Vocabulary
Periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass.
Panic Attacks
A strong, irrational fear of something specific, such as heights or social situations.
Phobia
A treatment process that focuses on changing unwanted behaviors through rewards and reinforcements.
Behavioral treatments in which persons are exposed to the objects or situations they dread.
Exposure Therapy
A low, sad state marked by significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self-worth, guilt, or related symptoms.
Depression
Numerous involuntary, unpleasant thoughts that help to cause or maintain depression, anxiety, or other forms of psychological dysfunction.
Automatic Thoughts
A condition that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event. Includes flashbacks, nightmares, etc.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Treating a group of people who have similar problems and who meet regularly with a trained counselor.
Group Therapy
A treatment in which the patient undergoes hypnosis and is then guided to recall forgotten events or perform other therapeutic activities.
Hypnotherapy
This disorder involves a distorted body image, with an unwarranted fear of being overweight. Marked by the pursuit of extreme thinness and by extreme weight loss.
Anorexia
A state or episode of euphoria or frenzied activity in which people may have an exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking.
Mania
A disorder marked by alternating or intermixed periods of mania and depression.
Bipolar Disorder
Focuses on helping the family function in more positive and constructive ways by exploring patterns in communication and providing support and education.
Family Therapy
Psychotropic drugs that help stabilize the moods of people suffering from bipolar disorder.
Mood Stabilizing Drugs
A dissociative disorder in which a person develops 2 or more distinct personalities.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
The chemical messengers that pass between neurons in the brain, making communication between different areas of the brain possible. (Ex: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, etc.)
Neurotransmitters
Persistent thoughts, fears, urges leading to uncontrollable repetitive behaviors.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
An ongoing dialogue between a patient and mental health professional.
Psychotherapy
A treatment for depression in which electrodes attached to a patient's head send an electrical current through the brain, causing a convulsion.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
A disorder marked by frequent eating binges that are followed by forced vomiting or other extreme compensatory behaviors to avoid gaining weight.
Bulimia
The brain area just behind your forehead that is involved in many important functions, including mood, attention, and immune functioning.
Prefrontal Cortex
A disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
A treatment method designed to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns that can lead to feelings and behaviors that may be troublesome, self-defeating, or self-destructive.
Cognitive Therapy
A treatment procedure for depression in which an electroMAGNETIC coil, which is placed on or above a patient's head, sends a current into the individual's brain.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
A bipolar disorder marked by numerous periods of HYPOmanic symptoms and MILD depressive symptoms.
Cyclothymic Disorder