Unit 9: Vocabulary

An eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a normal minimal body weight, fear of gaining weight.

Many people worry that the pressure on teenage girls to look like models causes anorexia.

A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation.

John had suffered from anxiety for several years before he sought treatment.

An institution for the care of people, especially those with physical or mental impairments, who require organized supervision or assistance.

Nowadays, people usually say 'psychiatric hospital' instead of 'asylum' as it sounds better.

Abnormal self-absorption, usually affecting children, characterized by a lack of response to people and actions and limited ability to communicate .

The film 'Rainman' did a lot to educate people on the effects of autism.

An inner drive that causes a person to perform actions, often of a trivial and repetitive nature .

At first his compulsion to count the M&M's seemed strange, but we all got used to it quickly.

Any non-standard process which focuses on the action instead of the result as a means of therapy.

Some coma clinics use color therapy as a creative therapy to try and stimulate the patients' brains.

A belief held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.

When his delusion became so strong that he lost touch with reality, he had to be sent to a psychiatric hospital for his own safety.

A state of serious emotional and mental deterioration.

It can be very distressing to see the effects of dementia on elderly relatives.

The treatment of certain psychotic conditions by passing an electric current through the brain to induce coma or convulsions.

Electroconvulsive therapy is usually the last resort when treating major depressive disorders.

Incision into the frontal lobe of the brain to sever one or more nerve tracts .

Although now viewed as barbaric, the frontal lobotomy was one of the only options available to surgeons at the time.

A psychiatric medication used to treat mood disorders characterized by intense and sustained mood shifts.

Jane would become extremely sad if she didn't take her mood stabilizers.

A mental condition characterized by persistent, intrusive, and senseless thoughts (obsessions) to perform repetitive behaviors.

The main sign that he was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder, was his need to wash his hands three times after going to the toilet.

An episode of acute and disabling anxiety associated with such physical symptoms as hyperventilation and sweating.

Having a panic attack while driving can result in the complete loss of control of the vehicle.

An abnormal intense and irrational fear of a given situation, organism, or object .

As a result of his phobia of crowds, John refused to go to the supermarket and did all his shopping online.

A disorder that occurs among survivors of severe environmental stress such as a tornado, an airplane crash, or military combat .

Thousands of soldiers returning from the Gulf war suffered from post traumatic stress disorder so badly that it was impossible for them to go back to a normal life.

A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

During her time at medical university, Jane developed an interest in mental health and decided to become a psychiatrist.

A chemical substance that affects the processes of the mind .

Although most people think of LSD when talking about psychoactive drugs, it is worth remembering that they can play a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

A person trained and educated to perform psychological research, testing, and therapy .

John had been seeing his psychologist for several years before he realized the cause of his anxiety.

Treatment of mental disorders and behavioral disturbances using verbal and nonverbal communication.

Some people don't see the value of psychotherapy, because they think that just talking about feelings cannot help a patient.

Any of a group of psychotic disorders usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations.

People suffering from schizophrenia often find it hard to live in the real world.