affect
External expression of emotion, or emotional response.
amnesia
Loss of memory
anorexia nervosa
Eating disorder with excessive dieting and refusal to maintain a normal body weight.
anxiety disorders (GAD)
Characterized by unpleasant tension, distress, and avoidance behavior; examples are panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. GAD
apathy
Absence of emotions; lack of interest or emotional involvement.
autism (ASD)
Pervasive developmental disorder characterized by inhibited social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive behavior. ASD
bipolar disorder
Mood disorder with alternating periods of mania and depression.
bulimia nervosa
eating disorder with binge eating followed by vomiting, purging, and depression.
cannabis
Plant substance from which marijuana is obtained.
compulsion
Uncontrollable urge to perform an act repeatedly.
conversion disorder
Condition marked by physical symptoms with no organic basis, appearing as a result of anxiety and unconscious inner conflict.
defense mechanism
Unconscious technique (coping mechanism) used to resolve or conceal conflicts and anxiety. It protects the individual against anxiety and stress; examples are acting out, denial, and repression.
delirium
Confused thinking, disorientation, changed in alertness, difficulty paying attention, and fearfulness. This is usually a reversible impairment in thinking. Delirium Tremens, DT,' is associated with alcohol withdrawal.
delusion
Fixed, false belief that cannot be changed by logical reasoning or evidence.
dementia
Loss of intellectual abilities with impairment of memory, judgement, and reasoning as well as changed in personality. AD, Alzheimier Disease.
depression
Major mood disorder with chronic sadness, loss of energy, hopelessness, worry, and discouragement and, commonly, suicidal impulses and thoughts. MDD- Major Depressive Disorder.
dissociative disorder
Chronic or sudden disturbance in memory, identity, or consciousness; examples are multiple personality disorder, psychogenic disorders, amnesia, and fugue.
ego
Central coordination branch or the personality or mind.
fugue
Flight from customary surrounding; dissociative disorder.
gender identity disorder
Strong and persistent cross-gender identification with the opposite sex.
hallucination
False sensory perception (hearing voices and seeing things).
id
Major unconscious part of the personality; energy from instinctual drives and desires.
labile
Unstable; undergoing rapid emotional change.
mania
Extreme excitement, hyperactive elation, and agitation. Don't confuse with the suffix -mania, meaning obsession.
mood disorders
Prolonged emotion dominates a person's life; examples are bipolar and depressive disorders.
mutism
Nonreactive state with inability to speak.
OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
Anxiety disorder in which recurrent thought and repetitive acts dominate behavior. obsessive-compulsive disorder
paranoia
Overly suspicious system of thinking with fixed delusions of being harassed, persecuted, or unfairly treated.
paraphilia
Recurrent intense sexual urge, fantasy, or behavior that involves unusual objects, activities, or situations.
personality disorders
Lifelong personality patterns marked by inflexibility and impairment of social functioning.
PDD (pervasive developmental disorders)
Group of childhood disorders characterized by delays in socialization and communication skills; autism and Asperger syndrome are examples. pervasive developmental disorders. pervasive developmental disorders
phobia
Irrational or disabling fear (avoidance) of an object or situation.
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
Anxiety-related symptoms appear after personal experience of a traumatic event. post-traumatic stress disorder
projective (personality) test
Diagnostic personality test using stimuli (inkblots, pictures, abstract patterns, incomplete sentences) to evoke responses that reflect aspects of individual's personality.
psychiatrist
Physician (MD) with medical training in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders.
psychiatrist (continued)
Examples are a Child Psychiatrist; diagnosing and treating children, and Forensic Psychiatrist; specializing in legal consideration such as criminal responsibility, guardianship, and competence to stand trial.
psychologist
Non-medical professional (PhD or EdD) specializing in mental processes and how the brain functions in health and disease. Areas of interest are Clinical Psychology; provide testing and counseling services to patients with mental and emotional disorders,
psychologist (continued)
Experimental Psychology; performing laboratory test and experiments in a controlled environment to study mental processes, and Social Psychology; study of the effects of group membership on behavior and attitudes of individuals.
psychosis
A disorder marked by loss of contact with reality often associated with delusions and hallucinations.
reality testing
Psychological process that distinguishes fact from fantasy; severely impaired in psychosis.
repression
Defense mechanism by which unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and impulses are automatically pushed into the unconscious, out of awareness.
schizophrenia
Chronic psychotic disorder that may include hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, flat affect, and lack of initiative.
sexual disorders
Paraphilias and sexual dysfunctions, i.e., exhibitionism, fetishism, and sexual sadism.
somatoform disorder
Presence of physical symptoms that cannot be explained by an actual physical disorder or other well-described mental disorder such as depression.
substance-related disorder
Regular overuse of psychoactive substances (alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, opioids, and sedatives) that affect the central nervous system.
superego
Internalized conscience and moral aspect of the personality.
amphetamines
Central nervous system stimulants that may be used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and depression, ADHD.
atypical antipsychotics
Drugs that threat psychotic symptoms and behavior (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illness).
BZD (benzodiazepines)
Drugs that lessen anxiety, tension, agitation, and panic attacks. benzodiazepines.
CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)
Focuses on the connection between behavior and thoughts. Conditioning (changing behavior patterns by training and repetition) is used to relieve anxiety and improve symptoms of illness. cognitive behavioral therapy.
ECT (electroconvulsive therapy)
Electric current is used to produce convulsions and loss of consciousness; effective in treatment of major depression. Modern techniques use anesthesia, so the convulsion is not observable. electroconvulsive therapy.
family therapy
treatment of an entire family to resolve and shed light on conflicts.
free association
Psychoanalytic technique in which the patient verbalizes, without censorship, the passing contents of his or her mind.
group therapy
Group of patients with similar problems gain insight into their personalities through discussion and interaction with each other.
hypnosis
Induced trance (state of altered consciousness).
insight-oriented therapy
Face-to-face discussion of life problems and associated feelings. The patient tells his or her story and had the opportunity to connect emotional patterns in his or her life history with present concerns. Also called psychodynamic therapy
lithium
Medication used to treat the manic stage of bipolar illness.
neroleptic drug
Any drug that favorably modifies psychotic symptoms. Examples are phenothiazines such as chorpromazine (Thorazine).
phenothiazines
Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs.
play therapy
Treatment in which a child, through use of toys in a playroom setting, expresses conflicts and feelings that cannot be communication in a direct manner.
psychoanalysis
Treatment that allows the patient to explore inner emotions and conflicts so as to understand and change current behavior.
psychodrama
Group therapy in which a patient expresses feeling by acting out family and social roles with other patients.
psychopharmacology
Treatment of psychiatric disorders with drugs.
sedatives
Drugs that lessen anxiety.
supportive psychotherapy
Offering encouragement, support, and hope to patients facing difficult life transitions and events.
transference
Psychoanalytic process in which the patient relates to the therapist as though the therapist were a prominent childhood figure.
TCA (tricyclic antidepressants)
Drugs used to treat severe depression; three-ringed fused structure. tricyclic antidepressants
anxi/o,
uneasy, anxious, distressed
aut/o
self
hallucin/o
hallucination, to wander in the mind
hypn/o
sleep
iatr/o
treatment
ment/o, phren/o, psych/o
mind
neur/o
nerve
phil/o
attraction to, love
schiz/o
split
somat/o
body
-genic
produced by
-leptic
to seize hold of
-mania
obsessive preoccupation
-phobia
fear (irrational and often disabling)
-phoria
feeling, bearing
-thymia
mind (-)
a-, an-
no, not
cata-
down
hypo-
deficient, less than, below
para-
abnormal
ADLs
activities of daily living
AIMS
abnormal involuntary movement scale - used to monitor signs of tardive dyskinesia
BZD
benzodiazepine
CA
chronological age
CNS
central nervous system
DSM-IV-TR
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision
IQ
intelligence quotient
An IQ test is a standardized test to determine mental age of an individual. The average person is considered to have an IQ of between 90 to 110. Those who score below 70 are considered mentally retarded.
LSD
lysergic acid diethylamide - a hallucinogen
MA
mental age - as determined by psychological tests
MAOI
monoamine oxidase inhibitor; and example is phenelzine (Nardil)/
MMPI
Minnesota Muliphasic Personality Inventory
MR
mental retardation
Rx
therapy
SAD
seasonal addective disorder
SNRI
serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; and example is duloxetine (Cymbalta)
SSRI
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; and example is fluoxetine (Prozac)
TAT
Thematic Apperception Test
TD
tardive dyskinesia
THC
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal - active ingredient in marijuana
WAIS
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
WISC
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
Personality disorders
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, paranoid, schizoid.