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May 18, 2013


SSRIs and Depression Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the SSRIs and Depression article.

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

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Alprazolam: A benzodiazepine sedative that causes dose-related depression of the central n...

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Amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication. In some patients with depression, abnormal l...

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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...

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Anxiety disorder: A chronic condition characterized by an excessive and persistent sense o...

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Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the t...

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Bipolar disorder: A mood disorder sometimes called manic-depressive illness or manic-depr...

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Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

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Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

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Critical care: The specialized care of patients whose conditions are life-threatening and ...

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Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

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Dysthymia: A type of depression involving long-term, chronic symptoms that are not disabli...

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Elavil: See: Amitriptyline.

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

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Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

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Generalized anxiety disorder: Abbreviated GAD. A condition characterized by 6 months or mo...

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Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

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Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

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Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

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Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

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Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

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Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

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Low blood sugar: A low blood level of the sugar glucose. Also called hypoglycemia.

Major depression: A disease with certain characteristic signs and symptoms that interferes...

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Manic: In a state of mania.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

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Neurotransmitter: A chemical that is released from a nerve cell which thereby transmits an...

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NIMH: Stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the National Institutes o...

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Panic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor...

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Panic disorder: An anxiety disorder that is characterized by sudden attacks of fear and pa...

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Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

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Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

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Photosensitivity: Oversensitivity of skin to light. Photosensitivity can be a side effect ...

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Postpartum: The period just after delivery, as with postpartum depression. Postpartum refe...

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Postpartum depression: A form of severe depression after delivery that interferes with dai...

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Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

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Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

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Psychiatry: The medical specialty that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and tr...

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Psychotherapy: The treatment of a behavior disorders, mental illness, or any other conditi...

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Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

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Receptor: 1. In cell biology, a structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cel...

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Reuptake: The reabsorption of a secreted substance by the cell that originally produced an...

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Serotonin: A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Sero...

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Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

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Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

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SSRI: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, one of a family of antidepressant medication...

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Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

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Suicidal: Pertaining to suicide. the taking of ones own life. As in a suicidal gesture, su...

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Sumatriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name I...

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Sunburn: Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that develops in response to exposure to u...

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Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

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Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

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Tremor: An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and...

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Tricyclic antidepressants: One of a class of medications used to treat depression. The tri...

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Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...

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Xanax: See: Alprazolam.

Zolmitriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name ...

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