Key Terms Flashcards
A chronic state of low mood, usually with an insidious onset and lasting at least 2 weeks
dysthymia
Happy, contented mood
euthymia
Word used to describe sustained and pervasive emotion
mood
Short lived observable pattern of behaviour that expresses the subjective emotional state of an individual. It is subject to variation over brief periods of time
affect
Affect is rapidly changeable with marked fluctuations. Subject may be cheerful/smiling then crying
labile
Total inability to enjoy anything in life or get accustomed satisfaction from everyday events/objects. Cannot experience pleasure
anhedonia
An inability to verbally express one’s emotions
alexithymia
The subject sits abnormally still or walks abnormally slowly or takes a long time to initiate movement
psychomotor retardation
The subject talks too much. There seems to be undue pressure to get the words out. He speaks too fast, his voice is too loud and unnecessary words are added
pressure of speech
No speech, inability to produce words orally
aphasia
New words with no real meaning
neologisms
Repetition of a particular response (phrase/word) despite absence or cessation of stimulus. Linked to organic brain disorders
preseveration
Rapid flow of thought, manifested by accelerated speech with abrupt changes in topic (often some form of link). Loss of normal thought structure (illogical or muddled) often seen in mania
flight of ideas
As if own thoughts are being spoken out loud. Repetition may not be an echo alone, it may be changed to some degree
thought echo
The subject experiences thoughts which are not his own intruding into his mind. In the most typical case the alien thoughts are said to have been inserted into the mind from outside, by means of radar telepathy or some other means
thought insertion
The subject says that his thoughts have been removed from his head by an external agency so that he has no thoughts (often able to describe the sensation of the thoughts leaving)
thought withdrawal
Subject experiences thoughts as if they’re shared with others (often many). Often claims they are shared via telepathy, radio or TV
thought broadcast
This represents a step down from normal alertness. There is a deterioration in thinking, attention, perception and memory and usually drowsiness and reduced awareness of environment
clouding of consciousness
Inability to understand abstract ideas or concepts, literalness of understanding or expression
concrete thinking
Loss of normal structured thinking: muddled or illogical without becoming clearer with questioning. Disorder of thought form
loosening of associations
Change in awareness of self. The individual feels as if they are not real and detached. May feel they have changed and the world around them is vague, dreamlike or lacks significance. Has insight (to a degree) and recognises this is abnormal
depersonalisation
The subject experiences his surroundings as unreal. An office or bus or a street seems like a stage set with actors, rather than real people. Everything seems colourless, artificial and dead. The subject maintains some understanding and recognises this is abnormal
derealisation
Flase perception of a real stimulus. Three types: affect, completion and pareidolia
illusion
A perceptual experience which is figurative, not concretely real and occurs in inner subjective space, not in external objective space. It has the quality of an idea.
pseudo hallucination
Perception which occurs in the absence of a stimulus. The experience is false but to the individual experiencing it, it has the full force of a real perception so is indistinguishable from reality. It is in external space not the mind’s eye
withdrawal
the voices say “you’re going to die; you’re going to die”
2nd person auditory hallucination
“The voices are talking to each other about me, they say I am evil and mad”
3rd person auditory hallucination
Believes thoughts/feelings/actions are not their own but imposed by an outside force e.g. someone else’s words leaving their mouth
delusions of control/passivity
A type of primary delusion: this is present when the patient receives a normal perception which is then interpreted with delusional meaning and has immense personal value e.g. seeing a traffic light turn red means you are the king
delusional perception
A fixed, firmly held belief that is held with unshakable conviction despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary and cannot be explained by the subject’s cultural or religious background
delusion
Extreme negativity – such as the subject no longer existing, about to die, already dead or feeling impending doom
nihilistic delusion
Special status or significance or special powers/attributes or special mission/purpose
delusions of grandeur
Delusional belief that innocuous events/coincidences are directly linked and have significance e.g. TV or radio are talking about them
ideas of reference
