Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Anxiety Disorders545Interestingly, obsessions and compulsions take a similar shape in different culturesaround the world. However, the content of the obsessions and compulsionstends to mirror the particular culture’s concerns and beliefs. In the UnitedStates, compulsive washers are typically preoccupied with obsessional fears ofgerms and infection. But in rural Nigeria and rural India, compulsive washers aremore likely to have obsessional concerns about religious purity (Rapoport, 1989;Rego, 2009).Explaining Obsessive–Compulsive DisorderAlthough the causes of obsessive–compulsive disorder are still being investigated,evidence strongly suggests that biological factors are involved (McGregor, 2009).For example, a deficiency in the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin hasbeen implicated in obsessive–compulsive disorder. When treated with drugs that increasethe availability of these substances in the brain, many OCD patients experiencea marked decrease in symptoms.In addition, obsessive–compulsive disorder has been linked with dysfunction inspecific brain areas, such as areas involved in the fight-or-flight response, and thefrontal lobes, which play a keyrole in our ability to think andplan ahead (Anderson & Savage,2004; Woo & Keatinge, 2008).Another brain area that has beenimplicated is the caudate nucleus,which is involved in regulatingmovements Guehl & others,2008; Maia & others, 2009).Dysfunctions in these brain areasmight help account for the overwhelmingsense of doubt and thelack of control over thoughts andactions that are experienced inobsessive–compulsive disorder.The anxiety disorders are summarizedin Table 13.4.Howard Hughes and Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder Shown at the controlsof his “Spruce Goose” aircraft,Hughes was an extraordinary aviator,engineer, inventor, and film producerand director. But Hughes was also tormentedby his obsessive fear of germs,which could be traced back to his childhood.Hughes’s mother was constantlyfearful that her son would catch polioor be sickened by germs. As an adult,Hughes developed increasingly extremeand bizarre compulsions, such as sittingnaked for weeks in “germ free zones”in darkened hotel rooms and wearingtissue boxes on his feet. By the timeHughes died, he was a mentally illrecluse, emaciated, and a drug addict(Bartlett & Steele, 2004; Dittman, 2005).Table 13.4The Anxiety DisordersGeneral Anxiety Disorder (GAD)• Persistent, chronic, unreasonable worry and anxiety• General symptoms of anxiety, including persistent physical arousalPanic Disorder• Frequent and unexpected panic attacks, with no specific or identifiable triggerPhobias• Intense anxiety or panic attack triggered by a specific object or situation• Persistent avoidance of feared object or situationPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)• Anxiety triggered by memories of a traumatic experienceObsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD)• Anxiety caused by uncontrollable, persistent, recurring thoughts (obsessions), and/or• Anxiety caused by uncontrollable, persistent urges to perform certain actions(compulsions)