| Term | Definition |
|---|
| psychological disorder | deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional behavior patterns. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 640) |
| attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 641) |
| medical model | the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured. When applied to psychological disorders, the medical model assumes that these mental illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 642) |
| DSM-IV | the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition), a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. Presently distributed in an updated "text revision" (DSM-IV-TR). (Myers Psychology 8e p. 644) |
| anxiety disorders | psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 649) |
| generalized anxiety disorder | an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 649) |
| panic disorder | an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 650) |
| phobia | an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 650) |
| obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) | an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions). (Myers Psychology 8e p. 651) |
| post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 652) |
| dissociative disorders | disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 656) |
| dissociative identity disorder (DID) | a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Also called multiple personality disorder. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 656) |
| mood disorders | psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes. See major depressive disorder, mania, and bipolar disorder. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 658) |
| bipolar disorder | a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. (Formerly called manic-depressive disorder.) (Myers Psychology 8e p. 659) |
| major depressive disorder | a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 659) |
| mania | a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 659) |
| delusions | false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 669) |
| schizophrenia | a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 669) |
| antisocial personality disorder | a personality disorder is one in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 677) |
| personality disorders | psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 677) |
Combine with other sets
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