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Sources: Oxford dictionary, DMS IV and
online medical dictionary 2005
ADHD: Attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood behavioral disorder,
Children who have are unable to focus, are impulsive, or are easily distracted.
For example, children with ADHD often cannot sit still or pay attention in
school.
Autism: Autism is a
developmental disability which affects communication, social interaction and
behaviour.
Bipolar disorder:
Bipolar mood disorder is the new name for what was called manic depressive
illness. The new name is used as it better describes the extreme mood swings -
from depression and sadness to elation and excitement.
Classical conditioning:
the term "classical conditioning" to describe one type of associative
learning in which there is no contingency between response and reinforcer.
Cognitive behaviour
therapy: Cognitive behaviour therapy is sometimes called just 'cognitive
therapy'. It involves learning from a therapist to overcome the distorted,
negative thinking patterns that can lead to depression. Cognitive behaviour
therapists may also use other techniques, like getting the depressed person to
do more things that give them pleasure, helping them to solve problems in their
life, and learning better social skills.
Counselling:
Counselling is an informed dialogue or discussion between a counsellor and a
client which typically helps the person being counselled to identify their
issues, feelings and circumstances in his or her life which are causing, or
contributing to, concern and unhappiness.
Depressive disorder:
Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving body, mood, and thoughts. It
affects the way one eats and sleeps, the way she or he feels about the self, and
the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a
passing blue mood. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull
themselves together" and get better.
Dissociative disorder:
Dissociative identity disorder (DID, formerly called MPD, or multiple
personality disorder) is a psychological response to trauma that is usually
severe and occurs early in childhood. DID has been called a “chronic form of
post-traumatic disorder”.
Drug therapy: The
intake of medication to assist in the treatment of a condition.
Eating disorder:
An eating disorder is a mental illness. However, unlike most mental
illnesses they have a strong physical component and the effects of the eating
disorder can have serious consequences on the body. An eating disorder is
present when a person constantly thinks about eating or not eating, feels out of
control around food, uses food to meet needs other than hunger or becomes
obsessed about food, weight and body shape.
Experiential therapy:
Experiential therapy techniques places
the soul in action externalizing and resolving inner developmental conflicts by
re-creating personal stories from past and present circumstances and
transforming them into tolerable life experiences.
Family therapy:
Family therapy is a way of working with people with problems. It is based on the
idea that the behaviour of individuals and families is influenced and maintained
by the way other individuals and systems interact with them. This way of working
involves engaging with the whole family system as a functioning unit.
Grief:
Grief is the combination of sorrow, strong
emotion, and the resulting confusion that comes from losing someone important to
a person. Not only does one mourns the loss of that person, but one also mourns
for his or herself.
Group therapy:
Group psychotherapy, like individual psychotherapy, is intended to help people
who would like to improve their ability to cope with difficulties and problems
in their lives. But, while in individual therapy the patient meets with only one
person (the therapist), in group therapy the meeting is with a whole group and
one or two therapists. Group therapy focuses on interpersonal interactions, so
relationship problems are addressed well in groups.
Marital therapy:
Couple therapy is a specialized field of therapy that focuses on assisting
couples to overcome problems and achieve their goals.
Obsessive compulsive
disorder: OCD usually involves having both
obsessions and compulsions, though a person with OCD may sometimes have only one
or the other.
Operant conditioning:
Used to describe one type of associative learning in which there is a
contingency between the response and the presentation of the reinforcer.
Panic disorder and
agoraphobia: Agoraphobia results from anxiety and leads to avoidance of
situations where that anxiety occurs. For example, you many find it hard to
leave the house, use public transport or queue in a supermarket.
Post-traumatic stress
disorder: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric
disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of
life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist
incidents, serious accidents, or violent events.
Psychoanalysis:
Psychoanalysis is both a treatment and a method for
learning about how our minds work. It stems from the
insights of Sigmund Freud into the human mind.
Schizophrenia:
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. People with
schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices
not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds,
controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may leave
them fearful and withdrawn. Their speech and behavior can be so disorganized
that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others.
Self help group: A
self-help group is a voluntary gathering of people who share a common problem,
condition, or history. By coming together, members share support and ideas on
how to cope and live more productive and fulfilling lives. Groups are usually
free of charge, on-going, and open to new members.
Somatoform Disorder:
People with somatoform disorder have a number of different symptoms that
typically last for several years. Their symptoms can't be traced to a specific
physical cause. In people with somatoform disorder, medical test results are
either normal or don't explain the person's symptoms. People who have somatoform
disorder often become very worried about their health because they don't know
what is causing their health problems.
Stress: Stress is
the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as one adjusts to our continually
changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create
positive or negative feelings.
Substance abuse:
Substance abuse can be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any
substance for mood-altering purposes (Eg: alcohol, illegal drugs, medications,
harmful inhalation of paints, glue etc..)
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