| depersonalization disorder | <psychiatry> A mental disorder or heterogeneous group of disorders (the schizophrenias or schizophrenic disorders) comprising most major psychotic disorders and characterised by disturbances in form and content of thought (loosening of associations, delusions and hallucinations) mood (blunted, flattened or inappropriate affect), sense of self and relationship to the external world (loss of ego boundaries, dereistic thinking and autistic withdrawal) and behaviour (bizarre, apparently purposeless and stereotyped activity or inactivity). The definition and clinical application of the concept of the concept of schizophrenia have varied greatly. The DSM III R criteria emphasise marked disorder of thought (delusions, hallucinations or other thought disorder accompanied by disordered affect or behaviour), deterioration from a previous level of functioning and chronicity (duration of more than 6 months), thus excluding from this classification conditions referred to by others as acute, borderline, simple or latent schizophrenia. Originally called dementia praecox and characterised as a psychosis with adolescent onset and a chronic course ending in deterioration. The term schizophrenia was introduced by Bleuler because neither early onset nor terminal deterioration is an essential feature, he emphasised the splitting and lack of personality integration seen in the disorder. Origin: Gr. Phren = mind (18 Nov 1997) |
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| depressive disorder | An affective disorder manifested by either a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. The mood disturbance is prominent and relatively persistent. (12 Dec 1998) |
| disorder | 1. Want of order or regular disposition; lack of arrangement; confusion; disarray; as, the troops were thrown into disorder; the papers are in disorder. 2. Neglect of order or system; irregularity. "From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part, And snatch a grace beyond the reach of art." (Pope) 3. Breach of public order; disturbance of the peace of society; tumult. 4. Disturbance of the functions of the animal economy of the soul; sickness; derangement. "Disorder in the body." Synonym: Irregularity, disarrangement, confusion, tumult, bustle, disturbance, disease, illness, indisposition, sickness, ailment, malady, distemper. See Disease. Origin: Pref. Dis- + order: cf. F. Desordre. 1. To disturb the order of; to derange or disarrange; to throw into confusion; to confuse. "Disordering the whole frame or jurisprudence." (Burke) "The burden . . . Disordered the aids and auxiliary rafters into a common ruin." (Jer. Taylor) 2. To disturb or interrupt the regular and natural functions of (either body or mind); to produce sickness or indisposition in; to discompose; to derange; as, to disorder the head or stomach. "A man whose judgment was so much disordered by party spirit." (Macaulay) 3. To depose from holy orders. Synonym: To disarrange, derange, confuse, discompose. Origin: Disordered; Disordering. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| identity disorder | A mental disorder of childhood or adolescence in which one suffers severe distress regarding one's ability to reconcile aspects of the self into a coherent acceptable sense of self. (05 Mar 2000) |
| dysthymic disorder | Chronically depressed mood that occurs for most of the day more days than not for at least 2 years. The required minimum duration in children to make this diagnosis is 1 year. During periods of depressed mood, at least 2 of the following additional symptoms are present: poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self esteem, poor concentration or difficulty making decisions, and feelings of hopelessness. (dsm-IV) (12 Dec 1998) |
| immune complex disorder | An immunologic category of diseases evoked by the deposition of antigen-antibody or antigen-antibody-complement complexes on cell surfaces, with subsequent involvement of breakdown products of complement, platelets, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and development of vasculitis; nephritis is common. Arthus phenomenon and serum sickness are classic examples, but many other disorders, including most of the connective tissue disease's, may belong in this immunologic category; immune complex disease's can also occur during a variety of disease's of known aetiology, such as subacute bacterial endocarditis. See: autoimmune disease. Synonym: immune complex disorder, type III hypersensitivity reaction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| impulse control disorder | A class of mental disorder's characterised by an individual's failure to resist an impulse to perform some act harmful to himself or to others; includes pathological gambling, pedophilia, kleptomania, pyromania, trichotillomania, intermittent and isolated explosive disorder's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| induced psychotic disorder | <psychiatry> A severe mental disorder brought about by a toxic agent such as a drug or hallucinogen. See: psychosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| intermittent explosive disorder | <psychology> An uncommon disorder that begins in early childhood, characterised by repeated acts of violent, aggressive behaviour in otherwise normal persons that is markedly out of proportion to the event that provokes it. Synonym: dyscontrol, episodic dyscontrol syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| isolated explosive disorder | A disorder of impulse control characterised by a single episode of failure to resist a violent, externally directed act which had serious impact on others. (05 Mar 2000) |
| obsessive-compulsive disorder | An anxiety disorder characterised by recurrent, persistent obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are the intrusive ideas, thoughts, or images that are experienced as senseless or repugnant. Compulsions are repetitive and seemingly purposeful behaviour which the individual generally recognises as senseless and from which the individual does not derive pleasure although it may provide a release from tension. (12 Dec 1998) |
| obsessive-compulsive personality disorder | A psychological disorder with a pervasive pattern of inflexible perfectionism which begins by early adulthood as indicated by many of the following symptoms: an unattainable perfectionism with overly strict standards which often make it impossible to complete a task; preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or scheduling to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost; unreasonable insistence that others submit to exactly his or her way of doing things; an unnecessary, excessive devotion to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships; rumination to the point of indecisiveness; (6) overconscientiousness about matters of morality, ethics, or values; (7) restricted expression of affection; (8) lack of generosity in giving time, money, or gifts when no personal gain is likely to result; and (9) an inability to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value. Synonym: obsessional neurosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| oppositional disorder | A mental disorder of childhood or adolescence marked by a pattern of disobedient, negativistic, and provocative opposition to authority figures. (05 Mar 2000) |
| organic mental disorder | A psychological, cognitive, or behavioural abnormality associated with transient or permanent dysfunction of the brain, usually characterised by the presence of an organic mental syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| overanxious disorder | A mental disorder of childhood or adolescence marked by excessive worrying and fearful behaviour not related specifically to separation or due to recent stress. (05 Mar 2000) |