Mental and Behavioral Health Terms

Speed in and speed out is the point: it suits a procedure that lasts minutes, not a symptom that lasts months.

An antidepressant kept in limited use because of a rare but severe effect on the liver.

The bridge word between neurology and psychiatry, covering changes in conduct and mood that trace back to the brain itself.

A scan shows structure, while neuropsychological testing shows what a person can actually do, and the two often disagree.

Structured sessions with a trained professional that translate a medical condition into practical decisions about eating.

Current classifications place it outside the anxiety disorders, in a group of its own alongside hoarding, body dysmorphic disorder and hair pulling.

Panic is a sudden surge of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, and shortness of breath.

Two trainings in one person, which separates the role from a hospital chaplain and from a therapist who leaves belief aside.

A type of therapy that uses dogs or other pets to improve the physical and mental health of patients with certain acute or chronic diseases.

An older spelling that persists in drug indexes and research listings, kept alive by cataloging rather than by any difference in chemistry.

A medical doctor who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Mind and body do not run in separate lanes, which is why an evaluation weighs the psychological account alongside the physical one.

A specialist who can talk with patients and their families about emotional and personal matters, and can help them make decisions.

Describes the psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of human activity, such as the care of people with a disease.

A drug class named for what it does to alertness, familiar from coffee at one end and controlled prescriptions at the other.

Treatment of mental, emotional, personality, and behavioral disorders using methods such as discussion, listening, and counseling.

An anxiety disorder that develops in reaction to physical injury or severe mental or emotional distress, such as military combat, violent assault, natural disaster, or other life-threatening events.

Education about behavior and lifestyle changes to help patients with chronic lung disease decrease breathing problems, return to daily activities, and improve quality of life.

A method used to reduce tension and anxiety, and control pain.

Drowsiness and a bigger appetite come from strong histamine blockade, side effects that are sometimes the reason it is chosen.