Addiction
Dependence on a chemical substance to the extent that a physiological or strong psychological need is established. The need appears as withdrawal symptoms when the substance is removed. Narcotics, alcohol, nicotine and most sedative drugs may produce addiction.
AIDS-related dementia
One of the syndromes commonly associated with infection by the AIDS virus. AIDS-related dementia, which is caused by the disease’s effect on the central nervous system, usually begins with impaired concentration and mild memory loss and is often misdiagnosed as depression or as a psychological response to the threat of impending death. Over a period of several weeks or months, the syndrome causes severe deterioration in mental functioning and motor control.
Alcoholism
A chronic illness evidenced by compulsive, repeated drinking that injures one’s health and social and economic functioning.
Alzheimer’s disease
A progressive, irreversible disease, most prevalent late in life, characterized by deterioration of the brain cells and leading to impaired mental functioning.
Anorexia nervosa
An eating disorder characterized by severe and prolonged refusal to eat, extreme weight loss, distorted body image, termination of the menstural cycle or impotence, and intense fear of becoming obese; most often occurs in girls and young women.
Antidepressants
A wide range of medications used principally to prevent or relieve the symptoms of depression. Antidepressants can’t make someone feel better than he/she normally does, but they can help him/her feel as good as he/she did before becoming depressed. These medications include the benzodiazepines, beta-blocks, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (
MAOIs) and tricyclics.
Anxiety
Anxiety and fear are often used to describe the same thing. When the word “anxiety” is used to discuss a group of mental illnesses (anxiety disorders), it refers to an unpleasant and overriding inner emotional tension that has no apparent identifiable cause. Fear, on the other, causes emotional tension due to to specific, external reason. Anxiety disorders include phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. These disorders are severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning.
Asylum*
An outmoded term for hospitals specializing in the treatment of mental illnesses.
Attention Deficit Disorder
A childhood disorder characterized by short attention span and poor concentration.
Autism
A condition caused by a physical disorder of the brain that appears during the first three years of life. Symptoms include disturbances in physical, social and language skills; abnormal responses to sensations; and abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events.
