Terms Flashcards
Psychiatry Terms
Insight
The ability to recognize one’s own mental illness.
Complete lack of insight is anosognosia,
Psychiatry Terms
Psychosis
a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
Psychiatry Terms
Mood
A pervasive and sustained emotion that colours the person’s perception. Common examples of mood include depression, elation, anger, and anxiety.
Psychiatry Terms
Congruent
Mood and affect in sync with each other
Psychiatry Terms
Psychomotor retardation
Slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movements.
- Associated with major depression and in the depressed phase of bipolar disorder.
- Also with adverse reactions of benzodiazepines, cannabis and antipsychotics
Psychiatry Terms
Affect
The observable behavior that represents the expression of a subjectively experienced emotion.
Range varies between different cultures and even within the same culture.
Common examples
- sadness, fear, joy, and anger.
Types
- euthymic, irritable, constricted; blunted; flat; inappropriate, and labile.
Psychiatry Terms
Clanging
Mode of speech characterized by association of words based upon sound rather than concepts that is situationally inappropriate. For example rhyming or alliteration.
- Associated with schizophrenia
Psychiatry Terms
Grandiose
Unrealistic sense of superiority that causes them to view others with disdain or inferior to themselves.
- Commonly features in manic episodes of bipolar disorder
Psychiatry Terms
Delusion
Fixed false belief that is not consistent with the culture that they are in.
Psychiatry Terms
Thought withdrawal
The delusional belief that thoughts have been ‘taken out’ of the patient’s mind, and the patient has no power over this. Often accompanies thought blocking.
- Positive symptom of schizophrenia
Psychiatry Terms
Thought blocking
‘An unanticipated, quick and total emptying of the mind.’
Speech is suddenly interrupted by silence.
When the speech continues, they will often speak about a subject completely unrelated.
- Associated with schizophrenia
Psychiatry Terms
Ideas of reference
the idea that things completely disconnected from them are influencing them or conveying messages to them
Psychiatry Terms
Delusions of reference
Like ideas of reference but to a greater conviction.
Psychiatry Terms
Thought broadcasting
The delusional belief that others can hear or are aware of an individual’s thoughts.
Psychiatry Terms
Delirium Tremens
Acute withdrawal of alcohol causing hallucinations, disorientation, tachycardia, hypertension, fever, agitation, diaphoresis in the setting of alcohol cessation or reduction, this affects 5% of those in alcohol withdrawal.
Psychiatry Terms
Wernicke’s Encephalopathy
Characterised by ataxia, nystagmus, ophthalmoplegia, and acute confusion caused by mamillary body damage secondary to thiamine deficiency
Psychiatry Terms
Othello Syndrome
Aka Morbid Jealousy.
A strong delusional belief that their spouse or sexual partner is being unfaithful without having any significant proof to their claim.
Psychiatry Terms
Anxiety vs Fear
Anxiety
- a response to a threat that is unknown, internal, vague or conflictual.
Fear
- a response to a threat that is known, external, definite
Psychiatry Terms
Serotonin Syndrome
Too little is thought to play a role in depression. Too much can lead to excessive nerve cell activity, causing a potentially deadly collection of symptoms known as serotonin syndrome.
Having a TCAs, SSRIs or pethidine overdose is not SMARTS
S - Sweating M - Myoclonus A - ANS instability R - Rigidity T - Temperature increase S - Seizures
Psychiatry Terms
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
A life-threatening neurological side effect caused by neuroleptic or antipsychotic drugs. F - Fever E - Elevated enzymes V - Vitals instability E - Encephalopathy R - Rigidity of muscles
