Phenomenology Flashcards
define “anhedonia”
inability to experience joy/pleasure
2 types of anhedonia?
physical
and
social
depersonalisation?
loss of sense of awareness or existence as a person
detachment from oneself
derealisation?
loss of sense of reality of surroundings
Define phenomenology
The empathic assessment (by the clinician) of subjective experience (of the patient)
Phenomenology is a branch of “descriptive psychopathology”
dysmegalopsia?
change in shape of an object (a form of sensory distortion)
macropsia?
things are interpreted as larger than they are
Illusion?
altered, false-perception of an actual external stimulus
Hallucination
false-perception of a stimulus which itself is ABSENT (ie false sensory perception, no stimulus present)
can apply to any of the senses (auditory hallucinations, olfactory, visual, tactile, gustatory)
Negative hallucination (aka negative autoscopy)
stimulus present but nothing perceived (eg the experience of looking into the mirror and not seeing anything)
affective illusion
prevailing emotional state leading to misperception, esp fear (eg being so scared of a bear you swear you just saw one)
pareidolic illusion
vivid mental images occurring without conscious effort when perceiving poorly-defined stimuli. Increased by attention (eg seeing images in clouds). Note, this is partly under voluntary control and not considered part of a mental illness
completion illusion
perception that an incomplete stimulus is complete. Occurs during inattention (banished with attention)
Pseudohallucinations?
A form of imagery, experienced as eminating from within the mind (like a “vision”) rather than perceived by actual senses
They are vivid, unwilled, not subject to conscious control/manipulation. Lack substantiality of normal perception. Insight retained.
Can occur in depression, obsessional states, hysteria, personality disorder
