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Chapter
videos narrated by author of the textbook Dr Zimbardo
Psychopathology
Short Videos
One
of the most fascinating topics in psychology is abnormal behavior.
Unusual forms of behavior pique our curiosity; we may also see some
of the symptoms that characterize psychological disorders in
ourselves.
Psychological disorders are classified into several major categories
including anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, dissociative
disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, and personality disorders.
About half the population would meet the criteria for at least one
psychological disorder; some of these individuals exhibit more than
one disorder.
We are most familiar with
anxiety disorders
because the symptoms are common. These disorders may take the form
of a phobia such as a fear of snakes or the tendency to experience
overwhelming physiological reactions for no apparent reason as in a
panic attack. A growing focus of attention has been on
obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which an individual has annoying
thoughts or images often followed by some action called a
compulsion.
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A brief list and description of psychological/mental disorders
Sometimes
we feel on top of the world; at other times we feel like the bottom of a
barrel—these extremes might be examples of
mood disorders: depression and bipolar disorder. The key symptom of
depression is sadness; however, the symptoms are wide ranging and have
effects on almost every facet of life. For example, depression is
strongly associated with suicide.
The
typical form of bipolar disorder occurs when an individual’s mood
alternates between the lows of depression and an excessive form of
euphoria called mania. A number of explanations have been offered to
explain mood disorders. Because mood disorders run in families, genetic
factors have been implicated.
Depression
may result from the way individuals think about what happens to them,
especially their explanations for negative events in their lives.
Personality disorders, another classification of psychological disorders, are long lasting patterns of maladaptive behaviors. For example, antisocial personality disorder is characterized by deceitful, impulsive, reckless actions for which the individual feels no remorse. A low level of physiological arousal may play a role in this disorder. The sexual disorders include gender identity disorder and paraphilias such as fetishism and exhibitionism.