Human Behaviour

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Human Behaviour

• Problems and Therapies

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NEUROSES

• are exaggerated defence mechanisms used to escape
  feelings of anxiety. They are a category of mild
  disorders and because they last longer than
  defence mechanisms, can interfere with the
  enjoyment of life.
• neurotics show unusual fear and anxiety to escape
  certain situations
• neurotics understand the nature of their problems
  but cant resolve them themselves
• since a neurotic person is in touch with reality,
  it produces anxiety.

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Types of Neuroses

• Anxiety Neuroses
• Phobias
• Obsessions
• Eating Disorders

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Anxiety Neuroses

• fear that dreadful things will happen
• fears are so overpowering the person can not
  function
• result anxiety attacks ? symptoms include a
  pounding heart, faintness, numbness, chills, or
  flushed skin
• even though everyone experiences anxiety, there
  is usually some observable cause( upcoming exam,
  car accident) neurotic anxiety occurs without
  any obvious cause.
• ex the concert pianist might find her hands
  paralysed

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Phobias

• extreme fears of certain objects or situations
• they interfere with our lives
• Skinner and other learning theorists believe
  phobias stem from bad experiences and need to be
  treated with conditioning techniques that
  associate pleasant experiences with the feared
  object or situation

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List of Phobias
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Obsessions

• - a persistent, unwanted thought that comes from
  some sort of anxiety.
• - the person may know the fear is unreasonable,
  but still cannot get rid of it.
• - the obsession is often followed by a compulsion
  to perform an act that will relieve the anxiety.
• Ex obsession ? fear of germs
• compulsion ? persistent washing of hands

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Obsessions Eating Disorders

• Anorexia nervosa- anorexics are obsessed with
  their body image and reduce food intake, use
  laxatives, vomit, and exercise compulsively to
  rid of any foods eaten.
• Bulimia- bulimics binge-eat, then induce vomiting
  or use laxatives and follow with starvation and
  fasting.
• in therapy patients explore why they feel
  compelled to control their body size and shape
  and find healthier ways to deal with these
  personal conflicts

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PSYCHOSES

• a serious mental illness that may prevent the
  sufferer form functioning in day-to-day life.
• psychotics may distort reality through
  hallucinations or delusions
• they lack understanding of their own behaviour
  and believe their perceptions and distortions are
  real.
• they may show great personality changes, dramatic
  mood swings, strange emotional responses and
  confusion with respect to time, places or people.
• treatments include drug therapy, psychotherapy,
  behaviour modification or hospitalization.

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Types of Psychoses

• Organic Psychosis
• Manic Depression
• Disassociative Identity Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Psychopath

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Organic Psychosis

• result of damage to the brain tissue caused by
  injury, untreated syphilis (venereal disease), or
  long-term heavy use of drugs or alcohol.

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Manic Depression

• suffers from extreme mood changes
• the manic stage is marked by confused and
  aggressive behaviour. The mood may appear to be
  one of joy, but is really exaggerated gaiety. A
  person in the manic stage may seem to have
  unlimited energy or difficulty sleeping.
• - the depressed state is one of extreme fatigue,
  sadness and futility. In this state a person may
  become extremely withdrawn and even consider
  suicide.

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Disassociative Identity Disorder (formerly called
Multiple Personality Disorder)

• Involves a disturbance in both the memory and
  identity of an individual
• DID is the presence of two or more distinct
  personalities within one body. (Average of 8-13
  personalities)
• Caused by extreme sustained physical, sexual,
  emotional or psychological abuse (usually a
  combination of all four) over a prolonged period
  of time.
• Usually beginning before the age of five and
  often occurring in infancy.
• Most people with DID start to show signs in their
  20s and 30s.
• 9 times more women than men receive therapy for
  DID
• 97 of the individuals with DID have been
  physically and/or sexually abused .
• People with DID may experience any of the
  following depression, mood swings, suicidal
  tendencies, sleep disorders, panic attacks and
  phobias alcohol and drug abuse, compulsions and
  rituals, psychotic-like symptoms (including
  auditory and visual hallucinations), and eating
  disorders.

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Schizophrenia

• there are several forms of schizophrenia. Some
  simply withdraw into themselves. losing interest
  in the world and become completely apathetic.
• some have hallucinations and delusions one
  patient was convinced that his neighbour was
  shooting harmful rays at him through the walls of
  his house.
• research has increasingly suggested a genetic
  cause for schizophrenia, but some psychologists
  believe it may be attributed to early environment
  or chemical imbalances.

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Psychopath

• the psychopath has no conscience or superego.
• this type of person feels no remorse or guilt
  after doing something immoral or criminal.
• they behave antisocially and irresponsibly.
• they find it difficult to form meaningful or
  lasting relationships
• they have little or no insight into their own
  behaviour
• some psychologists believe this disorder is the
  result of a childhood lacking love and acceptance
  because the child learns that there is nothing to
  lose by behaving antisocially others believe it
  is the result of giving in to the childs every
  whim.