Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective

Learning Objectives

  1. Discuss terms and concepts related to fear and anxiety.
  2. Examine the causes of anxiety, as well as its adaptive function.
  3. Analyze symptoms of anxiety as manifestations of the hyperactivity of certain vital bodily systems.
  4. Explain the importance of cognitive processing in estimating danger and in activating primitive strategies for dealing with the danger.
  5. Discuss how a certain set of “rules” are used to classify relatively innocuous events as dangerous, and how these “rules” exaggerate the probability of a negative outcome.
  6. Explain how a pervasive sense of vulnerability is the core psychological problem in anxiety disorders.
  7. Explore and define generalized anxiety disorders.
  8. Comprehend the diverse meanings of various simple phobias.
  9. Review the combination of factors involved with agoraphobia.
  10. Obtain greater understanding of the “evaluation anxieties,” including social anxieties, public speaking anxiety, and test anxiety.
  11. Examine the treatment of anxiety and the working principles of cognitive therapy.
  12. Better understand the effects of cognitive restructuring when used with anxiety disorders.
  13. Describe techniques for addressing the imagery component in anxiety and for using imagery to alleviate the disorder.
  14. Explore the affective components of anxiety.
  15. Investigate the behavioral components of anxiety.
  16. Describe the component of cognitive restructuring having to do with the patient’s major concerns and underlying assumptions.

Comments

"Excellent resource. I gained a lot of insight into several areas. Thank you."

- W.L., RN, MI