Anxiety, Mood, and Related Disorders

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, trauma-related disorders, mood disorders, and suicide risk assessment.

Anxiety

A normal response to stress (real or perceived) involving feelings of worry, fear, or nervousness that becomes a disorder when it interferes with function.

Fawn (Anxiety Response)

A behavioral response where an individual tries to please others to avoid anxiety or stress.

MAOA Gene

The monoamine oxidase A gene; genetic variations of this gene increase the risk for panic attacks.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive worry and anxiety occurring more days than not for at least $6$ months regarding a number of real-life activities or events.

Separation Anxiety

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety upon separation from those to whom an individual is attached.

Selective Mutism

A consistent failure to speak in specific social situations where speaking is expected, such as school, despite being able to speak in other situations.

Phobia

An irrational fear of an object, person, or situation that leads to a compelling avoidance.

Agoraphobia

Marked fear and anxiety related to travel or locations, such as closed spaces, open spaces, or leaving home alone.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Marked fear and anxiety upon exposure to social situations, often involving rumination on being embarrassed, humiliated, or rejected.

Benzodiazepines

A class of antianxiety medications including diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and lorazepam (Ativan) that act as CNS depressants.

Buspirone (Buspar)

A non-benzodiazepine antianxiety medication that provides little sedation and takes $3$ weeks to be effective.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Psychotherapy directed at how the client thinks, behaves, and reacts to causes and feelings of anxiety.

Exposure Therapy

A treatment where the client is gradually exposed to the underlying cause of anxiety they are avoiding to become more comfortable with the activity.

Panic Attack

Sudden, discrete periods of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by significant physical symptoms like palpitations and feelings of impending doom.

Obsessions

Excessive, unwanted, intrusive, and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that cause anxiety and distress.

Compulsions

Repeatedly performed behaviors or mental actions performed in a ritualistic fashion to reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A persistent preoccupation with perceived defects or flaws in one's appearance, often involving mirror checking or excessive grooming.

Trichotillomania

A pattern of ritualized behavior defined by serially and intentionally pulling out one's hair.

Acute Stress Disorder

A trauma-related disorder with symptoms appearing $3$ days to $1$ month post-trauma.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A trauma-related disorder diagnosed when symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, negative mood, and arousal last longer than $1$ month.

Depersonalization

A manifestation of PTSD where the individual feels detached from themselves.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing; a therapy combining stimuli like eye movements or sounds to help process unresolved traumatic memories.

Mood

A pervasive and sustained emotion that influences one's perception of the world and how one functions.

Affect

The outward emotional expression that provides clues to a person's mood.

Labile Affect

An emotional expression that is rapidly and abruptly shifting.

Anhedonia

The loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed.

Anergia

A state of low energy often associated with depression.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

A disorder characterized by a depressed mood or loss of interest for at least $2$ weeks, plus four additional symptoms such as sleep disruption or suicidal ideation.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A treatment involving electrical currents applied to the brain, typically performed $2$ to $3$ times per week for a total of $6$ to $12$ treatments.

Serotonin Syndrome

A potentially life-threatening adverse effect of SSRIs, SNRIs, and MAOIs characterized by confusion, rapid heart rate, fever, and overactive reflexes.

Tyramine

A substance found in certain foods that must be avoided while taking MAOIs to prevent a life-threatening hypertensive crisis.

Bipolar I Disorder

A classification of Bipolar disorder characterized by periods of major mania alternating with depression.

Hypomania

A less intense, elevated, or agitated mood characteristic of Bipolar II, which does not include psychotic symptoms.

Cyclothymic Disorder

A mild form of Bipolar disorder where hypomania alternates with depressive symptoms for at least $2$ years.

Lithium Carbonate

A first-line mood stabilizer used for mania with a therapeutic blood level between $0.4$ and $1.4\,mEq/L$.

Suicidality

A term encompassing all suicide-related behaviors and thoughts, including attempts and ideation.

Parasuicide

A voluntary, apparent attempt at suicide, also called a suicidal gesture, where the aim is not death.

Lethality

The probability that a person will successfully complete suicide.

SADPERSON Scale

A tool used to screen for suicide risk based on ten categories including sex, age, depression, and previous history.