Psychology and Psychiatry Glossary 01 - Consulting of Psychology and Health Montse Valls Giner

From these pages, our center provides you with a description of the symptoms of the most common diseases and disorders of the mind. Know that this relationship is purely informational and should under no circumstances be used for diagnostic, as this mission is optional, only, duly qualified professionals.

To make it easier to use, this relationship is sorted alphabetically. If you know the name of the disorder or disease that interests you, click on the letter that its name starts, in the following menu to go to the page that contains it.

Or if you prefer, directly looking for the name, you're interested in the alphabetical list of all the disorders or diseases that we see in this glossary, we offer you below:

INITIAL	NAME	CHARACTERISTICS AND SYMPTOMS	HABITUAL TREATMENT
A	ACTING THOUGHT Go to menu	The acting thought is a thought disorder in which the sufferer tends to "hook" on the issue. It typically occurs in epileptic patients.	Treatment is neurological and / or psychiatric.
	ADHD Go to menu	This disorder is more common in children and involves hyperactivity, (the child moves and acts too quickly and inaccurately), and attention deficit (the affected costs focus attention and concentrate, due to intense physical activity developing).	The treatment may be psychiatric and / or psychological.
	AFFECTIVE INCONTINENCY Go to menu	It is a disorder of emotion, which who suffers can not hide his joy or sadness externally. Usually results from mania or schizophrenia.	The treatment is psychiatric and pharmacologic.
	AFFECTIVE INDIFFERENCE Go to menu	It is a disorder of emotion, where the affected is unable to emotionally react to things. It is typical of chronic schizophrenia, where there are also apathy and inhibition.	The treatment is psychiatric and pharmacologic.
	AFFECTIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER Go to menu	It is included into personality disorders and is characterized by anxiety disorders, anxiety, etc.	The treatment may be psychiatric and / or psychological.
	AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR Go to menu	Aggressive behavior, can be divided into two groups: The hetero-aggressive, in these heads aggressiveness outside; involve destruction, humiliation and oppression from acts or words expressed directly (insults, humiliation, yelling, etc.) or subtle (irony, jokes, indifference, etc.) can reach its most extreme form in the violence, which is a physical manifestation of open aggression and self-injurious in which aggression is directed against the subject itself and goes from mutilation to suicidal behavior, they deserve separate treatment.	The treatment is, in general, psychiatric and pharmacological, often with the support of psychological therapy.
	AFFECTIVE LABILITY Go to menu	It is a disorder of emotion, where the sufferer shows great variability in the affections. Any stimulus can pass from laughter to tears or vice versa. It is typical of mania, but can also result from dementia and consumption of toxic.	The treatment is psychiatric.
	AFFECTIVITY INAPPROPRIATE Go to menu	Is the presence of incongruous to the situation that has caused feelings. For example sadness, in a situation of joy. This affective disorder, usually occurs as a result of schizophrenia, although it can be caused by psychotic symptoms or other toxic.	The treatment is psychiatric and pharmacologic.
	AGITATION Go to menu	It consists of a psychic and motor hyperactivation, a rapid succession of movements, gestures and impulse to wander or run, although they can be more or less intentional, often lack a common stable target occurs. There may be an anxious, angry or euphoric affective state. There is usually a potential aggressive toward self or others, which calls for urgent attention and often hospitalization. The most common causes are: Agitations against reactive pharmacological factors and / or toxic substances (narcotics, drinking, etc)	The treatment is psychiatric and pharmacologic.
	AGNOSIA OF COLORS Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems behind the fissure of Rolando. The alteration occurs, is the inability to recognize colors.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSIA OF IMAGES Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems behind the fissure of Rolando. The alteration occurs, is the inability to recognize objects being viewed.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSIA OF OBJECTS Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems behind the fissure of Rolando. The alteration occurs, is the inability to recognize objects. For example if given an orange are not able to recognize it until they perceive its smell or taste.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSIA DIGITAL Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to shock or disorders. The alteration produced by this type of agnosia, causing the inability to know that finger is touching him. The affected completely miss a hand, especially if two stimuli are received at the same time.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSIA SPATIAL UNILATERAL Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems. The affected dispenses a visual hemisphere, do not get it. Obviate an area of the plane, usually the left.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSIA VISIOSPATIAL Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems. Failure occurs, for guidance in the real plane, inability to understand or make plans. Visual analysis is inadequate (stare at one area, but can not see the entire set). Even visual memory fails, in most cases remains auditory memory.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGNOSOGNOSIA Go to menu	It is a failure of knowledge, due to injury or neural problems. It is typical of lesions on the right side.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGORAPHOBIA Go to menu	This phobia is characterized by fear of open spaces. It is the exaggerated feeling helpless in environments that do not provide the protection that feels fear in domestic spaces. It is usually coupled with the opposite phobia, claustrophobia and depending on the level, can incur from difficulty using public transport, to the inability to leave home, sometimes for very long periods. Not in all cases there is a crisis of distress prior to the onset of agoraphobia. Keep in mind that there are people without being sick, they may be apprehensive to travel on certain public transport.	The treatment is psychological, even that can sometimes require psychiatric treatment and use of anxiolytics.
	AGRAPHIA (PHONOLOGICAL) Go to menu	Is difficulty writing due to injury. Phonological agraphia, characterized by difficulty analyzing what you just heard, difficulty writing nonsense words but they can be written. Who has it, can write what is remembered, but not invented.	Treatment is neurological.
	AGRAPHIA (DEEP) Go to menu	Is difficulty writing due to injury. It causes: Can not write nonsense or invented words, concrete words easier to write (eg chair.) To abstract (eg heat.), Fail in writing verbs and prepositions, inability to spell, semantic para-graphies (change a word otherwise).	Treatment is neurological.
	AGRAPHIA (SURFACE) Go to menu	Is difficulty writing due to injury. Produce: surface agraphia or orthographic (spelling graphies are lost)	Treatment is neurological.
	ALCOHOLISM Go to menu	This disorder occurs when drinking bad habit, has reached a level, which results, psychological, somatic problems, and conflicts between personal and professional relationships. Producing somatic disorders are: - Distal tremor. - Liver disease. - Abdominal collateral circulation. - Impotence, etc. Psychological disorders are: - Depressed mood. - Aggressive mood. - Decreased attention span. - Decreased responsiveness. - Override to perform tasks. In chronic drinkers, alcoholic hypoglycemia may occur and neurological disorders. It may also occur The amnesic syndrome, or Korsakoff (See amnesia)	In most cases, it is required to perform detoxification via hospitalization. Then, depending on the degree of neuronal damage and drinking habit, may require, neuropsychiatric treatment and pharmacologic supported by psychological therapy.
	ALGOLAGNIA (SADOMASOCHISM) Go to menu	It is a disorder of sexual behavior, where the perception of pain and humiliation is sought actively (sadism) or passive (masochism). It is usual that both alterations of the relationship, occur in the same person and there is a higher frequency in males. The real dimension of the problem begins when it is essential to cause or receive pain to experience pleasure. In most cases, is relegated to pure imagination or the use of insults, clothing, etc., but no physical impact. In certain cases it may have implications outside the field and sadomasochistic sexual behaviors apply to all areas of life. In sadism behaviors may exist, not always, some connection with social personality disorders. Generally do not have other psychiatric disorders associated.	It is rare for sufferers, come for help, but if they do the treatment may be psychiatric and / or psychological, depending on associated diseases, if any.
	ALEXIA AGRAPHIA Go to menu	It is a neurological disorder, which is the loss of the ability to write. In alexia agraphia, the disorder is usually caused by injury on Degerin area, causing difficulty for both read and write.	Treatment is neurological.
	ALEXIA WITH APHASIA Go to menu	It is a neurological disorder, which is the loss of the ability to write. This type of alexia, accompanies the different areas of aphasia (Broca phase, semantics)	Treatment is neurological.
	ALEXIA PURE Go to menu	It is a neurological disorder, which is the loss of the ability to write. In pure alexia, the affected, can read, but can not write.	Treatment is neurological.
	ALEXIA SPATIAL Go to menu	It is a neurological disorder, which is the loss of the ability to write. It is related to defects in the catchment area.	Treatment is neurological.
	ALEXITHYMIA Go to menu	It is a disorder in which sufferers lose the conceptual capacity developed to be aware of their health status. When asked about their status, those affected by this disorder, give explanations devoid of emotion and unimaginative. For example it will say that it has risen to eight in the morning but not as felt.	Depending on the associated disorders will determine whether psychological therapy is required, or psychiatric and pharmacological.
	ALLOTYPIC DELUSIONAL IDEAS Go to menu	Allotypic delusional ideas are those in which the patient has delusions of infidelity. It is typical of drinkers and paranoid. It is very dangerous	The treatment, is psychiatric and pharmacological.
	AMIMIC FACIES Go to menu	SEE FREEZING MIMICRY
	AMNESIA Go to menu	Amnesia is memory lapses, loss of memory completely or partially or inability to set new materials in memory. From a semiotic point of view, are divided into three groups: - Anterograde: There is no ability to incorporate new experiences into memory, from the time when there was disorder immediate or recent memory. - *Retrograde: Inability to remember things previously knew. - Lacunar: The period of memory loss affects a certain time. Amnesia can be of two types: 1 Organic: Axial ((affecting the structures necessary for fixing data in memory) and cortical _ (affecting areas of the brain that act as storage areas). 2 Affective: The memory disorder is caused by a very intense emotional tone, which disrupts the binding or evocation. Amnesia are related to various diseases such as dissociation hysteria, epilepsy, poisoning and organic brain problems. Clinically classified as: - Transient global amnesia, where there is memory loss acutely lasting several hours, which rarely exceed 24 hours. - Posttraumatic amnesia* where memory loss is presented as the cause of a head injury. - *Amnesic Korsakoff* syndrome where immediate memory and recent memory is preserved is greatly affected and remote memory is preserved, but it is very retrograde canceled. confabulations and false recognitions are often added. There is often intellectual impairment. Among the many causes that can cause this syndrome, thiamine deficiency, chronic drinking, cranial disorders, viral encephalitis and brain tumors include.	The treatment, in many cases with hospitalization is medical, psychiatric or neuronal, depending on the disease to be treated
	ANHEDONIA Go to menu	It is the inability to feel pleasure. Nothing appeals to the person. Causes no interest. No situation is funny or appealing. There is a feeling of absolute boredom. No stimulus appears. It is a condition associated with diseases such as schizophrenia and chronic depression. It can also occur after leaving amphetamine. In exceptional cases, it may be part of a character.	The treatment, is psychiatric and pharmacological. In some cases it can be useful psychological therapy.
	ANOMIA Go to menu	Large decrease in vocabulary when speaking. Inability to find the word that want to say. It is a consequence of aphasia	Treatment is neurological.
	ANOREXIA (PRIMARY) Go to menu	The onset of the disease usually occur between 12 and 30 years, although the trend in recent years has been increasing age, so cases are in people 40 to 50 years. The usual symptoms comprising: - Disturbance of body image. - Fear of weight gain. - Amenorrhea. - Loss of at least 25% of appropriate weight for age, complexion and height. - Increase in body hair. - Loss of hair. - Gum problems with decreased dental post Statistically, it occurs more frequently in women.	Psychological therapy and hospitalization in cases where there is a weight loss you need it-at the discretion of the physician. Psychological therapy to use, will be most suitable in each case: Behavioral, psychoanalytic, humanistic. It usually responds well to therapies in which hypnosis is used.
	ANOREXIA (SECONDARY) Go to menu	Anorexia is when as a result of another illness arises such as endocrinopathies.	When the primary disease refers anorexia disappears.
	ANORGASMIA Go to menu	Is the inability on the part of a woman to achieve orgasm or have extreme difficulty to get it. If orgasm has never existed, even masturbation, can be due to an organic problem. Cultural factors may exist, there are cultures where it is said that the female orgasm does not exist. It may not be real, for example due to lack of understanding with partner.	Treatment is by psychological and / or sexological therapy, except in cases of organic problems, where medical treatment is required.
	ANOSOGNOSIA Go to menu	This condition, caused by lack of awareness of a body part, generally paralyzed. (Ex. The subject not know they have a paralyzed leg). They may be involved defense mechanisms of denial. (refusal to accept the situation) and organic mechanisms (neurological lesions that alter the experience of illness).	Treatment will be neurological or psychological depending on the causes of the problem. Sometimes both are needed.
	ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER Go to menu	It is included into personality disorders and is characterized by difficulty in relating to others.	The treatment, is psychiatric and / or psychological.
	ANXIETY - CRISIS OF ANXIETY) Go to menu	In the crisis of anxiety, all anxiety symptoms appear abruptly and with rapid progression. It causes feelings of madness or smothering sensations or both at once. Common causes are: - Generalized anxiety reaches its critical point. - An organic disease, caused by excessive release of adrenaline. The usual symptoms of this disorder is: - Nervousness. - Restlessness. - Constant concerns. - Tension overload. - Psychosomatic problems: tachycardia, abdominal pain, dizziness, sweating, choking, etc.	Psychological therapy including within it, relaxation techniques and / or hypnosis. It may require medical therapy with anxiolytics.
	ANXIETY (NEUROSIS OF ANXIETY) Go to menu	It is an emotional state in which the subject feels tense, frightened and alarmed unpleasantly and usually accompanied by somatic repercussions. When there is a stimulus that occurs objectively not have the size needed to trigger the box. The feeling of undefined fear is disproportionate to the situations as they sense danger. There is motor restlessness, hyperarousal and hiperprosexia. It involves an acceleration of mental processes, this sign can serve as scale in the initial processes. If anxiety continues to grow, there comes a point that blocks the ability to choose the right decisions. It can be coupled with various somatic disorders, for example: - Tachycardia. - Dyspnea. - Dry mouth. - Precordialgia. - Heartburn. - Abdominal cramps. - Diarrhea. - Vomiting. - Urinary discomfort. - Impotence. - Anorgasmia. - Premature ejaculation. - Flushing. - Pallor. - Sweating. - Hair loss. - Palpitations. - Constriction of throat. - Shortness of breath. - Weakness in the legs. - Vertigo. - Tingling. It is one of the most common and important disorders in humans. If treated early, usually subsides with relative ease. Addition to the actual disorder itself, some diseases such as hyperthyroidism, depression and schizophrenia, can lead to anxiety disorders.	Psychological therapy including within it, relaxation techniques and / or hypnosis. It may require medical therapy with anxiolytics.
	ANXIETY (NEUROSIS OF ANXIETY - ANXIETY DISORDER) Go to menu	In anxiety disorders, there is little in common with generalized anxiety. They are not causes. It seems likely that there is a genetic factor. In the offspring frequently find the same problems or endogenous depressions.	The treatment is pharmacological. Certain antidepressants often used.

PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY GLOSSARY