Your Textbook Has Strongly Emphasized the Principle That Emotions Are

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The Answer is One example of a psychological disorder in which an emotional response becomes dysfunctional is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In a normal context, the emotional response of fear and hypervigilance is functional as it helps individuals to avoid danger and protect themselves. However, in individuals with PTSD, this fear response becomes dysfunctional as they experience intense and prolonged fear and anxiety even when they are not in danger. This can lead to avoidance of situations or places that remind them of the traumatic event, and can interfere with their daily functioning.

Another example is depression, where the normal emotional response of sadness and low mood becomes dysfunctional when it persists for an extended period of time and interferes with daily functioning. In a normal context, feeling sad can be a functional response to loss or disappointment, but in depression, this sadness becomes overwhelming and can lead to feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and an inability to experience pleasure.

Lastly, in anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, the normal emotional response of worry and fear becomes dysfunctional when it is excessive and uncontrollable. While worry can be a functional response to potential threats, individuals with generalized anxiety disorder experience persistent and excessive worry about a wide range of everyday events and activities, which can interfere with their ability to concentrate, sleep, and carry out daily tasks.

In each of these examples, the normal emotional response serves a functional purpose in helping individuals to respond to important situations. However, in the corresponding psychological disorders, these emotional responses become dysfunctional when they appear in inappropriate contexts and interfere with daily functioning.

Your Textbook Has Strongly Emphasized the Principle That Emotions Are

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