Anxiety and Depression Treatment Through Mindfulness

Abnormal Psychology Questions
Q1. According to your text please describe how negative reinforcement increases the avoidance behaviors often associated with anxiety.
Negative reinforcement refers to the withdrawal of an unpleasant stimulus to reward behavior. Using operant conditioning in a laboratory experiment, this might be accomplished by the withdrawal of an unpleasant sound when the desired behavior is completed. However, in the real world, for someone experiencing anxiety, the usual way in which someone suffering from this psychological disorder deals with the unpleasant feelings of anxiety (pounding heart, sweating, and racing thoughts) is to withdraw from the situation and avoid the triggering stimulus. Although this, on the surface, might seem to be sensible on the one hand, on the other hand it can result in the anxious individual becoming socially withdrawn or avoiding positive life experiences because of the fear. For fears of very common things—such as driving—it can significantly impair the individual’s ability to engage in normal social behavior.
Q2. What percentage of individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder have another disorder or depression?
An estimated 60% of people with a diagnosed anxiety disorder also suffer from depression (Cameron, 2007).
Q3. What is the average age of onset for anxiety disorders?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2020), 31 is the average age of onset of anxiety disorders.
Q4. Fear and anxiety disorders are more often reported by girls and women than men and boys. However, when placed in anxiety-producing situations, both sexes show equal physiological reactions. Discuss several societal factors which might explain this difference.
Although women make up the majority of the population, they are still a historically discriminated-against group, which can contribute to the stress and anxiety they feel as part of daily living. Women may also be more inclined to report depression than men because men may feel more pressured to hide their feelings, in deference to the stereotype of the strong, powerful male. Still, both men and women will feel the same physical sensations.
Q5. The relaxation site entitled “Progressive Muscle Relaxation” (http://youtu.be/HFwCKKa--18) was extremely helpful for me. I often found that I was unware of exactly how tense I was before completing the exercise. I also was unware of how much tension I stored in small “trigger areas” like my jaw and neck. Tensing and relaxing my muscles enabled me to pinpoint the areas of greatest tension, exercise mindful relaxation over problem areas, and gave me a time to focus on myself and cultivating a positive mindset.
Q6. Provide one hallmark symptom of the following disorders:
a. Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A sense of extreme self-consciousness, usually accompanied by low self-esteem, about one’s physical appearance.
b. Hoarding Disorder: Keeping objects that have no obvious purpose or use, and in such a manner that they make the acts of daily life and social relationships difficult.
c. Trichotillomania: Pulling hair in a manner which is obsessive, compulsive, and harmful to the individual psychologically and physically (yet the individual is unable to stop).
d. Excoriation: Picking at skin in a manner which is obsessive, compulsive, and harmful to the individual psychologically and physically (yet the individual is unable to stop).
Q1. Nicotine is considered to be both a stimulant and sedative. Additionally, nicotine
is highly addictive. Please discuss nicotine’s impact on a smoker’s physiology which contributes to its addictive qualities.
Like other addictive substances, nicotine produces a sense of euphoria in the addicted person, and satisfying the craving creates a sense of relaxation and a release of endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals in the brain of the addict. Eventually, it comes to feel abnormal and uncomfortable not taking in the addictive substance.
Chapter 14: Health Interventions
My greatest problem in terms of living a healthy lifestyle is adhering to a regular routine. Although I do go to gym and have periods of healthy eating, I am not consistent. Sometimes I skip working out because I am tired, or because I have procrastinated so much about necessary tasks that I postpone working out too late in the day and have no energy. I do not go to bed at a reasonable time, and as a result have trouble waking up in the morning. Again, this traces back to overcommitting myself yet not creating an organized plan to make sure I keep health-related commitments to myself.
I need to make a schedule to follow for myself that includes goals such as meal planning, going to the gym, and other acts of self-care. Above all, having a plan and sticking to it on a week-by-week basis is necessary for me to improve my health. I also need to work on my habit of putting off unpleasant tasks. This does not necessarily include working out or eating healthfully itself, but driving to the gym, getting up early enough to work out at the gym, and going to the grocery store and preparing my foods for the week so I am not tempted to skip my health-related commitments.
I also need to take more time to manage stress in an effective manner. The relaxation exercises I practiced as part of this class were extremely helpful. Even taking a few moments to meditate and check in to see if I’m breaking as part of my day-to-day tasks when I am driving, experiencing conflict, or rushing around can be helpful. But allocating at least ten minutes or so in the morning to check in with my mood and mental state and to listen to a meditation video would be even more valuable as a way to avoid becoming overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks and commitments.
References
Cameron, O.G. (2007). Understanding comorbid depression and anxiety, 24 (14). Retrieved from: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/anxiety/understanding-comorbid-depression-and- anxiety
Facts and Statistics. (2020). Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Retrieved from: https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics