- Published on
Biological Psychology – Symptoms and Diagnosis of Anxiety and Stress Disorders
What should you know about the symptoms and diagnosis of anxiety and stress disorders?
Answer:
You should be able to identify the symptoms of the major anxiety and stress disorders, understand how they differ from one another, and recognise the features they have in common. Although each disorder has unique characteristics, they all involve excessive fear, anxiety, stress, and disruption to normal daily functioning.
What is Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)?
Answer:
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) develops after experiencing a highly traumatic event that threatens serious injury or death and causes intense feelings of fear and helplessness. Symptoms begin within four weeks of the traumatic event.
Common symptoms include:
What is Agoraphobia?
Answer:
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder involving an intense fear of being in places where escape may be difficult or embarrassing, especially in public settings.
It may develop:
Common symptoms include:
What is Panic Disorder?
Answer:
Panic Disorder is characterised by repeated and unexpected panic attacks. These attacks often occur without an obvious cause but may follow prolonged anxiety or result from misinterpreting normal bodily sensations as dangerous.
Common symptoms include:
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
Answer:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterised by persistent obsessive thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviours.
Obsessions are unwanted thoughts that create anxiety, while compulsions are repetitive behaviours performed to reduce that anxiety.
Common symptoms include:
What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Answer:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by excessive and ongoing anxiety that affects many aspects of everyday life. It may develop following traumatic experiences or from the worsening of other anxiety problems.
Common symptoms include:
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Answer:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after exposure to an extremely traumatic event that causes intense fear and helplessness. Unlike Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD may develop months or even years after the traumatic experience.
Common symptoms include:
What are Specific Phobias?
Answer:
Specific Phobias are anxiety disorders involving an excessive and irrational fear of a particular object, situation, or activity. They often develop following a negative experience or because of irrational beliefs about a specific stimulus.
Common symptoms include:
What symptoms are common across anxiety and stress disorders?
Answer:
Although each disorder has unique features, many symptoms overlap.
Common symptoms include:
What should you know about the symptoms and diagnosis of anxiety and stress disorders?
Answer:
You should be able to identify the symptoms of the major anxiety and stress disorders, understand how they differ from one another, and recognise the features they have in common. Although each disorder has unique characteristics, they all involve excessive fear, anxiety, stress, and disruption to normal daily functioning.
What is Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)?
Answer:
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) develops after experiencing a highly traumatic event that threatens serious injury or death and causes intense feelings of fear and helplessness. Symptoms begin within four weeks of the traumatic event.
Common symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Poor concentration
- Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
- Restlessness
- Dissociative symptoms, such as detachment, derealisation, or depersonalisation
- Flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Avoidance of places, people, or situations associated with the trauma
What is Agoraphobia?
Answer:
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder involving an intense fear of being in places where escape may be difficult or embarrassing, especially in public settings.
It may develop:
- From specific phobias
- After a traumatic event
- Because of fear of experiencing a panic attack in public
Common symptoms include:
- Extreme anxiety
- Persistent worry
- Stress
- Avoidance of public places or situations
What is Panic Disorder?
Answer:
Panic Disorder is characterised by repeated and unexpected panic attacks. These attacks often occur without an obvious cause but may follow prolonged anxiety or result from misinterpreting normal bodily sensations as dangerous.
Common symptoms include:
- Sudden, intense fear
- Panic attacks
- Severe anxiety
- Heart palpitations
- Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Racing or disorganised thoughts
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
Answer:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterised by persistent obsessive thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviours.
Obsessions are unwanted thoughts that create anxiety, while compulsions are repetitive behaviours performed to reduce that anxiety.
Common symptoms include:
- Excessive worry
- Persistent obsessive thoughts
- Irrational thinking
- Compulsive behaviours or rituals
- Repetitive actions intended to neutralise anxiety
- Difficulty carrying out normal daily activities
What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Answer:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by excessive and ongoing anxiety that affects many aspects of everyday life. It may develop following traumatic experiences or from the worsening of other anxiety problems.
Common symptoms include:
- Persistent anxiety
- Excessive worry
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Repeated activation of the body’s stress response across many different situations
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Answer:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after exposure to an extremely traumatic event that causes intense fear and helplessness. Unlike Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD may develop months or even years after the traumatic experience.
Common symptoms include:
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Obsessive thoughts about the trauma
- Avoidance of reminders or triggers
- Heightened anxiety
- Increased startle response
What are Specific Phobias?
Answer:
Specific Phobias are anxiety disorders involving an excessive and irrational fear of a particular object, situation, or activity. They often develop following a negative experience or because of irrational beliefs about a specific stimulus.
Common symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Excessive worry
- Avoidance of the feared object or situation
- Obsessive thoughts
- Attentional bias towards the feared stimulus
- Hypervigilance
What symptoms are common across anxiety and stress disorders?
Answer:
Although each disorder has unique features, many symptoms overlap.
Common symptoms include:
- Excessive anxiety
- Persistent worry
- Fear
- Avoidance behaviours
- Obsessive thoughts
- Increased physiological arousal
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Sleep disturbances
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories (in trauma-related disorders)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Interference with normal daily functioning
0 Comments