3-2 treatment of stress disorders

8/6/2019 3-2 Treatment of Stress Disorders

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Listen to the audio lecture while viewing these slides

Psychology 311

Abnormal Psychology

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Treatment of Stress

Disorders

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Psyc 311 Abnormal Psychology

Many Types of Treatment

Biological

Pharmacologic Medications Self Medications

Biofeedback

Psychological

Relaxation training

Systematic Desensitization

Cognitive Modification

Social Interventions

Modify family, work, residential environment

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Challenges of Stress Treatment

Need to identify the personsvulnerabilities

Identify the persons social network

Does the client even want help

What if you have five multiple

personalities and only one wants help?

Is difficult to treat in general.

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Different Types of Treatment

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Non-Clinical Approaches

Can increase alpha waves in the brain

Yoga

Use physical activity to increaseendorphin levels

Running, biking, etc

Note: You need 20-30 minutes ofcontinuous exercise before endorphinsbegin to be released by the body.

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Biofeedback

Works on the premise that you cancontrol your own stress levels if you are

provided feedback about some variable.

Many variables can be monitored

Skin Conductance (through sweating)

Muscle Tension

Brain waves

Others


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Procedure

Hook client to a monitoring device which givesoff some tone.

Have the person sit in a reclining chair

As the person relaxes, the tone becomesdeeper

Person tries to make the tone as deep aspossible. - Deep relaxation

Can be extremely effective in training a personthe feeling of relaxation

Then when in stressful situations, the personcan create the feelings of when they wererelaxed.

Result, lower stress levels8


Medications

Many different types

Benzodiazepine - Valium, Librium, Xanax Are very safe

Create good relaxation states

Are usually addictive

Barbiturates - Phenobarbital and others

Are not as safe as Benzodiazepines

Also make you drowsy.

Are addictive Can be dangerous if taken with alcohol

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Self Medications

Many types are used

Alcohol, Marijuana, Nicotine, others

Are designed to help the person relax.

Some are highly addictive

Many cause other medical problems

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Other Negative self-solutions

Overeating

Reduces blood flow

Shuts down the system

Increases glucose levels in the body

Feels good

Chocolate

Is a Xanthine (like tea, coffee)

Provides a sugar hit plus a stimulant hit

Makes you feel good Can become addictive as well

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Relaxation Training

Again many different types

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Yoga

Others

E.g., Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Have the person concentrate on musclegroups. Have them tense, then relax

The client then differentiates the feeling

between the two

Can be very effective technique12


Visual Techniques

Have the client picture a pleasant scene

E.g., Waves from the ocean, etc

Block out the stressors in ones life


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3-2 treatment of stress disorders

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