Question

List and describe two anxiety disorders. List the most relevant symptoms of the disorders that you choose. Describe the viewpoints of two different psychological models on the cause of anxiety disorders.

Answer 1

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe . A mental health disorder characterised by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities.There are a number of anxiety disorders: including generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, and selective mutism.

Let us describe two among them.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by a irrational fear caused by the social interactions Social anxiety is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It is the fear and anxiety of being negatively judged and evaluated by other people. It is a pervasive disorder and causes anxiety and fear in most all areas of a person's life. It is chronic because it does not go away on its own. Only direct cognitive-behavioral therapy can change the brain, and help people overcome social anxiety.

people with social anxiety want to make friends, be included in groups, and be involved and engaged in social interactions. But having social anxiety prevents people from being able to do the things they want to do. Although people with social anxiety want to be friendly, open, and sociable, it is fear (anxiety) that holds them back.

People with social anxiety are many times seen by others as being shy, quiet, backward, withdrawn, inhibited, unfriendly, nervous, aloof, and disinterested.following are the important symptoms of SAD

Emotional and behavioral symptoms

·         Fear of situations in which you may be judged

·         Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself

·         Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers

·         Fear that others will notice that you look anxious

·         Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice

·         Spending time after a social situation analyzing your performance and identifying flaws in your interactions

·         Expecting the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation

Physical symptoms

Physical signs and symptoms can sometimes accompany social anxiety disorder and may include:                               

·         Blushing, Fast heartbeat, Trembling, Sweating, Upset stomach or nausea, Trouble catching your breath , Dizziness or lightheadedness   

2. OCD Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

OCD is the Combination of two terms Obsessions and Compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive and unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that cause anxiety and are hard to stop. In fact, trying to stop them causes more distress. Compulsions are repeated actions or behaviours that you feel driven to do, even though you know they are unnecessary or don't make sense.

Thus we can say that Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations (obsessions) and engage in behaviors or mental acts in response to these thoughts or obsessions. Often the person carries out the behaviors to reduce the impact or get rid of the obsessive thoughts, but this only brings temporary relief.

Symptoms of OCD

Have repeated thoughts, images, and urges about diverse issues, including being compulsively neat and organized; fearing germs, dirt, contamination, intruders, or violence; or imagining hurting loved ones or committing sexual acts or behaving in a way that conflicts with religious beliefs.

• Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe

• Have obsessions that are intrusive and compulsions that often feel out of the person's control but dictated by a rule that must be applied rigidly.
• Symptoms of compulsive behavior
• cleaning and hand washing , checking – such as checking doors are locked or that the gas is off, counting, ordering and arranging, repeating words in their head

Following are the two approaches to describe the cause of anxiety

Cognitive Model

Cognitive theory emphasizes the key role of the mind's cognitions in determining behavior. These cognitions include a person's thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and perceptions. According to cognitive theory, our dysfunctional thoughts lead to extreme emotions. These extreme emotions in turn, lead to maladaptive behaviors and anxiety. Cognitive therapy rests upon the assumption that problematic behaviors result from core schemas (beliefs). It is assumed these core schemas developed in response to prior life (past) experiences.

Behaviouristic Model

Behaviorists suggest that fear conditioning leads to anxiety; this anxiety then gets associated with other objects or events (stimulus generalization) and gets reinforced. Fear responses, investigator believe, can be learned through observational learning. Natural selection has led our ancestors to learn to fear snakes, spiders, and other animals.