What causes depressive and bipolar disorders?
What will be an ideal response?
There are two broad classes of causes of depressive and bipolar disorders: biological causes and psychological causes. Research indicates that depressive and bipolar disorders may be due in part to biological factors like genetic predispositions as well as abnormal activity of specific neurotransmitters, abnormal functioning of the endocrine system, and the disruption of biological rhythms. Psychological causes proposed to explain depressive and bipolar disorders vary widely, depending on the underlying theoretical orientations of the researchers. The two most widely held approaches are the psychodynamic and the cognitive-behavioral, but there are a number of variations within and between these two. Traditional Freudian psychodynamic explanations focus on the unconscious processes that develop as a result of the loss of a loved one, although some psychodynamic theorists have chosen to emphasize inappropriate bases for self-esteem as the precursor of depressive and bipolar disorders. Cognitive-behavioral approaches emphasize the role of our thoughts about life events and an attributional style that minimizes feelings of control. Moreover, a ruminative style of thinking about negative events also leads to greater likelihood of occurrence of depressive disorders. Situational factors such as bad early relationships in childhood, lack of social support, and inadequate coping skills are also believed to play a role in the development of depressive disorders.
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What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of treating depression by antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy?
What will be an ideal response?
When Annette drives on the freeway around Los Angeles, she often experiences so much anxiety that she begins to hyperventilate and shake. Annette is experiencing ____
a. social anxiety disorder c. agoraphobia b. a panic attack d. generalized anxiety disorder
The key to a memory script is that it
a. is almost always stored as a "fuzzy trace.". b. cannot be mentally rehearsed. c. represents a typical sequence of events. d. is found in sensory register but not long-term storage.
"My father poisons my food, and my mother has hired a hit man to shoot me. My boss is plotting to humiliate me, and my neighbor spies on me." These comments illustrate the schizophrenic symptom known as ____
a. anhedonia b. catatonia c. delusions of persecution d. delusions of grandeur