anxiety?

  One's sense of which situations are threatening; situation based (ex: fear of flying)
• Stress vs Anxiety Disorders

  Stress disorders are due to events the would be traumatic to anyone whereas anxiety disorders are often irrational
• Factors that effect the development of stress disorders:

  • Biological Processes
  • Personalities
  • Childhood Experiences
  • Social support/Cultural backgrounds
  • Severity of the traumas
• Biological and genetic factors of Stress Disorders

  • Abnormal neurotransmitter and hormone activity (especially norepinephrine and cortisol)
  • other biological changes and damage may also occur (especially in the hippocampus and amygdala) as a stress disorder sets in
  • biological/genetic predisposition to such rxns
• Personality Factors of Stress Disorders

  Risk Factors:

  • Pre-existing anxiety
  • History of psychological problems
  • Negative worldview

  Positive attitudes are protective against developing stress disorders
• Childhood Experiences on Stress Disorders


  Risk factor include:

  • Impoverished childhood
  • Psychological disorders in the family
  • Experience of assault, abuse, or catastrophe at an early age
  • Being younger than 10 when parents divorced or separated
• Social support/cultural factors of stress dis

  Risk factors:

  • Weak social support systems
  • Study shows Hispanic Americans being the most vulnerable to PTSD (possibly due to early dissociative reactions to trauma and cultural belief systems)
• How long does it take for PTSD symptoms to improve

  About half of PTSD cases improve within 6 months, the remainder persisting for years (3 years with treatment 5.5 years without)
• Treatment of Psychological Stress Disorders

  • Drug Therapy
  • Antianxiety and Antidepressants
  • Behavior Exposure Techniques
  • Flooding and relaxation techniques
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Insight therapy
  • Bring out deep-seated feeling, create acceptance, lessen guilt
  • Often used in family or group therapy
  • COMBINATION!!