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Habit
A learned behavior that is a typical or customary pattern of response.
Habituation
The process by which a person�s response to a feared stimulus is reduced over time following repeated exposure.
Heredity
The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to children.
Homeostasis
The tendency of an organism to maintain a steady state that permits a constant level of physiological functioning.
Homework
A term used in in cognitive behavioral or behavioral therapy to describe the assignments that people are asked to complete between therapy sessions.
Hormone
A product of an endocrine gland that is released into the blood that regulate development and activity in target tissues somewhere else at a distance in the body. Steroid hormones include cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. Non-steroid hormones include choleckystokinin, epinephrine, dopamine, insulin, norepinephrine, serotonin, and vasopressin.
Hostility
An emotional reaction that involves the thought and/or intent to destroy or damage something that is perceived as a threat.
Housebound
An inability to leave one�s house. Common in severe cases of panic, agoraphobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Can also occur in social phobia.
HRT
Hormone replacement therapy.
Hyperactivity
See attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Hypersensitivity
Exaggerated sensitivity. People with panic disorder are often hypersensitive to internal bodily sensations such as heart rate, respiration, and stomach and intestinal movements.
Hypersomnia
Excessive sleeping.
Hypertension
High blood pressure.
Hyperthyroid
A disorder in which the thyroid gland produces too much hormone , resulting in a condition characterized by excessive energy and difficulty sleeping.
Hyperventilation
Chronic excessive breathing that results in changes in carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and oxygen levels in the blood. Associated with intense anxiety. Can produce panic attacks.
Hypervigilance
Extreme sensitivity to cues that may signal presence of feared object or situation.
Hypnotherapy
The use of hypnosis in psychotherapy.
Hypochondria
An exaggerated concern about bodily processes and the possibility of having various diseases.
Hypochondriac
Someone who has hypochondria.
Hypochondriasis
See hypochondria.
Hypoglycemia
A condition characterized by low blood sugar that can result in fainting and some symptoms similar to anxiety-panic disorders.
Hypomania
A temporary mild to moderate elevated (manic) mood.
Hypothalamus
A structure at the base of the brain importantly involved in emotion and motivation.
Hypothyroid
A thyroid disorder characterized by underproduction of hormone by the thyroid gland resulting in symptoms including exhaustion and excessive sleeping.
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