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PA
Panic attack.
Panic
The basic emotion of fear that involves activation of the "fight or flight" response. Usually a natural and healthy response to real danger. Exaggerated or chronic panic ("false alarms" ) in the absence of real danger is a key feature of panic disorder.
Panic Attack (PA) (ANXIETY ATTACK)
An episode of panic that resembles an extreme form of the fear response.
Panic Disorder (PD)
An anxiety disorder characterized by recurring unexpected panic attacks in the absence of real danger. Often associated with agoraphobic avoidance and agoraphobia.
Paranoia
A term used to describe behavior that usually results from delusions and an impaired contact with reality but not necessarily with the severe disorganization observed in schizophrenia.
Paranoid Personality
A personality style characterized by supisciousness and distrust of others.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that controls most basic metabolic processes.
Passive Behavior
A term used describe behavior by which people typically yield or differ to the opinion, suggestions or decisions of others.
Pathological Gambling
A pattern of addiction to gambling.
PD
Panic disorder.
Perception
The interpretation of sensory input.
Perceptual Filtering
A variety of processes by which we selectively attend to certain aspects of our environment and ignore others in order to avoid being overwhelmed by perceptual input. Influenced greatly by fear and anxiety.
Performance Anxiety
Fear of performing in front of others, typically public speaking but can also be using the telephone, working, writing, eating, or drinking in front of others.
Peripheral Nervous System
The nerve fibres and tracts that link the central nervous system (brain and sinal chord) to the sense organs, glands and muscles.
Pernicious Anemia
A blood disorder which can result in symptoms similar to those of anxiety disorders.
Perseveration
Repetition of a response beyond what is appropriate.
Personality
The unique pattern of traits that characterizes any given individual.
Personality Disorders
Long standing patterns of inflexible and maladaptive behavior that interfere significantly with emotional, social, an occupational functioning.
Pessimistic Attributional Style
The tendency to make internal, global, and stable attributions about negative life events.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of how drugs act in the body and especially in the brain
Pharmacokinetics
The study of how the body acts on drugs, for example, metabolism and excretion.
Pharmacology
The branch of science concerned with understanding the clinical application and effects of medications.
Pharmacotherapy
Medication therapy.
Phenochromocytoma
A tumor of the adrenal gland that results in the over- production of epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Phenylethylamine
A pleasure-producing chemical that is a natural ingredient in chocolate and is usually associated with the functioning of the limbic system.
Phobia
An exaggerated fear of a particular object or situation.
Pineal Gland
Small gland at the base of the brain involved in the regulation of biological rhythms and perhaps sexual development.
Placebo (SUGAR PILL)
A technique or medication that contains no active ingredient and presumably therefore has no physical benefit. Placebos are generally administered in such a way that the person is reasonably sure that they are in fact receiving the active treatment. Placebos are often used in the study of the effectiveness of new medications to distinguish between the medical/physical and the purely psychological affects of taking a medication.
Placebo Effect
The psychological effect of taking a placebo.
PMS
Premenstrual syndrome.
Polygenic
Caused by the interactive effects of many genes.
Porphyria
A disorder due to problems with porphyrin metabolism that results in symptoms including confusion, nausea, acute abdominal pain, and sensitivity to sun-exposure.
Positive reinforcer
Anything that increases the probability of a behavior happening again.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
An anxiety disorder that results from exposure to a traumatic event.
Postural Hypotension
A decrease in blood pressure that occurs following a change in posture (usually when moving from sitting to standing) that can result in various symptoms including dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting.
Post-Vietnam Syndrome
An old name for post traumatic stress disorder.
PPD
Post partum depression.
Predisposition
Anything that increases the probability that a person will develop a problem under stress.
Premenstral Syndrome (PMS)
A variety of physical and psychological symptoms that can be associated with the onset of menstruation.
Prevalence
The number of active cases of a given problem that can be identified at any given time.
Primary Reaction Tendancies
Characteristics that we are born with and that are apparent in infancy such as sensitivity changes in the environment and activity level.
Problem Drinker
A person who has serious problems that are associated with drinking.
Prognosis
A prediction about what will likely happen to a person with a disorder/problem.
Prolactin
A hormone. Excess prolactin production that results from hypothyroidism, some medications, and stress can result in a number of symptoms including reduce sex drive and desire (libido). Prolactin release is controlled by dopamine levels.
Protective Factors
Factors that lessen a person�s chances of developing problems in response to stress.
Psychiatrist
A medical doctor who specializes in psychiatry and receives specialized training in the provision of psychiatric assessment and treatment.
Psychiatry
A field of medicine concerned with how physical and chemical interactions in the brain and body result in mental and emotional problems as well as treating those disorders.
Psychoactive Drugs
Drugs that affect mental functioning.
Psychoanalysis
A type of psychotherapy with a focus on issues of itrapsychic dynamics of emotional conflict and repression, usually attributed to a variety of important experiences in childhood.
Psychoanalyst
Any psychiatrist, psychologist, or other person who practices psychoanalysis.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
See psychoanalysis.
Psychogenic
A term used to describe something of psychological origin, caused by psychological factors.
Psychologist
A person who completes a Ph.D. in psychology and receives specialized training in psychological assessment and treatment.
Psychology
The scientific discipline concerned with the study of behavioral, mental and emotional processes.
Psychomotor
Refers to psychological and physical activity level.
Psychomotor retardation
Slowing down of psychological and motor activity.
Psychoneurosis
An old name for any anxiety, depressive or obsessive compulsive disorder.
Psychopharmacology
The study of drugs used to treat psychiatric/psychological conditions/problems.
Psychosis
A mental disorder/condition characterized by loss of contact with reality, often with hallucinations or delusions.
Psychosomatic
A term used to describe symptoms that that appear to be the result of a physical problem but are actually the result of psychological factors.
Psychotherapist
A general (generic) term used to describe any person with any credentials who practices any kind of psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy
A term that can be used to describe any psychological therapy in which problems are treated with psychological methods.
PTSD
See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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