Abnormal Behaviour: The idea of 'normal' is
statistical (mathematical) in nature and refers to a way of
making sense out of a group of things. In any group of things,
you have some differences on important characteristics. Normal
tends to mean Average. Persons who act and behave in an
average, common sort of way can be described as having normal
behaviour. Persons whose behaviour is not typical or common can
be described as displaying 'abnormal behaviour'. In the purest
sense of the term, this is what abnormal behaviour means. In
actual practice, however, the term 'abnormal behaviour' has
become more or less synonymous with mental illness.
Adjustment Disorder: Adjustment disorder occurs when a person experiences emotional and behavioural symptom of depression and/or anxiety that is clearly in response to an identifiable stressor or stressors (changes in employment, marital status, deaths, divorce etc.). The diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder is most appropriate when the patient is experiencing distress above the normal amount that might be expected in response to stressor(s) and/or when the stressor(s) cause school grades to drop or work performance to fall off. When the diagnosis is made, the clinician is encouraged to tag the diagnosis with a specifier that identifies the type of symptoms that are present (e.g., depression, anxiety etc.).
Agoraphobia: : Literally, "fear of the marketplace". Agoraphobia is an unwanted, often paralyzing fear of being in any public place in which people feel it will be difficult to escape from or receive the help they might need in case they have a panic attack. Persons with agoraphobia almost always have panic attacks that preceded and contributed to their agoraphobia. Once they have had intense anxiety feelings or a panic attack in a particular place they then associate that place with panic and anxiety, which leads to avoidance. Over a period of time they generalize more and more places with fear responses. In severe cases, persons with agoraphobia are unable/not willing to leave their homes without the aid of a 'safe' person. The treatment is exposure with response prevention; so they also need to learn relaxation techniques as well as cognitive techniques.
Akathesia: Akathesia translates to "inability to sit still" or "restlessness". One of the several 'drug-induced movement disorders'. Akathesia is a common side effect associated with the use of anti-psychotic medications (neuroleptics). It is characterized by excessive, usually stereotyped (repetitive) movements such as pacing, foot tapping and rocking of the body back and forth. CHECK DUPLICATION HERE
Alexythymia: A condition where a
person is unable to describe emotion in words. Frequently,
alexythmic individuals are unaware of what their feelings
are.
Anhedonia: A psychological condition
typified by the inability to feel pleasure from normally pleasurable
experiences. A person stops receiving pleasure from activities that
used to bring him/her pleasure in the past. This condition is often an
integral feature of major depression.
Anxiety disorders: The most common mental illnesses, they
include three main types - phobias (extreme fear or dread of a
particular object or situation), panic disorders (sudden, intense
feelings of terror for no apparent reason, often accompanied by heart
attack-like symptoms) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (anxious
impulses to repeat words or phrases or to engage in repetitive,
ritualistic behaviour, such as constant hand-washing).
Aphasia: An impairment of the ability to
speak or to comprehend words, usually acquired as a result of a stroke
or other brain injury.
Asperger's Disorder: It is a type of
pervasive developmental disorder similar to Autism that typically
manifests in childhood. It is characterized by social impairments
(which may include poor body language and eye contact skills, failure
to develop peer relationships, lack of spontaneous sharing of
experience, lack of reciprocity) and the presence of repetitive
behaviour and interest patterns. Asperger children typically become
overly focused on their interests and may resist efforts to redirect
their behaviour. They also frequently show odd stereotype hand or body movements. Unlike in autism, there are no significant delays in the development of language or cognitive abilities.
Assessment: Assessment refers to the process of measurement. In
mental health, assessment refers to the process of having your
personality, intelligence or brain functioning tested.
Autism: AUTISM is a severely incapacitating lifelong
developmental disability that typically appears during the first three
years of life.
No known factors in the psychological environment of a child have been
shown to cause autism. The symptoms are caused by physical disorders of the
brain. They include:
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Disturbances in the rate of appearance of physical, social and language skills. |
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Abnormal responses to sensations. Any one or a combination of senses or responses are affected: sight, hearing, touch, pain, balance, smell,
taste and the way a child holds his body. |
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Speech and language are absent or delayed while specific thinking capabilities might be present. |
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Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.
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