Psychiatric and Psychological Glossary
(Sponsored by The Center of Revitalizing Psychiatry)
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Choose a letter for the word you are looking for.
- acting out
This is the process of expressing unconscious emotional conflicts or feelings via actions rather than words. The person is not consciously aware of the meaning or etiology of such acts. Acting out may be harmful or, in controlled situations, therapeutic (e.g., children's play therapy).See also: Treatment
- AAMI -- Age-Associated Memory Impairment
The mild disturbance in memory function that occurs normally with aging; benign senescent forgetfulness. Such lapses in memory are lately humorously referred to as representing "a senior moment".See also: Treatment
- ADD -- Attention Deficit Disorder
See also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
- addiction
A term referring to compulsive drug use, psychological dependence, and continuing use despite harm. Addiction is frequently and incorrectly equated with physical dependence and withdrawal.See also: Treatment
- adjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder is a state of mixed of emotions such as depression and anxiety which occurs as a reaction to major life events or when having to face major life changes such as illness or relationship breakdown.See also: Treatment
- ADHD -- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
A disorder characterized by lack of impulse control, inability to concentrate and hyperactivity. Also called attention deficit disorder (ADD).See also: Treatment
- agoraphobia
Anxiety - apprehension, tension, or uneasiness from anticipation of danger, the source of which is largely unknown or unrecognized. May be regarded as pathological when it interferes with effectiveness in living, achievement of desired goals or satisfaction, or reasonable emotional comfort.See also: Treatment
- Alzheimer's disease
A progressive form of pre-senile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness.See also: senile dementia
See also: Treatment
- ambivalence
The coexistence of contradictory emotions, attitudes, ideas, or desires with respect to a particular person, object, or situation. Ordinarily, the ambivalence is not fully conscious and suggests psychopathology only when present in an extreme form.- amnesia
Loss of memory.- anger management
The term usually refers to a technique or exercise that can control or reduce feelings of anger in an individual. A common technique is to use deep breathing, meditation, and/or relaxation.See also: Treatment
- anhedonia
Inability to experience pleasure from activities that usually produce pleasurable feelings. Contrast with hedonism.See also: Treatment
- anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excess control - morbid fear of obesity leads the sufferer to try and limit or reduce their weight by excessive dieting, exercising, vomiting, purging and use of diuretics. Sufferers are typically more than 15% below the average weight for their height/sex/age. Typically they have amenorrhoea - absence of menstruation (if female) or low libido (if male). 1-2% of female teenagers are anorexic.See also: Treatment
- anxiety
The apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune accompanied by a feeling of dysphoria or somatic symptoms of tension. The focus of anticipated danger may be internal or external. Anxiety is often distinguished from fear in that fear is a more appropriate word to use when there exists threat or danger in the real world. Anxiety is reflective more of a threat that is not apparent or imminent in the real world, at least not to the experienced degree.See also: Treatment
- anxiety disorder
A term covering several different forms of fear, phobia and nervous condition, that come on suddenly and prevent pursuing normal daily routines including general anxiety disorder, social anxiety, sometimes known as social phobia or social anxiety disorder (SAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), agoraphobia, claustrophobia, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).See also: Treatment
- attention
The ability to focus in a sustained manner on a particular stimulus or activity. A disturbance in attention may be manifested by easy distractibility or difficulty in finishing tasks or in concentrating on work.See also: ADHD
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- behavior modification
The use of basic learning techniques, such as conditioning, biofeedback, reinforcement, or aversion therapy, to alter human behavior.See also: Treatment
- biofeedback therapy
A type of a therapy which involves teaching the patient to be aware of physiological differences between tension (e.g. headaches, tachycardia, and pain) and relaxation. It involves immediate feedback to the patient through visible or audible recordings of the patients biological functioning during anxiety versus relaxation states; the procedure reinforces the patient awareness of which state is present and helps the patient to control it.See also: Treatment
- bipolar disorder
A mental illness that causes people to have severe high and low moods. People with this illness swing from feeling overly happy and joyful (or irritable) to feeling very sad and hopeless (or happy). In between these mood swings, a person's moods may be normal.See also: manic depression
See also: Treatment
- blocking
A sudden obstruction or interruption in spontaneous flow of thinking or speaking perceived as an absence or deprivation of thought.See also: Treatment
- body image
One's sense of the self and one's body.- bulimia nervosa
An eating disorder in which people eat large amounts of food in a sitting (binging), and then vomit (purging). The vomiting is triggered by a fear of weight gain, from stomach pain, or from the guilt of overeating. People with bulimia also use laxatives, diuretics, and vigorous exercise to lose weight.See also: Treatment
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- cognitive
Pertaining to thoughts or thinking. Cognitive disorders are disorders of thinking, for example, schizophrenia.See also: Treatment
- CBT -- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy is a kind of psychotherapy used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other forms of psychological disorder. It involves recognizing distorted thinking and learning to replace it with more realistic substitute ideas. Its practitioners hold that the cause of many (though not all) depressions are irrational thoughts. Cognitive therapy is often used in conjunction with mood stabilizing medications to treat bipolar disorder.See also: Treatment
- comorbidity
The simultaneous appearance of two or more illnesses, such as the co-occurrence of schizophrenia and substance abuse or of alcohol dependence and depression. The association may reflect a causal relationship between one disorder and another or an underlying vulnerability to both disorders. Also, the appearance of the illnesses may be unrelated to any common etiology or vulnerability.- compensation
A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, by which one attempts to make up for real or fancied deficiencies. Also a conscious process in which one strives to make up for real or imagined defects of physique, performance skills, or psychological attributes. The two types frequently merge. See also overcompensation.- compulsion
Repetitive ritualistic behavior such as hand washing or ordering or a mental act such as praying or repeating words silently that aims to prevent or reduce distress or prevent some dreaded event or situation. The person feels driven to perform such actions in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly, even though the behaviors are recognized to be excessive or unreasonable.See also: OCD
See also: Treatment
- contraindications
Any factor of a patient's condition that makes it unwise to take a specific medication.- Back to Index
- delusion
A false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary.See also: Treatment
- dementia
The loss of intellectual functions (such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning) of sufficient severity to interfere with a person’s daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain diseases or conditions. Symptoms may also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. Dementia is irreversible when caused by disease or injury but may be reversible when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression.See also: Treatment
- denial
A defense mechanism where certain information is not accessed by the conscious mind. Denial is related to repression, a similar defense mechanism, but denial is more pronounced or intense. Denial involves some impairment of reality. Denial would be operating (as an example) if a cardiac patient who has been warned about the potential fatal outcome of engaging in heavy work, decides to start building a wall of heavy stones.See also: Treatment
- depression
Depression refers to feelings of sadness, despair and discouragement. It can be characterized by slowed thinking, decreased pleasure, decreased purposeful physical activity, guilt and hopelessness, and disorders of eating and sleeping. It becomes a problem when it persists for two weeks or longer.See also: manic depression
See also: Treatment
- depressive disorder
A state of depression and anhedonia so severe as to require clinical intervention.See also: depression, anhedonia
See also: Treatment
- disorder
An abnormal state of body or mind. A condition or group of characteristics which impairs functioning or causes distress.See also: syndrome
See also: Treatment
- displacement
A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, in which emotions, ideas, or wishes are transferred from their original object to a more acceptable substitute; often used to allay anxiety.- dyslexia
Inability or difficulty in reading, including word-blindness and a tendency to reverse letters and words in reading and writing.See also: Treatment
- distractibility
The inability to maintain attention, that is, the shifting from one area or topic to another with minimal provocation, or attention being drawn too frequently to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli.See also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
- dopamine
Neurotransmitter that affects brain processes involved in controlling movement, emotional response, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain; drugs increasing DA are prescribed for Parkinson's disease and drugs that inhibit DA are prescribed for schizophrenia.See also: Treatment
- DSM-IV-TR -- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition
Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association that sets criteria for the diagnosis of neurobiologic and other psychiatric disorders, such as OCD, ADHD, etc.- Back to Index
- ego-dystonic
Referring to aspects of a person's behavior, thoughts, and attitudes that are viewed by the self as repugnant or inconsistent with the total personality.- elevated mood
An exaggerated feeling of well being, or euphoria or elation. A person with elevated mood may describe feeling "high," "ecstatic," "on top of the world," or "up in the clouds."- ego- syntonic
Referring to aspects of a person's behavior, thoughts, and attitudes that are viewed by the self as compartible with or acceptible to the total personality.- eating disorders
Disorders characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight. Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting; use of laxatives; fasting; and/or excessive exercise to control weight.See also: bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa
See also: Treatment
- extraversion
A state in which attention and energies are largely directed outward from the self as opposed to inward toward the self, as in introversion.- Back to Index
- fantasy
An imagined sequence of events or mental images (e.g., daydreams) that serves to express unconscious conflicts, to gratify unconscious wishes, or to prepare for anticipated future events.- flashback
A recurrence of a memory, feeling, or perceptual experience from the past.- flight of ideas
A nearly continuous flow of accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic that are usually based on understandable associations, distracting stimuli, or plays on words. When severe, speech may be disorganized and incoherent.See also: Treatment
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- grandiosity
An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power, knowledge, importance, or identity. When extreme, grandiosity may be of delusional proportions.See also: Treatment
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- hallucination
A sensory perception that has the compelling sense of reality of a true perception but that occurs without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ. Hallucinations should be distinguished from illusions, in which an actual external stimulus is misperceived or misinterpreted. The person may or may not have insight into the fact that he or she is having a hallucination. One person with auditory hallucinations may recognize that he or she is having a false sensory experience, whereas another may be convinced that the source of the sensory experience has an independent physical reality.See also: Treatment
- hedonism
Pleasure-seeking behavior. Contrast with anhedonia.See also: anhedonia
- hyperactivity
One of the behavioral categories used to identify the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, defined as having behavior characterized by overactivity.See also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
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- idealization
A mental mechanism in which the person attributes exaggeratedly positive qualities to the self or othersSee also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
- impairment
To cause to diminish, as in strength, value, or quality.- impulsiveness
One of the behavioral categories used to identify the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, defined as inclined to act on impulse rather than thought.See also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
- inattentive
One of the behavioral categories used to identify the symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, defined as exhibiting a lack of attention.See also: ADHD
See also: Treatment
- insomnia
A subjective complaint of difficulty falling or staying asleep or poor sleep quality.See also: Treatment
- introspection
Self-observation; examination of one's feelings, often as a result of psychotherapy.See also: Treatment
- introversion
Preoccupation with oneself and accompanying reduction of interest in the outside world. Contrast to extraversion.See also: Treatment
- isolation
A defense mechanism operating unconsciously central to obsessive-compulsive phenomena in which the affect is detached from an idea and rendered unconscious, leaving the conscious idea colorless and emotionally neutral.See also: Treatment
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- kleptomania
Compulsion to steal.See also: Treatment
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- libido
The psychic drive or energy usually associated with the sexual instinct. (Sexual is used here in the broad sense to include pleasure and love-object seeking.)- long-term memory
The final phase of memory in which information storage may last from hours to a lifetime.- Back to Index
- manic depression
A mental illness that causes people to have severe high and low moods. People with this illness swing from feeling overly happy and joyful (or irritable) to feeling very sad and hopeless (or happy). In between these mood swings, a person's moods may be normal.See also: bipolar disorder
See also: Treatment
- mental retardation
A major group of disorders of infancy, childhood, or adolescence characterized by intellectual functioning that is significantly below average (IQ of 70 or below), manifested before the age of 18 by impaired adaptive functioning.See also: Treatment
- mood
A pervasive and sustained emotion that colors the perception of the world. Common examples of mood include depression, elation, anger, and anxiety.See also: Treatment
- mood swings
Fluctuation of a person's emotional tone between periods of elation and periods of depression.See also: Treatment
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- negativism
Opposition or resistance, either covert or overt, to outside suggestions or advice.- Back to Index
- obsession
Obsession is characterized by recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that caused marked anxiety or distress.See also: OCD
See also: Treatment
- OCD -- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense, recurrent, unwanted thoughts and rituals that are beyond the person's control.See also: obsession
See also: Treatment
- Oedipus complex
Attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex. These feelings are largely repressed (i.e., made unconscious) because of the fear of displeasure or punishment by the parent of the same sex. In its original use, the term applied only to the boy or man.- olfactory hallucination
A hallucination involving the perception of odor, such as of burning rubber or decaying fish.- Back to Index
- panic attacks
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than 30 minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath and sensations of choking or smothering. The disorder is strikingly different from other types of anxiety in that panic attacks are very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling.See also: Treatment
- paranoid ideation
Ideation, of less than delusional proportions, involving suspiciousness or the belief that one is being harassed, persecuted, or unfairly treated.See also: Treatment
- personality
Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself. Personality traits are prominent aspects of personality that are exhibited in a wide range of important social and personal contexts. Only when personality traits are inflexible and maladaptive and cause either significant functional impairment or subjective distress do they constitute a Personality Disorder.- personality disorder
Mental disorder characterized by inflexible, deeply ingrained, maladaptive patterns of adjustment to life that cause either subjective distress or significant impairment of adaptive functioning; manifestations are generally recognizable in adolescence or earlier. Currently diagnosed personality disorders include paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive.See also: Treatment
- phobia
An obsessive, persistent, unrealistic fear of an object or situation. Some common phobias are: acrophobia - fear of heights; agoraphobia - fear of leaving the familiar setting of the home; claustrophobia - fear of closed places; xenophobia - fear of strangers.See also: Treatment
- projection
A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, in which what is emotionally unacceptable in the self is unconsciously rejected and attributed (projected) to others.- psychosis
Psychosis is a psychiatric classification for a mental state in which the perception of reality is distorted. Persons experiencing a psychotic episode may experience hallucinations (often auditory or visual hallucinations), hold paranoid or delusional beliefs, experience personality changes and exhibit disorganized thinking.See also: Treatment
- PTSD -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
A psychological disorder that develops in some individuals after a major traumatic experience such as war, rape, domestic violence, or accident. PTSD is an anxiety disorder characterized by a terrifying physical or emotional event (trauma) causing the person who survived the event to have persistent, frightening thoughts and memories, or flashbacks, of the ordeal. Persons with PTSD often feel chronically, emotionally numb.See also: Treatment
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- rationalization
A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, in which an individual attempts to justify or make consciously tolerable by plausible means, feelings or behavior that otherwise would be intolerable.- reaction formation
A defense mechanism, operating unconsciously, in which an individual attempts to justify or make consciously tolerable by plausible means, feelings or behavior that otherwise would be intolerable.- restless legs syndrome
A neurological movement disorder characterized by unusual, uncomfortable sensations deep within the calves and/or thighs, resulting in an irresistible urge to move the legs, and motor restlessness in response to or in an effort to alleviate discomfort. In some patients, the arms may also be affected. Symptoms become obvious or worse during periods of relaxation or inactivity; occur most frequently during the evening or the early part of the night; and may be temporarily relieved by voluntary movements of the affected area. Most patients experience associated sleep disturbances, including difficulties drifting off to and remaining asleep.See also: Treatment
- Back to Index
- SAD -- Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety, sometimes known as social phobia or social anxiety disorder (SAD), is a common form of anxiety disorder that causes sufferers to experience intense anxiety in some or all of the social interactions and public events of everyday life. For instance, some sufferers have difficulty attending parties or meetings, making a phone call, walking into a shop to purchase goods, or asking for help from authority figures.See also: Treatment
- senile dementia
Dementia of the aged; results from degeneration of the brain in the absence of cerebrovascular diseaseSee also: Treatment
- separation anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder (or simply separation anxiety) is a psychological condition in which an individual has excessive anxiety regarding separation from home, or from those with whom the individual has a strong attachment. Separation anxiety is often characterized by some of the following symptoms: recurring distress when separation from home or subject of attachment occurs or is anticipated; persistent, excessive worry about losing subject of attachment, etc.See also: Treatment
- sexual dysfunction
Sexual problems, also called sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction, are defined as difficulty during any stage of the sexual act (which includes desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution) that prevents the individual or couple from enjoying sexual activity.See also: Treatment
- stress management
Stress management focuses on reducing the response to stressful situations includes a variety of techniques and approaches that stimulate relaxation and decreasing stress hormone levels. These techniques include cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, meditation, visualization, laughter, herbal medicine, etc.See also: CBT
See also: Treatment
- symptom
A subjective manifestation of a pathological condition. Symptoms are reported by the affected individual rather than observed by the examiner.- syndrome
A grouping of signs and symptoms, based on their frequent co-occurrence, that may suggest a common underlying pathogenesis, course, familial pattern, or treatment selection.- Back to Index
- tic
An involuntary, sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization.- Back to Index
- unconscious
A central psychic zone defined by Freudian psychology. For Sigmund Freud, human behavior are driven by forces of the unconscious. To varying degrees all three components of the human psyche -- the id, the ego, and the superego -- all work in the unconscious.- Back to Index
- visual hallucination
A hallucination involving sight, which may consist of formed images, such as of people, or of unformed images, such as flashes of light. Visual hallucinations should be distinguished from illusions, which are misperceptions of real external stimuli.
posted by vIgrushka | 12:59 PM
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