Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorders can be devastating to the individual who suffers from them. These disorders can interfere with daily living functions and social relationships. This is why it is important to understand the different components involved in these disorders. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of anxiety, mood/affective, dissociative and somatoform disorders.

Anxiety Disorders Components

The biological component of anxiety disorders includes the functions of the autonomic nervous system, the limbic system, neurotransmission, autoimmune processes, and genetic factors that predispose an individual to anxiety (Hansell & Damour, 2008). If any of these factors is imbalanced the body will react and this can produce anxiety symptoms such as the fight or flight, increased heart rate and blood pressure. Medication is often a treatment option for anxiety. The behavioral components of anxiety are classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling. Extinction of the fear that causes the anxiety is the goal (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Negative and distorted thinking are components of the cognitive perspective. Individuals often misinterpret danger by overestimating the perceived threat and they underestimate their ability to cope with such threats. (Hansell & Damour, 2008). The emotional components of anxiety include concerns, stresses, and experiences that have not been addressed.

Mood/Affective Disorders Components

The biological components of mood/affective disorders include genetic predispositions, neurochemical and hormonal problems (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Cognitive components of mood/affective disorders are negative schemas that become automatic negative thoughts. Individuals who suffer from disorders such as depression have a distorted view of their worlds (Hansell