unit 5 everything

patients/clients

people who receive mental health treatment. "Patients" is often used in medical settings, while "clients" is more common in counseling and psychotherapy.

psychodynamic therapy

a type of therapy that focuses on unconscious thoughts and childhood experiences. It uses methods like free association and dream interpretation to bring unconscious feelings to awareness.

hypnosis

a relaxed, focused state where people are more open to suggestion. It is used in therapy for pain relief, quitting smoking, or recovering repressed memories.

free association

a technique in psychodynamic therapy where the person says whatever comes to mind without censoring, to uncover unconscious thoughts.

dream interpretation

analyzing dreams to reveal hidden thoughts or desires. Used in psychodynamic therapy to understand unconscious conflicts.

person-centered therapy

a type of humanistic therapy where the therapist shows empathy, honesty, and unconditional positive regard to help the person grow.

unconditional positive regard

accepting someone without judgment, no matter what they say or do. It's a key part of person-centered therapy.

active listening

a technique where the therapist fully focuses, repeats, and shows understanding to make the person feel heard and supported.

applied behavior analysis (ABA)

a behavioral therapy that uses rewards and consequences to teach new behaviors. Often used for children with autism.

counterconditioning

a technique where an unwanted response (like fear) is replaced with a positive response by pairing the feared object with something pleasant.

systematic desensitization

a step-by-step behavioral method to reduce fear. The person is gradually exposed to the feared thing while staying relaxed.

anxiety or fear hierarchy

a list of scary situations from least to most scary. Used in systematic desensitization to slowly face fears.

exposure therapies

therapies that help reduce fear by having the person face the thing they fear in a safe way.

aversive therapy

a behavioral method where something unpleasant is paired with a bad behavior to stop it, like making a bad taste follow nail-biting.

token economy

a system where good behaviors earn tokens, which can be traded for rewards. Used in schools or hospitals.

cognitive restructuring

a cognitive therapy technique that changes negative thought patterns into more positive and realistic ones.

maladaptive thinking

thoughts that are harmful or unhelpful, like thinking you're a failure after one mistake.

cognitive triad

a pattern seen in depression: negative thoughts about yourself, the world, and the future.

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

a therapy that combines cognitive and behavioral techniques to change harmful thoughts and actions.

rational emotive behavior therapy

a type of CBT that challenges irrational beliefs and replaces them with logical ones to reduce emotional distress.

psychoactive medications

medications that affect the brain and change mood, thoughts, or behavior.

psychotropic medications

same as psychoactive medications; they treat mental disorders by altering brain chemistry.

antipsychotic medications

drugs used to treat disorders like schizophrenia. They reduce symptoms like delusions or hallucinations.

tardive dyskinesia

a side effect of some antipsychotics that causes involuntary muscle movements, especially in the face.

antidepressants

medications used to treat depression by changing levels of brain chemicals like serotonin.

lithium

a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder, especially manic episodes.

antianxiety drugs

medications that reduce anxiety by calming the brain. Examples include benzodiazepines.

biofeedback

a technique that teaches people to control body functions like heart rate by giving real-time feedback.

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate parts of the brain. It is used for depression when other treatments don't work.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a medical treatment for severe depression where small electric currents are passed through the brain to cause brief seizures.

psychosurgery

surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to change behavior. Rarely used.

prefrontal lobotomy

a now outdated psychosurgery where part of the frontal lobe was cut to reduce mental illness symptoms. It often caused serious side effects.

respecting people’s rights and dignity

treating clients fairly and honoring their privacy, choices, and cultural background in therapy.

fidelity

being honest, loyal, and trustworthy in the therapist-client relationship.

cultural humility

being open and respectful to different cultures and aware of one’s own cultural biases.

nonmaleficence

the principle of "do no harm." Therapists should avoid actions that could hurt clients.

therapeutic alliance

the trusting relationship between therapist and client that helps therapy work better.

evidence-based interventions

treatments that are supported by research and shown to be effective.

sociocultural perspective

a view that behavior is influenced by culture, society, gender, race, and economic status.

biological/biomedical perspective

the idea that mental illness comes from physical problems in the brain or body, like genetics or brain chemistry.

autism spectrum disorder

a developmental disorder that affects communication, social skills, and behavior. Symptoms vary widely.

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a disorder with trouble focusing, being overly active, or acting without thinking.

anxiety disorders

a group of mental disorders involving extreme worry or fear that affects daily life.

specific phobia

a strong, irrational fear of a specific thing or situation.

arachnophobia

fear of spiders.

agoraphobia

fear of places where escape might be hard, like crowds or open spaces.

social anxiety disorder

fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations.

taijin kyofusho

a Japanese term for fear of embarrassing or offending others.

generalized anxiety disorder

excessive worry about many things, even without a clear reason.

panic disorder

a condition where a person has sudden, intense panic attacks without warning.

panic attacks

acrophobia

fear of heights.

dissociation

feeling disconnected from yourself or your surroundings.

dissociative amnesia

memory loss about personal information, often after stress or trauma.

dissociative identity disorder

a condition where a person has two or more distinct identities or personalities.

dissociative disorders

disorders where a person disconnects from thoughts, feelings, memories, or identity.

major depressive disorder

a condition with long periods of deep sadness, loss of interest, and lack of energy.

persistent depressive disorder

a long-lasting, mild depression that lasts for at least two years.

learned helplessness

giving up after repeated failures, thinking that nothing can change the situation.

bipolar disorder

a mental illness with mood swings between extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression).

bipolar I disorder

includes full manic episodes, sometimes with depression.

bipolar II disorder

includes less extreme mania (called hypomania) and more depression.

mania

a period of high energy, little sleep, and risky behavior.

schizophrenia spectrum disorders

a group of mental illnesses with symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.

disorganized thinking

thoughts that don’t make sense or jump from topic to topic.

disorganized speech

talking in a confusing way that’s hard to understand.

disorganized motor behavior

random or strange movements, like pacing or freezing.

delusions

false beliefs that are strongly held, even with no evidence.

delusions of persecution

believing others are out to harm you.

delusions of grandeur

believing you’re more important or powerful than you really are.

hallucinations

sensing things that aren’t there, like hearing voices.

word salad

a mix of random words and phrases that don’t make sense.

flat affect

showing little or no emotion.

schizophrenia

a serious mental illness with symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized behavior.

catatonia

a state where a person doesn’t move or respond to others.

positive symptoms

too much of something normal, like hallucinations or delusions.

catatonic stupor

a state of being completely still and unresponsive.

dopamine hypothesis

the idea that too much dopamine may cause symptoms of schizophrenia.

cluster A

personality disorders that involve odd or eccentric behavior.

paranoid personality disorder

mistrusting and suspicious of others without reason.

schizoid personality disorder

avoids relationships and prefers being alone.

schizotypal personality disorder

acts in odd ways and has unusual thoughts.

cluster B

personality disorders with dramatic, emotional, or unpredictable behavior.

borderline personality disorder

unstable emotions, relationships, and self-image.

antisocial personality disorder

disregard for others, lying, and lack of guilt.

narcissistic personality disorder

feeling very important and needing constant praise.

histrionic personality disorder

seeks attention and acts dramatically.

cluster C

personality disorders that involve anxious or fearful behavior.

avoidant personality disorder

avoids social contact due to fear of rejection.

dependent personality disorder

needs constant care and approval from others.

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

focused on order, control, and perfection.

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder with unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repeated actions (compulsions).

obsessions

unwanted, repetitive thoughts that cause anxiety.

hoarding disorder

trouble throwing things away, leading to clutter and stress.