PSYC62H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Locus Coeruleus, Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Document Summary
The dsm-iv classifies anxiety disorders as 1) panic disorders, 2) specific phobias, 3) social phobias, 4) obsessive-compulsive disorders, 5) post-traumatic stress disorders, and 6) generalized anxiety disorders. Many individuals with anxiety disorders also have agoraphobia, a profound fear of being in a situation from which escape is difficult or embarrassing, particularly if a panic attack occurs. Panic attack, which is the primary feature of panic disorders, is strong physiological fear associated with intense apprehension, fearfulness, or terror: often mistaken for a heart attack the first time it occurs. Social phobia, also referred to as social anxiety disorder, is a fear of being in or performing in social or public situations. These situations provoke an immediate anxiety response, one that may be severe enough to elicit a panic attack. Post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) is characterized by a persistent state of physiological arousal or exaggerated response to certain stimuli, particularly those associated with a traumatic event.