Pro Social Behaviors- Part III (Final Part)

BASIC MOTIVATION FOR ENGAGING IN PROSOCIAL ACTS

Basic motivation to engage in prosocial acts are explained through three Hypothesis-

1.    Empathy-Altruism

2.    Negative State relief Model

3.    Empathetic Joy

4.    Genetic Determinism

1.Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis-

     Batson and his colleagues (1981) offered empathy altruism hypothesis to explain why people engage in pro social behaviors despite various contrains. They suggest that atleast some pro social acts are solely motivated by the desire to help someone in need. Such motivation can be sufficiently strong that the helper is willing to engage in unpleasant, dangerous and even life threatening activicty.

To test this hypothesis Batson and colleagues devised an experminet procedure where participants were shown a video in which a person (who is reserch assistant) gets a mild shock while doing the experiments, and he reports that he had traumatic experiences with electricity. The participants are divided into two groups. One group is told facts that arouses empathy of them by describing the victim as being very similiar to him and other group is given dissimiliarity and hence not envoking an empathy feeling. The reserch assistant gives a chance for altruistic behavior, people with empathy were the one to react.

              Because empathy is strongly motivating, people prefer not to recieve information that will arouse empathy.(Shaw, Batson $ Todd, 1994). When helping was costly, participants preffered to avoid detailed information about the victim. Feeling empathy also become complicating when multiple victims are present. Generally we tend to show Selective altruism- when a large group of individual is in need, and only one individual is helped. In appeals for charities there is frequently a picture and information about one child, designed to arouse empathy towards him and the result is selective altruism.

2. Negetive State Relief: Helping makes you feel less bad-

 

     The proposal that prosocial behavior is motivaated by the bystanders desire to reduce his or her own uncomfortable negetive emotions. (Cialdini, Baumann & Kenrick, 1981). This negetive feel can be due to distress of victim or due to other causes too.

3.Empathetic Joy: Helping as an accomplishment-

     The proposal that prosocial behavor is motivated by positive emotion a helper anticipates experiencing as a result of having a beneficial impact on life of someone in need. The person who helps feels the act as an accomplishment. Hence the person has to know that his actions had a positive impact on the victim.

     A study was conducted to test Empathetic Joy hypothesis by Smith, Keating, and Stotland. Empathy (similarity & Dissimilarity) was tested against Empathatetic joy, thats knowing the effect of end result of their pro social behavior. Results indicated that empathy is not enough but, knowledge of it after effect is also needed.

4.Genetic Determinism- Helping as an adaptive response.

          The proposal that behavior is driven by genetic atributes that evolved because they enhanced the probablity of transmitting one’s genes to subsequent generations. Those charecteristics that is relevant to reproductive succes is been passed on to next generation through evolutionary process.

          Inclusive fitness- the concept that natural selection not only applies to individuals but also involves behaviors that benefit other individuals with whom we share genes. Also called kin selection. Ie, we save  a person who is similiar to us. Hence when we save a person like us, we are saving genes that are common to us.

PRO SOCIAL BEHAVIORS- Part 2

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INFLUENCES ON HELPING BEHAVIOR

EXTERNAL FACTORS-

1.    1.Helping those you like-

Very likely to help family members oe friends. More likely to help person from race you prefer. Also, attractive victims recieves more help than unattractive one. Men are more liklely to help women in distress,. Holding similiar values also results in a victims recieving help.

2.    2.Helping those who mimic us-

Mimicry is the automatic tendency to imitate the behavior of those with whom we interact. Its both automatic and unconcious. Mimicry increases liking, empathy, and rapport.  It plays an important role in survival and reproductive success- as it enhances cohesion and safety among animals in groups. Mimicing gives an non-verbal message- we are similiar.

3.  3.  Helping those who are not responsible for their problem-

We might not help a drunkard laying in bustop, but if we see a welldressed person falling ill, we might. We areless likely to act if we believe the victim is to be blamed for his predicament.

4.   4. Exposure to prosocial models increases prosocial behavior-

Pro social behavior can be modelled. If we seen one person doing it, we might follow the lead and do the same. Helpful models in the media also contribute to the creation of social norm that encourages pro social behavior. In an ivestigation of power of TV, Sprafkin,Liebert and Poulous (1975) were able to improve pro social behavior on six year olds.

INTERNAL FACTORS-

1.Emotions-

Positive emotion- person is more willing to help a stranger, when their mood is elevated. Emotions are influenced by smell too. Other way round, positive mood can decrease the probablity of responding in a prosocial way and person might label it as non emergency.

Negetive emotions- person who is focussing on his or her problem is less likely to engage in pro social behavior. At the same time, if act of helping involves behavior that makes you feel better, the person in negetive mood may participate.

2.Empathy and other personality dispositions-

          We saw that being in same emotional mood, does not produce identical response. This individual differences are based on personality dispositions- the charecteristic behavioral tendencies of the individual which are relatevely stable. It can change as per genetic compositions, learning experiences, or combination of two.

        Empathy is the most important personality dimension. Empathy consists of affective and cognitive responses to another person’s emotional state and include sympathy, a desire to solve problem, and taking perspective of another person. Empathetic person feels what another person is feeling and understands why that person feels as he or she does. Includes an affective and effective component. Appears after we  progress beyond infancy.

Empathy includes perspective taking- ability to put yourself in someone’s else shoes. There are different types of perspective taking-

a.    Imagine how the other person percieves an event.

b.    Imagine how you would feel if you were in that situation.

c.    Feeling empathy towards a fictional charecters.

How does empathy develop?

a.    Genetic Factors- (Davis,Luce,Kraus; 1994) twin study-

b.    Specific experiences(Janet Strayer)- everyone born with biological capacity for empathy but specific experiences determine its expression.

c.    Parents

d.    Peers- influence of parents is been replaced sometimes

e.    Gender- Women are more empathetic.

Empathy is rare in those who are aggressive. People who exibit interpersonal trust, engage more in pro-social behavior. Machiavellianistic people are unlikely to engage in pro social acts

Person who have all or most these above mentioned features are said to be having altruistic pesonality. They are generally high on five dimensions-

a.    Empathy.

b.    Belief in just world.

c.    Social Responsiblity

d.    Internal locus of control

e.    Low egocentrism.

LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO PROSOCIAL ACTION

VOLUNTEERING-

          Its engaging in work for a worthy cause, often over a long period of time. The steps mentioned in pro social behavior is applicable  in volunteering too. What motivates the person to give up a portion of their life when most have more than enough to do as it is? There seems to be many reasons  and patterns. For ex, diferent class of Americans lend assistance to different causes.

 Volunteering due to motivation-  

          Clary and Snyder (1999) studied group of AIDS volunteers. Generally AIDS people are most stigmatized.  Still they accept to volunteer because of 6 motives-

a.    Personal Values- they believe its important to help others

b.    Understanding- more about the world, disease and develop skills.

c.    Enhancement- develop one self- make oneself better.

d.    Career- To gain career related experience

e.    Social- To strengthen social relationship- people I know does this.

f.     Protective- escape from one’s own problem.

Benefit of identifying motivational differences- while recruiting (maximum motives works best).

Volunteering because of Mandates, Altruism or Generativity-

Mandate- Many organisations and schools mandate its members to participate in specific hours of volunteering activicty. Negetive- The person looses in volunteering activicty in future due to forced labour.

Altruism- <The same personal dispositions as mentioned in prosocial behavior>

Generativity- adults intrest in and commitment to the well being of future generations. They engage in teaching young people, and on acts that have effect after our lifetime.

SELF INTREST, MORAL INTEGRITY, AND MORAL HYPOCRACY-

          Most often even after being morally sound, we tend to make an excuse to save ourself from the event of pro social behavior. Thats when a conflict between our moral integrity and self intrest happens.

          Batson and Thompson(2001) suggests that 3 major motives are relevant when a person is faced with moral dilemma sucah as whether to help someone or not. These are-

Self Intrest-  the motivation to engage in whatever behavior provides the greatest satisfaction for oneself. They simple do whats best for themselves.

Moral Integrity- motivation to be moral and actually to engage in moral behaviors.Theay care about fairness and godness. Moral integrity and self intrest conflict is resolved by selecting the moral choice.

Moral Hypocrisy- The motivation to appear moral while doing one’s best to avoid the cost of involved in actually being moral.

 

HOW DOES IT FEEL BEING HELPED-

         

Being helped can be unpleasant-  usually when giving the help reminds the person of his disabilities. This happen because, when help is been recieved, self esteem can suffer. Hence person giving help should be aware of such reactions.  Helper is liked the best when person recieving the help  believes that help was offered because of positive feelings towards the individual in need. Such helping evokes reciprocity norms- the person who recieved help gets motivated to provide such kinda help in future to others.

          When help is Unpleasant, it can motivate self help- the positive of being unhappy while recieving help is that he is motivated to engage in self help. 

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS Part-I

Pro social behaviors are any act that benefits others, but do not provide any direct benefit to the person who performs the act,and may even involve some degree of risk. The possible satisfaction of being able to help someone is the only reward. It can vary from something simple to very dangerous. Sometimes word altruism is another term which is used instead of pro social behavior. But its just an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. We will discuss 4 major areas in Pro-social behavior.

1.    Bystander helping and steps involved

2.    External and internal Factors affecting pro social behavior

3.    Long term pro social behaviors

4.    Explanation of  Pro-Social Behaviors.

 

1.BY STANDER HELPING AND STEPS INVOLVED-

The bystander can react to the emergency situation in either of the three ways-

Heroism- action that involves corageous risk taking to obtain a socially valued goal. Both aspects must be involved. Eg. Life saving attempts, donating kydney.

Altruistic behavior- behavior that is motivated by unselfish concern for the welfare of others

Apathy: A lack of intrest, enthusiasm or concern towards a person who seeks help

Catherine (Kitty)Genovese Case-

          Psychological interest in pro social behavior was sparked by an incident where bystanders failed to help a stranger in distress. Coming home from work as bar manager, kitty was crossing the street when a man with knife approched her. Genovese ran screaming, but was chased by the man until her was close enough to stab her.hearing her scream, lights went on in many nearby apartments but they overlooked the scene. Many residents looked out, trying to figure out whats happening. At this point, attacker started to leave, but seeing no one is coming to help her, attacker returned and finished murdering her. The 45 minute attack was witnessed by 38 residents, but none of them ventured out to help her or call police.

John Darley and Bibb Latane (1968) proposed the reason as Diffusion of responsiblity, ie, More bystanders are present, the less responsiblity any one of them feels. They designed an experiment through which concept of bystander effect was drawn.

They proposed that the likelihood of a person engaging in prosocial act is determined by a series of descisions that must be made quickly by those who witness emergency.they are:

Step 1:Noticing something unsual is happening-

 Generally we dont anticipate the emergency, and stick to our preoccupation. Hence most time fail to notice the emegency. Many in kitty case would not have even noticed something unsual is happening outside.

Darley and Batson(1973), conducted a filed study to test importance of the first step. Condected research with students in training for clergy.They were instructed to walk nearby campus to give a talk, but preoccupied with 3 different condition. Some were told they have plenty of extra time to reach building, some told they are right in schedule, adn others told they are late. Along the route to building, an emergency was staged. A stranger slumped in a doorway, coughing and groaning. Results showed- 63% of the participate who had time to spare, 45% of participants on time, and 10% of participants who were late responded to stranger.

          Person who is busy, hence might not notice the emergency .

Step 2: Correctly interpreting event as emergency-

Most often we only have a limited and incomplete information as to what exactly is happening. Hence when potential helpers are not completely sure about what is going on, they tend to hold back and wait for further information. Would have happen with kitty case, as bystanders would have thought to be drunk people having fun or husband-wife fight.

          When only ambigious information is available, most people are inclined to accept comforting interpretation that does not need to take action. Also it explains how diffusion of responsiblity works- people hold back as its embarrassing to mis interpret a situation in public.

          Also, when with fellow observers, we rely on social comparisons to test our interpretations. If other people show no alarm about the event, we believe its safe to follow their lead. The tendency bystanders in an emergency to rely on what other bystanders do and say, even though none of them is sure about what is happening is known as pluralistic ignorance.

          Latane & Darly (1968) conducted a study on students, where, the investigators placed placed students in a room alone or with two other students, and asked them to fill up questionaire. After few minutes, experimenters pumped smoke into reserch room through a vent. When alone (75%), left the room and reported the problem. When 3 people were in room, only 38% reacted to smoke.

Inhibiting effect is less if room contain freinds, as they are more likely to communicate. True with small town people Alchahol reduces the fear of doing wrong thing, hence more helpful.

Step 3: Deciding that its your responsiblity-

          If responsiblity is not clear, people assume that anyone in leadership role must take responsiblity. If one bystander, he takes charge. If its his responsiblity, then also he attends.

Step 4: Deciding that you have necessary knowledge or skills to act-

          Pro-social response cannot occur unless person knows how to be helpful. Some are simple, everyone can help, others are complesx, where only expert can help.

Step 5: Making final decision to provide help-

          Even if one has necessary skills, helping can be interffered by fear about potential negetive consequences.

Dissociative Disorders

               

Some people when overwhelmed by a traumatic experience, experience an altered state of consciousness which is detached from reality of what is happening. Dissociation can be seen as a coping mechanism to reduce anxiety and stress to overcome the trauma, but it interferes with active, realistic coping.

         

Dissociation often involves feelings of unreality, estrangement( being alone from group),and depersonalisation, and some times loss of or shift of self identity.Less dramatic dissociation happens to everyone when a catastrophe hits us.  We too feel everything is strange, unnatural,and different.

All dissociative disorders have large memory gap and changes in social roles. Change may happen drastically or gradually. May last only for few period or be chronic. The alteration of consciousness serves to blot out painful experiences.  Types of Dissociative Disorders are-

1.Dissociative Amnesia-

          

It extensive but selective memory loss in the absence of indications of organic change.  The memory loss occurring is too extensive than normal forgetting. Some people cannot remember anything about the past. Others can no longer recall specific events, people, places, or objects, while other memories remain intact. Usually precipitated by emotionally traumatic event or physical accident. This is the most common type of dissociative disorders. More in adolescents and young adults.

Several types of Dissociative Amnesia are-

(a)  Localized Amnesia- fail to recall events of a particular period.

(b)  Selective Amnesia- Person recalls some but not all of events in a particular period.

(c)  Generalized Amnesia- failure to recall persons entire life. Rare

(d)  Continuous Amnesia- inability to recall events after a specific time, until present.

(e)  Systematized Amnesia- Loss of memory for certain categories of Information such as memories relating to a specific person.

2.Dissociative Fugue-

           Essential feature of fugue is travel away from home and customary workplace, the assumption of a new identity, and inability to recall previous identity. The travel is more purposeful than wandering of dissociative amnesia. Such people set up a new life in some distant place as a different person. 

The fugue state ends when the person wakes up , mystified and distressed at being in different circumstances. Person generally doesn't remember what happened during fugue state and once recovered, wont reccurent.

3.Dissociative Identity Disorder-

          Often referred as multiple personality disorder. In this disorder, individual assume alternative personalities. Each personality has its own set of memories and typical behaviors. None of personality has any awareness of other. One way amnesia is also seen.

          Cases increasing now. Correlates with traumatic Childhood experiences and many clinicians think dissociative identity disorder as a psychological adaptation to traumatic experiences in childhood.  More in female. Personalities find themselves of being in different gender, age and sexual orientation. Separate styles, wardrobe, interests etc.

4. Depersonaliation-

          Its the change in self perception, and persons sense of reality is temporarily lost or changed. They feel as they are in dream, fear of losing sanity. A sense of being cut off from one’s self.

SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

These are conditions in which there are physical symptoms in absence of physical disease. These bodily compliants suggest physical pathology, but no actual impairement can be found.

 DSM IV TR describes mainly 5 somatoform disorders.

Pain Disorders-

           Severe prolonged pain, either without organic symptoms or greately in excess of what might be expected to accompany organic symptoms are classified as pain disorder. Complaints maybe to evoke social responses, such as attention, from others. Sometimes seen temporal relationship between occurance of an actual, threatened, or fantasized interpersonal loss to the complaints of pain.

 Reasons can vary from inablity to attend school or work. Can lead to multi dimensional issues like imparement in proffession, frequent use of health care system, the pain becoming major focus of life, substantial use of medication, inter personal problems etc.

Recovery is better with individuals participation in regular scheduled activicties, despite pain, and resisting pain becoming determining factor in life. Pain disorder can be, Acute- less than 6 months, or chronic- more than 6 months. Difficult to diagnose due to faulty evaluation.

Treatment through operant conditioning, Cognitive behavior Therapy, biofeedback

Somatization Disorder-

Somatisation disorders involves presence of somatic symptoms that cannot be adequetly explained by organic findings. These somatic complaints are recurrent and chronic. Physician Briquet described it in 1859, hence also called Briquet’s Syndrome.

Most common symptoms include headache, fatigue, heart palpitations, fainting spells, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, bowel troubles, allergies, menstrual and sexual problems.The patients keep going to doctor, change doctors.

Charecteristics- patients believe that they are sick, provide long and detailed histories in support of their beliefs, and take large quantities of medicines. Most often accompanies by dificulty in social relationships.

DSM IV TR Criterias for disorder include atleast 4 pain symptoms in different bodily sites, two gastro intestinal symptoms without pain, and one neurological symptom or deficit.

Seen mainly in women. Family may have more than one somatizer due to suggestiblity of them and not due to heredity. Generally vagueness in complaint. Conitive therapy works but mostly they are poorly motivated as they are not psychologically minded.

Conversion Disorders-

          People with conversion disorder report that they have lost part of or all of some bodily function. The disturbance is not voluntary and not explained in terms of medical terms. Paralysis, blindness, deafnesss, glove anesthesia, difficulty in walking are among symptoms reported. Usually symptoms follows a stressful experience and maybe quite sudden.  Psychodynamic theories believe symptom represent underlying psychological conflict.

          Typical charecteristic is that even if the person is anxious about the other aspects of life, they have a lack of concern towards their physical disturbance, unlike people who have it in real.the symptom allow person to escape from frustrating or challenging aituation through physical incapacity, when pressure of situation is no longer present, the symptoms weakens.

Until recently counted under hysterical disorders- a mental disorder charecterized by emotional immaturity and affective instability. Believed in ancient times as caused due to defect in uterus.

DSM IV TR limits diagnosis to condition in which there are one or more symptoms of motor or sensory dysfunction that cannot be related to medical problem.

Hypochondriasis-

Hypochondriasis is a condition where the person has a persistant belief (lasting 6 months or longer) that she or he has a serious illness despite medical reassurance,  lack of physical findings,  and failure to develop the disease. Such people show poor insight, and does not recognize their concern is excessive.

          They are constantly preoccupied and concerned with the condition of their bodily organs, and continually worry about their health. Since they fear developing desease, they carefully track all potential symptoms by keeping themselves attuned to even most minor changes in bodily functions. They exaggurate a symptom when it occurs and persistantly believes that a serious illness underlies the symptoms presented to the physician. They disregards physicians advice that no serious physical illness or abnormality is underlying the symptoms.

Major Charecteristics-

1.    Physiological Arousal- increased tension, anxiety and sleep disturbance.

2.    Bodily Focus- Close monitoring of bodily features, attention to information that is consistent with worries about illness, preoccupation and rumination about physical complaints.

3.    Behaviours that avoids or check for physical illness- repeated self-inspection, repeated medical consultation, effort to avoid physical contact with people who seems to have a disease.

Reassurance, Support therapy and CBT is seen to have effect. But establishing therapeutic relationship and acknowledging the distress becomes base of approch, followed by eliciting individuals fear and presenting alternate rational explanations.

Bodily Dismorphic Disorder-

People with Bodily Dysmorphic Disorder have a definite preoccupation with an imagined defect, or morbidly excessive concern about a minor unwanted feature of their physical appearance. ]

Unwanted features include Acne, hair thinning, wrinkles, scars etc. As well as shape, size and other aspect of nose, eyes, mouth, teethor head. Marked distress over deformity and describe the preoccupation as intensely painful and devastating. Conciousness about the deformity may lead to avoidance of public situation.

They often report complaints as depression, obsession compulsion, phobias, but fail or hide to mention their bodily preoccupation, due to embarrasement and belief that other people may not take it seriously.

More evident in adolescents. CBT

Fictitious Disorders and Malingering-

Fictious Disorder- This is a condition where physical or psychological symptoms are voluntarily self induced by the patient. Motive for this is same as for other somatoform disorders- getting attention and care.

          Apparent goal of the person is to assume role of patient. Has a history of uncontrollable lying. Begins in early adulthood and often stimulated by hospitalisation for a genuine physical problem. More in women. Since they dramatically present symptoms, generally are hospitalized. Difference between other somatoform disorders is that, here person is just manufacturing syptoms.

Malingering- Malingers seek medical care and hospitalisation in order to get some specific goals such as compensation, disablity pension, evasion of police. Malingering ends when goal achieved.

Both are self induced as a reaction to stress.

Anxiety Disorders Part- II

Phobias

Phobos-  greek god for fear

Phobic disorders are a catagory of disorders where individual have specific and irrational fear towards an object, people or situation. Unlike people who have GAD, people with phobias know what exactly the are afraid of. Except for their specific fear, phobic person does not indulge in gross distortion of reality. Nothing physically wrong with them, but their fears are out of propotion with reality,inexplicable, and beyond voluntary control.

                             The stimuli that evokes fear are not random. Mostly its animals, objects or events that presented real dangers ib earlier stage of human development. They dont need actual presentation of phobic stimuli, but thought of it even invokes physiological reactions.some are daily life aspects- cats, dogs, stairs and few are not- snakes, death, height. Phobias tend to grow broader over time. In milder terms, more prevailant than GAD .

Double the rate in females. Typically have onset in childhood or young adulthood. Mean duration- 24-31 yrs. No institutionalisation. Phobias grouped into three-

Specific Phobia-

          Specific phobias are marked, persistant and irrational fears. Eg.

(a)  Acrophobia- fear of heights

(b)  Claustrophobia- Fear of closed places

(c)  Xenophobia- Fear of strangers.

Most common type of phobia. 11% of population meeting the criteria in there lifetime. The degree of distress varies with prevalance of the avoided situation.

Clinical Feature:

1.    Marked and persistant fear that is excessive

2.    Person suffering recognizes that the fear is unreasonable but continues to avoid the frightening situation.

3.    The avoidance of, anxious anticipation of and distress caused by the feared situation cause problem in the areas of social relationships, work and carrying of normal routine.

Therapeutic Approch-

1.    Systematic DeSensatisation.

2.    Cognitive therapy

 

Social Phobias

     They are phobias characterized by fear and embarrassment in dealing with others. Often the individuals fear is that the signs of anxiety such as intense blushing, tremors of hand, and quavering of voice will be detected by the people whom he or she comes with contact.

Fear of public speaking and of eating in public are frequent complaints. Problems begin in late childhood, and may cristallized into phobia in late adolescents. Its different from shyness. Personal life is bleak. No friends or social life.

Clinical features-

1.    Marked and persistant fear of one or more social or performance situation, which usually involve unfamiliar people, or scrutiny or evaluation by others, and phobic reaction include intense concern over being humiliated or embarrassed.

2.    The person recognizes the fear to be excessive and unreasonable

3.    The avoidance of, anxious anticipation of and distress caused by the feared situation cause problem in the areas of social relationships, work and carrying of normal routine.

Agoraphobia-

     Fear of entering certain fear evoking or unfamiliar situation, which often accompanies panic attacks. To outsider, a person with agoraphobia may look no different from one with social phobia. Both stay away from party an prefer home. But the reason is different. Socially phobic person opt out as they are embarrassed in dealing with others, whereas agoraphobic person is afraid he might get a panic attack and loose control in crowd. These people has an irrational fear of leaving familiar setting of home.

Often begins in late teens, though its seen in older people too. They may come without panic attacks too. It waxes and wanes, also object of fear changes. Half of the people with panic attack develops agarophobia if not treated properly.

Graduated Exposure therapy, Coginitive and Behavioral techniques.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder-

       

   The defining charecteristic of obsesssive compulsive disorder is reccurent obsession or compulsion that are sever enough to be time consuming. (take more than 1 hour a day). Or cause marked distress or significant impairment. 

Obsessive behavior- unable to get an idea out of their mind. Obsession involve doubt, fear of contamination, or fear of one’s own aggression.

Compulsive behavior- Feel compellled to perform a purticular act or series of act over an over again. Most common include counting, checking, washing.

Checking- if everything proper, cleaning- avoiding public materials and extreme self hygene, slowness- i am very slow, Doubting- feeling it wasn’t quite right.

25% just have Obsessive thought. Others compulsion too. Compulsion else is rare. 

Under treated condition as people often secretive about symptoms due to embarrassement. Obsessive thought are often distasteful or shameful. Compulsive rituals may turn elaborate patterns to daily routine and is a protection against anxiety, as they feel safe as long as they follow it. They are not counted psychotic as they are aware of irrationality.

Heredity- family history of psychiatric difficulties are seen.

Biological factors- brain imaging shows brain structure and functions of OCDs are different.

Past traumatic experiences can also be a factor.

OCDs are guilty about their behavior, but they continue as they believe its the safest option. Onset 20-29. More common in upper income and intelligent. Male and female equal. 50% remain unmarried as they are aware of their behavior. 

Common features-

1.    Obsession or compulsion intrudes insistently and persistently into individuals awareness.

2.    A feeling of anxious dread occure if the thought or act is prevented for some reason.

3.    Individual recognizes the adsurdity and irrationality for the obsession or compulsion.

4.    Individual feels a need to resist it.

Symptoms increase when stress increases. Eg, new job.

Cognitive behavioral Therapy works if patient is motivated.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-

          PTSD is charecterized by feeling of extreme fear and apprehension as a result of an extreme experience, such as war, natural catastrophe, physical assault, or serious accident.  Trauma range from one that’s directly experienced to those that are witnessed. Even start after a silent phase (3-6 months-delayed PTSD, Chances of recovery lesser). More in women than men.

Combination of vulnerablity factors and exposure earlier in life increases the likelihood of PTSD. More in people with anxiety and depression.

DSM IV TR Criteria-

1.                            Exposure to traumatic event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury

2.    A response to event that include intense fear, helplessness or horror.

3.    Persistent re experiencing of the traumatic event in form of recurring and distressing thoughts or dreams, feeling or behaving as traumatic event has actually happened again, intense psychological or physiological reactivity when exposed to cues that resemble event.

4.    Persistant avoidance of stimuli avoided with trauma

5.    Persistant symptoms of increased arousal- Hypervigilance, irritablity, sleep difficulties, difficulty in concentration etc- not present before trauma.

6.    Symptoms more than 1 month duration, causing significant imparement in various spheres of life.

Three essential charecteristics- hyper arousal, avoidance, and re experience.