Unit 9 Vocabulary — Mental Health

Noun (thing)
Anorexia
an eating disorder characterized by the inability to maintain a normal, minimal body weight
Many people worry that the pressure on teenage girls to look like models causes anorexia.
Noun (thing)
Anxiety
a state of apprehension, uncertainty and fear
John had suffered from anxiety for several years before he sought treatment.
Noun (thing)
Asylum
an institution specializing in the care of people with physical or mental impairments
Nowadays, people usually say 'psychiatric hospital' instead of 'asylum' as it sounds better.
Proper noun (thing)
Autism
a disorder characterized by a limited ability to communicate and interact normally with other people
The film 'Rainman' did a lot to educate people on the effects of autism.
Noun (thing)
Compulsion
a strong inner drive that causes a person to perform repetitive actions, often of a trivial nature
At first his compulsion to count the M&M's seemed strange, but we all got used to it quickly.
Noun (thing)
Creative therapy
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.
Noun (thing)
Delusion
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.
Noun (thing)
Dementia
a state of serious emotional and mental deterioration
It can be very distressing to see the effects of dementia on elderly relatives.
Noun (thing)
ECT (electroconvulsive therapy)
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.
Noun (thing)
Frontal lobotomy
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.
Noun (thing)
Mood stabilizers
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.
Noun (thing)
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
a mental condition characterized by persistent, intrusive, and senseless thoughts 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.
Noun (thing)
Panic attack
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.
Noun (thing)
Phobia
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.
Noun (thing)
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
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.
Noun (person)
Psychiatrist
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.
Noun (thing)
Psychoactive drug
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.
Noun (person)
Psychologist
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.
Noun (thing)
Psychotherapy
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.
Noun (thing)
Schizophrenia
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.