Term
| Abnormal/Psychologically Disordered Behavior |
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Definition
| A pattern of behavioral psychological symptoms that causes significant personal distress and impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of life |
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Term
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Definition
| Relates to the ability of the defendant to distinguish right from wrong |
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Term
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Definition
(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
Attempts to carefully, systematically categorize and describe mental disorders
- fuzzy borders/definitions |
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Definition
Overwhelming anxiety disrupts functioning or produces significant stress
- Panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobia, OCD |
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Term
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Definition
Panic attacks
- leads to physiological effects, especially pounding heartbeat
Can lead to fear of panic attacks, further stressing defendant |
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Term
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder |
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Definition
| Persistent, high levels of anxiety/excessive worry (6+ months) |
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Term
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Definition
Persistent, irrational fear of specific objects/situations
-simple (arachnophobia, claustrophobia)
- agoraphobia (fear of open spaces - can lead to shut-in/closed off behavior)
- social phobias (public speaking) |
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Term
| Obsessive Compulsive Disorder |
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Definition
Obsessions: Thoughts/impulses recurring despite attempts to suppress them
Compulsions: Repetitive, purposeful, yet undesired acts performed ritualistically in response to obsession
- Defendants recognize the senselessness of behavior, but too difficult to resist compulsion when anxiety rises |
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Definition
Complaints of physical symptoms with no physiological explanation (all in the head)
- Hypochondriasis: persistent occupation with and worry about ones physical condition |
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Definition
Disturbances or changes in memory, consciousness, or identity
- May occur after stressful or psychologically traumatic event
- Dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalization disorder, dissociative identity disorder |
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Definition
Partial or total loss of important personal information
- Not related to amnesia resulting in physical brain damage |
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Definition
Confusion over personal identify, assuming a partial or completely new identity
- Often accompanied by unexpected travel away from home |
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Term
| Depersonalization Disorder |
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Definition
Feelings of unreality with respect to self and environment
- i.e. I'm not controlling my actions, out of body experiences
(most common) |
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Term
| Dissociative Identity Disorder |
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Definition
Existence of two or more distinct personalities within one person
-Original personality unaware of others, others are aware of each other; each has their own name
-May not remember events that occurred while under influence of other personality |
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Definition
Long-standing, chronic, inflexible maladaptive patterns of perception, thought, and behavior that impairs ones ability to function personally or socially
- Usually recognized by adolescence
- Difficult to measure how serious |
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Term
| Narcissistic Personality Disorder |
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Definition
Irrationally large sense of self-importance
- Constant need for attention/admiration
- Inappropriate reactions to criticism |
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Term
| Antisocial Personality Disorder |
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Definition
Long-standing pattern of irresponsible behaviors that hurt others with no feelings of guilt or remorse
- Hardly any experience with intense emotions of any kind |
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Definition
(Most common psychological disorder)
Significan and chronic disruption of mood
- Different from normal moods on basis of duration, intensity, and lack of cause
- Some evidence of genetic influence |
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Term
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Definition
Emotional Symptoms: sadness, hopelessness, guilt, distance from others
Behavioral: dejected, downcast demeanor, slowed movement/speech, spontaneous crying, loss of interest
Cognitive: difficulty thinking/concentrating/remembering
Physical: severe changes in weight, sleep patterns, energy level, vague aches |
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Term
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Definition
Euphoria, expansiveness, excitement
- Out-of-character energy, frenzied/disorganized goal-directed activity, rapid-fire speech/though shifting, spending sprees
- Wildly inflated self-esteem |
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Term
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Definition
Alternating episodes of depression and mania
- Onset typically occurs in early twenties, affects men/women at same rate
- Responds favorably to drug therapy |
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Term
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Definition
Loss of contact with reality
- Usually includes fantasies, delusions, or false beliefs |
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Term
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Definition
A group of severe psychological disorders
- Breakdown of personality functioning
- Withdrawal from reality
- Distorted emotions, disturbed thought
Defendant can suffer from: delusions, hallucinations, disturbances of motor activity, little to no emotion, ignorance of personal hygiene, lack of meaningful speech |
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Term
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Definition
Strongly held delusions of persecution or grandeur
- delusions make sense to them, but not others |
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Definition
Frozen, rigid, or excitable motor behavior
- Can last for hours |
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Definition
Gradual onset
- usually starts with social withdrawal
Peculiar Phrase - increased withdrawal, introduction of peculiar actions or speech
Active Phrase - Full blown symptoms
Residual Phrase - Symptoms lose prominence, some impairment remains
Recovery |
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Term
| Rule of Thirds (Schizophrenia) |
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Definition
| 1/3 recovers, 1/3 therapy works with some retention of symptoms, 1/3 no recovery |
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Term
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Definition
| Delving into unconscious conflicts or thoughts with a neutral therapist |
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Term
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Definition
Clients direct the therapy process
- Requires genuine, empathic behavior from therapist |
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Term
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Definition
Clients experiencing similar problems meet under direction of therapist
- "you aren't alone" i.e. AA |
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Term
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Definition
| Therapist and client confront irrational beliefs, demonstrating on paper/out loud their irrationality, coming up with other, more rational responses |
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Term
| Systematic Desensitization |
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Definition
| Gradually decrease negative response to stimulus |
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Term
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Definition
| Intensify negative response to stimulus |
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Term
| Psychopharmacological Treatment (Drugs) |
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Definition
- Anti-psychotics (Therazine)
- Antidepressants (Prozac)
- Lithium, anticonvulsants
- Anti-anxiety (Tranquilizers) |
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Term
| Electroconvulsive Therapy |
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Definition
Pass current through the brain, causing convulsions
- Used for major depression with psychosis
- Causes short-term memory loss, may cause certain euphoric feelings |
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