Classifications of Anxiety, Somatoform, and Dissociative Disorders (Essay Sample)

Classifications of Anxiety, Somatoform, and Dissociative Disorders Anxiety Anxiety refers to a normal human emotion or reaction to a variety of stimuli. This physiological state is characterized by a number of components that may be emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or somatic. When they combine, these components bring about feelings of fear, worry and apprehension (anxiety), which is typically followed by physical sensations that include headache, nausea, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath or stomach aches. Whereas the cognitive component entails the expectation of a certain diffuse danger, the somatic component involves the preparation of the body to deal with the threat. This may involve increased heart rate, increased sweating and trembling among others. Emotionally, a sense of panic results where nausea and chills are the physical signs. Voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise, and these are directed at avoiding the source of the threat. Anxiety disorders on the other hand can result in such distress that it can interfere with the ability to lead a normal life. Anxiety disorders can be classified as; Panic disorder- an individual with a panic disorder tends to feel terror and typically strikes suddenly and repeatedly without warning. A number of other symptoms may include; * Chest pains, * Palpitations, * Feelings like a heart attack, * Feeling of choking, Obsessive compulsive disorder- those with this disorder may be plagued by thoughts or fear that may be constant. This leads them to conduct given routines. Obsessions in this case are the disturbing thoughts while the rituals are the compulsions. A good example of this is a person who is constantly confirming whether or not he or she looked his or her door. Post- traumatic stress disorders- this is a condition that may result after a traumatic even such as rape. The condition causes the individual to have lasting thoughts and memories that are frightening. Social anxiety disorder- this is also referred to as social phobia and typically involves worry that is overwhelming and self- consciousness about day to day social situations. Specific phobias- this is an intense fear of a given object or a situation such as heights or snakes, Generalized anxiety disorder- this involves excessive worry and tension that is unrealistic. This may occur even in situations where there is nothing to provoke the anxiety, Dissociative disorder The dissociative disorder may result from severe isolated traumas. This condition may impair the normal state of awareness and may limit an individual's sense of consciousness, memory or identity. There are several classifications of this condition including; Dissociative amnesia- this type of dissociative disorder is common in hospital emergency rooms, and is typically as a result of a single stressful event. It is common among victims of single severe trauma including automobile accident, and one may not be able to remember his or her actions immediately before the auto accident. Often, this is seen in wartime, but it may also be seen when an individual experiences natural disasters. Dissociative fugue- this is also characterized by a sudden onset that result from a single severe traumatic event. However, this may involve the creation a new identity that will replace personal details lost in the trauma. This may be either partial or complete. Although the individual may remain oriented and alert, they are unconnected to the former identity. Some of the traits that characterize this disorder may include an unplanned wandering from home or the workplace. However, recovery is spontaneous given that this is a single episode without recurrence. Depersonalization disorder- the main distinguishing trait of this class is a feeling that an individual is going through life's motions or that their body is disconnected. One may feel like their min or body exists in a dream, or can be seen from a distance. The experience is recurrent and may result to distress. Derealization, which is a feeling that features the environments are illusory, accompanies chronic depersonalization. However, it is important to keep in mind that depersonalization being an isolated symptom may appear within the context of a range of major psychiatric disorders. Dissociative identity disorder- this is common among those with varied background, education levels among other walks of life. Studies have suggested that it follows severe traumas during an individual's childhood. Coherent identities that are distinct tend to exist within the individual and are able to assume control of the individual's behavior and thoughts. The patient will also experience amnesia for personal information in addition to some of the identities as well as activities of the alternate personalities. Moreover, some patients may experience subtle memory problems. Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified- this class belongs to an unspecified category for the classification of dissociative syndromes that do not well meet the full criteria of other dissociative disorders. Some of the traits displayed by the patient are very similar to some of the other dissociative disorders, but these are less severe to receive treatment. Somatoform disorders These are mental illnesses that tend to cause bodily symptoms as well as pain. Symptoms of the condition can be traced back from any physical cause. Problems and pains experienced by the patients are real, and the symptoms can heavily affect day to day functioning. The condi...