Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Glossary of TermsThe following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) article.
Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th... See the entire definition of AcuteAdrenaline: A stress hormone produced within the adrenal gland that quickens the heart bea... See the entire definition of AdrenalineAlcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge... See the entire definition of Alcohol abuseAmygdala: 1. The amygdaloid nucleus in the brain. 2. The tonsils. Antidepressant: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression. Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression. Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa... See the entire definition of AnxietyBack pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in... See the entire definition of Back painBehavior therapy: A treatment program that involves substituting desirable behavior respon... See the entire definition of Behavior therapyBiochemistry: The chemistry of biology, the application of the tools and concepts of chemi... See the entire definition of BiochemistryBlood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is... See the entire definition of Blood pressureBrain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func... See the entire definition of BrainCardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve... See the entire definition of CardiovascularCardiovascular disease: Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels. Cascade: A sequence of successive activation reactions involving enzymes (enzyme cascade) ... See the entire definition of CascadeChest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t... See the entire definition of ChestChronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ... See the entire definition of ChronicChronic pain: Pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over ... See the entire definition of Chronic painCognitive: Having to do with thought, judgment, or knowledge. Cognitive behavior therapy: A therapeutic practice that helps patients recognize and remed... See the entire definition of Cognitive behavior therapyCortisol: A metabolite of the primary stress hormone cortisone. Cortisol is an essential f... See the entire definition of CortisolDepression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way... See the entire definition of DepressionDiabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell... See the entire definition of DiabetesDiagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ... See the entire definition of DiagnosisDiarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ... See the entire definition of DiarrheaDissociation: In psychology and psychiatry, a perceived detachment of the mind from the em... See the entire definition of DissociationDizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ... See the entire definition of DizzinessDyslipidemia: A disorder of lipoprotein metabolism, including lipoprotein overproduction o... See the entire definition of DyslipidemiaFDA: Food and Drug Administration. Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ... See the entire definition of Food and Drug AdministrationGlucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo... See the entire definition of GlucoseHeart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ... See the entire definition of HeartHeart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ... See the entire definition of Heart rateHormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit... See the entire definition of HormoneHypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi... See the entire definition of HypertensionInjury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot... See the entire definition of InjuryIntervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify... See the entire definition of InterventionLaboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a... See the entire definition of LaboratoryMajor depression: A disease with certain characteristic signs and symptoms that interferes... See the entire definition of Major depressionMarker: A piece of DNA that lies on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and t... See the entire definition of MarkerMorphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth... See the entire definition of MorphineMotor: Something that produces or refers to motion. For example, a motor neuron is a nerve... See the entire definition of MotorMuscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T... See the entire definition of MuscleNausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in... See the entire definition of NauseaNIMH: Stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the National Institutes o... See the entire definition of NIMHNumb: Numb, or numbness is a loss of the sensation of feeling in an area of the body. Numb... See the entire definition of NumbObesity: The state of being well above one's normal weight. OCD: 1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder; 2. Osteochondritis dissecans. Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa... See the entire definition of PainPanic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor... See the entire definition of PanicPharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup... See the entire definition of PharmacyPhobia: An unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a rel... See the entire definition of PhobiaPhysiologic: Something that is normal, that is due neither to anything pathologic nor sign... See the entire definition of PhysiologicPost-traumatic stress: An anxiety disorder that develops in some individuals who have had... See the entire definition of Post-traumatic stressPost-traumatic stress disorder: A common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to ... See the entire definition of Post-traumatic stress disorderPregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body. Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist... See the entire definition of PrevalenceProbability: The likelihood that something will happen. For example, a probability of less... See the entire definition of ProbabilityPrognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan... See the entire definition of PrognosisPsychiatric: Pertaining to or within the purview of psychiatry, the medical specialty conc... See the entire definition of PsychiatricPsychiatrist: A physician who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of m... See the entire definition of PsychiatristPsychiatry: The medical specialty that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and tr... See the entire definition of PsychiatryPsychodynamic therapy: A type of psychotherapy that draws on psychoanalytic theory to help... See the entire definition of Psychodynamic therapyPsychology: The study of the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to behavior... See the entire definition of PsychologyPsychotherapy: The treatment of a behavior disorders, mental illness, or any other conditi... See the entire definition of PsychotherapyPTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder. Rape: Forced sexual intercourse; sexual assault; sexual intercourse between an adult and a... See the entire definition of RapeRecurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha... See the entire definition of RecurrentReflex: An involuntary reaction. For example, the corneal reflex is the blink that occurs ... See the entire definition of ReflexResidual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate... See the entire definition of ResidualRule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera... See the entire definition of Rule outShell shock: The World War I name for what is known today as post-traumatic stress, this i... See the entire definition of Shell shockShock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow... See the entire definition of ShockShortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ... See the entire definition of Shortness of breathSleep: The body's rest cycle. Social phobia: A paralyzing fear of interacting with others. Symptoms include excessive bl... See the entire definition of Social phobiaStomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp... See the entire definition of StomachStress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact... See the entire definition of StressSubstance: 1. Material with particular features. Substance abuse: The excessive use of a substance, especially alcohol or a drug. (There is... See the entire definition of Substance abuseSuicidal: Pertaining to suicide. the taking of ones own life. As in a suicidal gesture, su... See the entire definition of SuicidalSweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The... See the entire definition of SweatingSyndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process. Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment. Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic... See the entire definition of TobaccoTrauma: A physical or emotional injury. Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose... See the entire definition of Trigger |
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