The central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to one's well-being.

The central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger.

A disorder marked by persistant and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities.

DSM-IV-TR CHECKLIST

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

1). Excessive or ongoing anxiety and worry, for at least 6 months, about numerous events or activities.

2). Difficulty controlling the worry.

3). At least three of the following symptoms: restlesness, easy fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance.

4). Significant distress or impairment.

The Humanistic Therapy developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try tp help clients by being accepting, empathizing accurately, and conveying genuineness.

The inaccurate and inappropriate beliefs held by people with various psychological problems, according to Albert Ellis.

A cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis that helps clients identify and change the irrational assumptions assumptions and thinking that help cause their psychological disorder.

A research design in which investigators determine how many and which relatives of a person with a disorder have the same disorder.

Benzodiazepines

The most common group of antianxiety drugs, which includes Valium and Xanax.

The neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, whose low activity has been linked to generalized anxiety disorder.

Drugs that calm people at lower doses and help them to fall asleep at higher doses.

A treatment procedure that teaches clients to relax at will so they can calm themselves in stressful situations.

A technique in which a client is given information about physiological reactions as they occur and learns to control the reactions voluntarily.

Electromyograph (EMG)

A device that provides feedback about the level of muscular tension in the body.

A persistant and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity, or situation.

A severe and persistant fear of a specific object or situation (other than agoraphobia and social phobia).

A process of learning in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become tied together in a person's mind and so produce the same response.

DSM-IV-TR

SPECIFIC PHOBIA

1). Marked and persistant fear of a specific object or situation that is excessive or unreasonable, lasting at least 6 months.
2). Immediate anxiety usually produced by exposure to the object.
3). Recognition that the fear excessive or unreasonable.
4). Avoidance of the feared situation.
5). Significant distress or impairment.

A process of learning in which a person observes and then imitates others. Also, a therapy approach based on the same principle.

A predisposition to develop certain fears.

Behavioral Treatments in which persons are exposed to the objects or situations they dread.

A behavioral treatment that uses relaxation training and a fear hierarchy to help clients with phobias react calmly to the objects or situations they dread.

A treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless.

DSM-IV-TR

SOCIAL PHOBIA

1). Marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations involving exposure to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others, lasting at least 6 months. Concern about humiliating or embarrassing oneself.

2). Anxiety usually produced by exposure to the social situation.

3). Recognition that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.

4). Avoidance of feared situations.

5). Significant distress or impairment.

A severe and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. Also known as social anxiety disorder.

A therapy approach that helps people learn or improve social skills and assertiveness through role playing and rehearsing of desirable behaviors.

Periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass.

An anxiety disorder marked by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks.

DSM-IV-TR

PANIC DISORDER

1. Recurrent unexpected panic attacks.

2. A month or more of one of the following after at least one of the attacks.

a. Persistent concern about having additional attacks.

b. Worry about the implications or consequences of the attack.

c. Significant change in behavior related to the attacks.

An anxiety disorder in which a person is afraid to be in places or situations from which escape maight be difficult (or embarrassing) or help unavailable if panic-like symptoms were to occur.

A neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to panic disorder and depression.

A small area of the brain that seems to be active in the regulaion of emotions. Many of its neurons use norepinephrine.

A small, almond shaped structure in the brain that processes emotional information.

A procedure used to produce panic in participants or clients by having them exercise vigorously or perform some other potentially panic-inducing task in the presence of a researcher or therapist.

A tendency to focus on one's bodily sensations, assess them illogically, and interpret them as harmful.

A persistent thought, idea, impulse, or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive, and causes anxiety.

A repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety.

A disorder in which a person has recurrent and unwanted thoughts, a need to perform repetitive and rigid actions, or both.

DSM-IV-TR

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

1). Recurrent obsessions or compulsions.

2). Past or present recognition that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable.

3). Significant distress or impairment, or disruption by symptoms for more than one hour a day.

An ego defense mechanism in which people unconsciously isolate and disown undesirable and unwanted thoughts, experiencing them as foreign intrusions.

An ego defense mechanism whereby a person unconsciously cancels out an unacceptable desire or act by performing another act.

An ego defense mechanism whereby a person suppresses an unacceptable desire by taking on a lifestyle that expresses the opposite desire.

A behavioral treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder that exposes a client to anxiety-arousing thoughts or situations and then prevents the client from performing his or her compulsive acts. Also called exposure or ritual prevention.

A person's attempt to eliminate unwanted thoughts by  thinking or behaving in ways that put matters right internally, making up for the unacceptable thoughts.

A neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders.

A region of the brain in which impulses involving excretion, sexuality, violence, and other primitive activities normally arise.

Structures in the brain, within the region known as the basal ganglia, that helps covert sensory information into thoughts and actions.

Stress Management Program

An approach to treating generalized and other anxiety disorders that teaches clients techniques for reducing and controlling stress.

The network of nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system to all the other organs of the body.

The system of glands located throughout the body that help control important activities such as growth and sexual activity.

The nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that quicken the heartbeat and produce other changes experienced as arousal and fear.

The nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that help return bodily processes to normal.

One route by which the brain and body produce arousal and fear.

A group of hormones, including cortisol, released by the adrenal glands at times of stress.

An anxiety disorder in which fear and releated symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event and last less than a month.

An anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event.

DSM-IV-TR

POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

1). A history of having experienced, witnessed, or confronted event(s) involving death, serious injury, or threat to the physical integrity of self or others. Reaction of intense fear, helplessness, or horror produced by event.
2). Event persistently reexperienced in at least one of the following ways: Recurrent distressing recollections; Recurrent distressing dreams, illusions, flashbacks, or a sense of reliving the experience; Distress caused by reminders of the event; or Physical arousal produced by reminders of the event.

DSM-IV-TR

POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER 

cont...

3). Persistent avoidance of reminders of the event and a subjective sense of numbing, detachment, or emotional unresponsiveness.
4). At least two marked symptoms of increased arousal:

Difficulty Sleeping, Irritability, Poor concentration, Hypervigilance, or exaggerated startle response.
5). Significant distress or impairment, with symptoms lasting at least one month.

Forced sexual intercourse or another sexual act committed against a nonconsneting person or intercourse with an underage person.

The use of brutal, degrading, and disorienting strategies to reduce victims to a state of utter helplessness.

An exposure treatment in which clients move their eyes in a rhythmic manner from side to side while flooding their minds with images of objects and situations they ordinarily avoid.

A group that meets to talk about and explore members' problems in an atmosphere of mutual support.

A form of crisis intervention in which victims are helped to talk about their feelings and reactions to traumatic incidents. Also called critical incident stress debriefing.

Illnesses that result from an interaction of psychosocial and organic factors. Also known as psychosomatic disorders.

DSM-IV-TR

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING MEDICAL CONDITION

1). The presence of a general medical condition.

2). Psychological factors adversely affecting the general medical condition in one of the following ways:

Influencing the course of the general medical condition; interfering with the treatment of the general medical condition; Posing additional health risks; Stress-related physiological responses precipitating or exacerbating the general medical condition.

A lesion that forms in the wall of the stomach or of the duodenum.

A medical problem marked by narrowing of the trachea and bronchi, which results in shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and a choking sensation.

Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

A headache caused by a narrowing of muscles surrounding the skull. Also known as tension headache.

A very severe headache that occurs on one side of the head, often preceded by a warning sensation and sometimes accompanied by dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

Chronic high blood pressure.

Illness of the heart caused by blockage in the coronary arteries.

A personality pattern characterized by hostility, cynicism, driveness, impatience, competitiveness, and ambition.

A personality pattern in which persons are more relaxed, less aggressive, and less concerned about time.

The study of the connection between stress, the body's immune system, and illness.

The body's network of activities and cells that identify and destroy antigens and cancer cells.

A foreign invader of the body, such as a bacterium or virus.

Lymphocytes

White blood cells that circulate through the lymph system and bloodstream, helping the body identify and destroy antigens and cancer cells.

A field that combines psychological and physical interventions to treat or prevent medical problems.

A low, sad state marked by significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self-worth, guilt, or related symptoms.

A state or episode of euphoria or frenzied activity in which people may have and exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking.

Depression without a history of mania.

A disorder marked by alternating or intermixed periods of mania and depression.

A severe pattern of depression that is disabling and is not caused by such factors as drugs or a general medical condition.

A mood disorder that is similar to but longer-lasting and less disabling than a major depressive disorder.

DSM-IV-TR

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

1). The presence of at least 5 of the following symptoms during the same two-week period: depressed mood most of the day, nearly everyday; markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities most of the day, nearly everyday; significant weight loss or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly everyday; imsomnia or hypersomnia nearly everyday; psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly everyday; fatigue or loss of energy nearly everyday; feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt nearly everyday; reduced ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly everyday; recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, a suicide attempt, or a specific plan for committing suicide.

DSM-IV-TR

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

continued...

2). Significant Distress or impairment.

DSM-IV-TR

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

1). The presence of a major depressive episode.

2). No history of a manic or hypomanic episode.

DSM-IV-TR

DYSTHYMIC DISORDER

1). Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, for at least two years.

2). Presence, while depressed, of at least two of the following: poor appetite or overeating; insomnia or hypersomnia; low energy or fatigue; low self-esteem; poor concentration or difficulty making decisions; feelings of hopelessness.

3). During a two-year period symptoms not absent for more than 2 months at a time.

4). No history of manic or hypomanic episode.

5). Significant distress or impairment.

According to Freudian theory, the loss of a valued object (for example, a loss of employment) that is unconsciously interpreted as the loss of a loved one. Also called imagined loss.

A pattern of depressed behavior found amoung very young children that is caused by seperation from one's mother.

The three forms of negative thinking that Aaron Beck theorizes lead people to feel depressed. The triad consists of a negative view of one's experiences, oneself, and the future.

Numerous unpleasant thoughts that help to cause or maintain depression, anxiety, or other forms of psychological dysfunction.

The perception, based on past experiences, that one has no control over one's reinforcements.

Bipolar I Disorder

A type of bipolar disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes.

DSM-IV-TR

MANIC EPISODE

1). A period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least one week.

2) Persistence of at least three of the following: inflated self-esteem or grandiosity; decreased need for sleep; more talkativeness than usual, or pressure to keep talking; flight if ideas or the experience that thoughts are racing; distractibility; increase in activity or psychomotor agitation; excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences.

3). Significant distress or impairment.

DSM-IV-TR

BIPOLAR I DISORDER

1). The presence of a manic, hypomanic, or major depressive episode.

2). If currently in a hypomanic or major depressive episode, history of a manic episode.

3). Significant distress or impairment.

DSM-IV-TR

BIPOLAR II DISORDER

1). The presence of a hypomanic or major depressive episode.

2). If currently in a major depressive episode, history of a hypomanic episode. If currently in a hypomanic episode, history of a major depressive episode. No history of a manic episode.

3). Significant distress or impairment.

A type of bipolar disorder marked by mildly manic (hypomanic) episodes and major depressive episodes.

A disorder marked by numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms.

Cognitive Therapy

A therapy developed by Aaron Beck that helps people identify and change the maldaptive assumptions and ways of thinking that help cause their psychological disorder.

A treatment for unipolar depression that is based on the belief that clarifying and changing one's interpersonal problems will help lead to recovery.

A therapy format in which the therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship.

A treatment for depression in which electrodes attached to a patient's head send an electrical current through the brain, causing a convulsion.

An antidepressant drug that prevents the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase.

An antidepressant drud such as imipramine that has three rings in its molecular structure.

A group of second-generation antidepressant drugs that increase serotonin activity specifically, without affecting other neurotransmitters.

A treatment procedure for depression in which an implanted pulse generator sends regular electrical signals to a person's vagus nerve; the nerve, in turn, stimulates the brain.

A treatment procedure for depression in which an electromagnetic coil, which is place on or above a person's head, sends a current into the individual's brain.

A treatment procedure for depression in which a pacemaker powers electrodes that have been implanted in Brodmann Area 25, thus stimulating that brain area.

A metallic element that occurs in nature as a mineral salt and is an effective treatment for bipolar disorders.

Psychotropic drugs that help stabilize the moods of people suffering from bipolar mood disorder. Also known as antibipolar drugs.

Chemical changes within a neuron just after the neuron receives a neurotransmitter message and just before it responds.