Affective Disorder – a group of disorders characterized by a prolonged, pervasive disturbance of mood together with a full or partial manic or depressive response that is not caused by a separate physical or mental disorder Anxiety – a state of intense apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation, often to a degree that normal physical and psychological functioning is disrupted Anxiety Disorder – any of various disorders in which anxiety is either the primary disturbance or is the result of confronting a feared situation or object; they include obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder Behavioral Health Assessment – a psychological evaluation, especially in order to develop a treatment plan Behavioral Medicine – the application of behavior therapy techniques to the prevention and treatment of medical and psychosomatic disorders and to the treatment of undesirable behaviors Bereavement – suffering the loss of a loved one Bipolar Disorder – an affective disorder marked by alternating periods of euphoria and depression; formerly called manic-depression Borderline Personality Disorder – a personality disorder marked by a long-standing pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, behavior, mood and self-image that can interfere with social or occupational functioning or cause extreme emotional distress Clinician – a physician, psychologist or psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of patients, not in other areas such as research Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – a technique in psychotherapy that utilizes self-discovery, imaging, self-instruction and related forms of elicited cognitions as the principal mode of treatment Crisis – an emotionally stressful event or a traumatic change in one’s life Depression – a psychotic or neurotic condition characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia or hypersomnia, and feelings of extreme sadness, dejection, and hopelessness Diagnosis – the act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disorder through evaluation and patient history, examination, and laboratory data Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – therapy in which a particular problematic behavior or event is explored in detail, beginning with the chain of events leading up to it, going through alternative solutions that might have been used, and examining what kept the patient from using more adaptive solutions to the problem Eating Disorder – a potentially life-threatening neurotic condition, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, often seen in young women Efficacy– the degree to which a therapy produces the desired effect; effectiveness Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) – therapy that utilizes a convulsive response to an electrical stimulus; ECT is usually used for people who do not respond to medication or who cannot take medication for health reasons Inpatient – a patient who is admitted to a hospital or clinic for treatment that requires at least one overnight stay Medical Trauma – emotional trauma brought about by the onset of a physical illness Mental Illness – any of various disorders characterized chiefly by abnormal behavior or an inability to function socially, including diseases of the mind and personality and certain diseases of the brain MICA (Mental Illness Chemically Addicted) – any number of programs that deal with a person’s particular emotional disorder while simultaneously addressing substance abuse issues Mood Disorder– any number of disorders characterized by depression or bipolar symptoms Outpatient– a patient who is admitted to a hospital or clinic for treatment that does not require an overnight stay Personality Disorder – a group of disorders in which patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about one’s self and one’s environment interfere with the long-term functioning of the individual, often manifested in deviant behavior and lifestyle Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – an anxiety disorder affecting individuals who have experienced profound emotional trauma, characterized by recurrent flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, eating disorders, anxiety, fatigue, forgetfulness, and social withdrawal Psychiatry– the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders Psychology– the science that deals with mental processes and behavior Psychotherapy – the treatment of mental and emotional disorders through the use of psychological techniques designed to encourage communication of conflicts and insight into problems, with the goal being personality growth and behavior modification Symptom – an indication of disorder or disease, especially when experienced by an individual as a change from normal function, sensation or appearance. Thought disorder – see Mood Disorders Trauma– an emotional wound or shock that creates substantial lasting damage to one’s psychological development, often leading to neurosis Traumatology – the branch of psychology that deals with the treatment of those who have problems associated with traumatic events Treatment – administration or application of remedies to a patient or for a disease, disorder or injury Triage – a process for sorting people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment