Glossary: A-E
A
acupuncture: A procedure adapted from Chinese medicine in which specific body parts are pierced with fine needles to relieve pain or treat other conditions.
adjustment disorder: A mental illness characterized by anxiety, depression and an inability to adjust to stressful life events.
affect: A psychologist’s general term for the observable appearance of emotion.
age-related depression: Depression symptoms that appear in the elderly population, with or without a history of depression. Can be influenced by changes associated with aging, including loss of loved ones and independence. Associated with an increased risk of suicide.
agitated depression : A major disorder involving depression with restlessness and excited, possibly manic, movement.
agoraphobia: Intense fear of being in a place or situation that seemingly cannot be escaped easily (particularly in conjunction with fear of having a panic attack in such a place). Symptoms include severe anxiety or refusal to leave home.
alcoholism: A disease involving chronic dependence on alcohol. Alcoholism can be both a cause and a result of depression.
American Psychiatric Association: National organization responsible for determining official diagnostic criteria for mental health problems, as reflected in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication that elevates mood by raising the level of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
analyses: In psychology, methods used to understand complex emotional or behavioral issues.
anemia: A lack of healthy numbers of red blood cells. Anemia can occur due to blood disorders, malnutrition, blood loss and cancer.
anhedonia: A lack of enjoyment in activities usually deemed pleasurable.
anorexia nervosa: An eating disorder characterized by a distorted body image, the belief that one is overweight, and self-starvation.
antidepressant: A medication used to treat depression.
antisocial personality disorder: A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, other people’s rights.
anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and/or fear characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, and feelings of stress.
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Also known as ADHD, a learning disorder with high levels of hyperactivity and inattention.
auditory hallucinations: Hearing voices or sounds when no such sounds are present in the environment. Auditory hallucinations are a primary symptom of schizophrenia.
augmentation: The combination of two or more medications in order to achieve better therapeutic results.
autism spectrum disorders: A group of disorders, including autism and Asperger’s syndrome, that cause pervasive problems with language, thinking, feeling and social skills.
B
baby blues: A period of anxiety and depression experience by many women in that days after giving birth.
behavioral genetics: The study of how genetic factors affect behavioral traits.
bipolar disorder: A mood disorder, also called manic-depressive illness or manic-depression, which involves cycles of depression and elation or mania.
bulimia nervosa: An eating disorder that centers on a cycle of binge eating and purging, often through laxative use and self-induced vomiting.
C
chronic depression: Symptoms of depression that last for a period of longer than two years.
chronic major depression: Symptoms of major depressive disorder that persist for two years or longer.
client-centered therapy: A type of psychotherapy associated with psychologist Carl Rogers that stresses the uniqueness of the individual, free will and the desire for self-actualization in treating mental and emotional issues.
cognition: The process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging.
cognitive therapy: A short-term type of psychotherapy based on the concept that the way one thinks about things affects how one feels emotionally.
combination therapy: Treatment using more than one type of therapeutic technique (e.g. medication and psychotherapy).
comorbidity: The presence of two medical conditions in the same person. For instance, anxiety and depression are often comorbid.
corticotropin releasing factor receptor-1: A protein associated with the stress response and anxiety.
counselor: A psychotherapist with at least a Master’s degree in counseling.
cutting: A form of self-injury that involves scratching or cutting one’s own skin so as to break the skin and induce bleeding. Cutting can be associated with depression, particularly in teenagers.
D
deep brain stimulation: A treatment that stimulates specific areas of the brain via a surgically implanted device adjusted to provide optimum levels of stimulation. This method is thought to regulate the thoughts and emotions associated with depression.
deep sleep: The third and fourth stages of the sleep cycle. It’s not easy to awaken people from deep sleep. If they are awakened, they’re often groggy. During deep sleep, the body works to restore energy and immune function.
depression: Abnormally low moods lasting for two or more weeks that inhibit an individual’s ability to function normally.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: A manual published periodically by the American Psychiatric Association that outlines all known mental health disorders and diagnoses.
differential diagnosis: Identification of a specific condition and disqualification of other conditions with similar symptoms, determined through a series of questions and testing.
DNA methylation: Chemicals that help “set” gene expression so cells can continue to perform the same functions during the organism’s life. DNA methylation can occur in early childhood, altering brain mechanisms.
dopamine: An important neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain, associated with mood regulation.
double depression: A condition in which an individual with dysthymia also experiences overlaid episodes of major depression.
dual diagnosis: A combined diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness.
dysphoric mood: An emotional state characterized by sadness, anxiety and irritability. A dysphoric mood is not a clinical mental illness, but can be a symptom of mental disorders.
dysthymia: Form of chronic depression characterized by milder depression symptoms lasting at least two years.
E
electroconvulsive therapy: A procedure that passes an electric current through the brain to produce controlled convulsions (seizures), used to treat patients with depression.
epinephrine: A hormone, also called adrenaline, produced by the adrenal gland as part of the fight-or-flight response. It causes the heartbeat to speed up, strengthens the force of the heart’s contraction, opens up the airways in the lungs and has many other effects.
estrogen: A female sex hormone produced in the ovaries. Estrogen plays an important role in the female reproductive system and development.
eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: A type of PTSD treatment that involves having patients respond to external stimuli, such as hand taps, eye movements and sound, while talking about the traumatic event.