Anxiety, Mood, Dissociative Disorders Essay

Running Head: ANXIETY, MOOD, DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS





ANXIETY, MOOD, DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS
Debra J. Hahn
University of Phoenix








The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is a reference book compiled by psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical physicians, social workers, medical and nursing students, pastoral counselors, and other health care professionals (American Psychiatric Association, 2010).   The DSM-IV-TR provides, “a classification of mental disorders, criteria sets to guide the process of differential diagnosis, and numerical codes for each disorder to facilitate medical record keeping (Rebecca Frey, 2008).” The DSM’s sole purpose is to provide "a helpful guide to clinical practice"; "to facilitate research and improve communication among clinicians and researchers"; and to serve as "an educational tool for teaching psychopathology (2008)."   The DSM classifies mental disorders in five dimensions called Axis’s.   Then the   disorder are put into 15 categories: infancy, childhood, or adolescence; delirium, dementia , amnesic, and other cognitive disorders; medical disorders because of a general medical condition; substance-related disorders; schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders; mood disorders; anxiety disorders; somatoform disorders; factitious disorders; dissociative disorders; sexual and gender identity disorders; eating disorders; sleep disorders ; impulse control disorders not elsewhere classified; and adjustment disorders (2008).
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety defines any prolonged stressor that provokes an individual to fear (Hansell & Damour, 2008).   Disorders that stem from anxiety are: acute stress disorder, agoraphobia, anxiety disorders...