Science / Psychiatry Glossary

Insomnia: A subjective complaint of difficulty falling or staying asleep or poor sleep quality. Types of insomnia include

Instinct: An inborn drive. The primary human instincts include self-preservation, sexuality, and according to some proponents the death instinct, of which aggression is one manifestation.

Integration: The useful organization and incorporation of both new and old data, experience, and emotional capacities into the personality. Also refers to the organization and amalgamation of functions a . . . View Full Definition

Intellectualization: A mental mechanism in which the person engages in excessive abstract thinking to avoid confrontation with conflicts or disturbing feelings.

Intersex Condition: A condition in which an individual shows intermingling, in various degrees, of the characteristics of each sex, including physical form, reproductive organs, and sexual behavior.

Introjection And Identification: ego defence mechanisms in which the attitudes and behaviour of another are internalised to help the person to cope with separation

Introspection: Self-observation; examination of ones feelings, often as a result of psychotherapy.

Introversion: Preoccupation with oneself and accompanying reduction of interest in the outside world. Contrast to extraversion.

Isolation: A defense mechanism operating unconsciously central to obsessive-compulsive phenomena in which the affect is detached from an idea and rendered unconscious, leaving the conscious idea colour . . . View Full Definition

Jamais Vu: illusion of failure to recognise a familiar situation

Jargon Aphasia: incoherent, meaningless, neologistic speech

Klinefelters Syndrome: Chromosomal defect in males in which there is an extra X chromosome; manifestations may include underdeveloped testes, physical feminization, sterility, and mental retardation.

Klüver Bucy Syndrome: Placidity, hyperorality, hypersexuality, hyperphagia

Koro: A culture specific syndrome of China involving fear of retraction of penis into abdomen with the belief that this will lead to death.

La Belle Indifférence: Literally, beautiful indifference. Seen in certain patients with conversion disorders who show an inappropriate lack of concern about their disabilities. labile Rapidly shifting (as applied . . . View Full Definition

Labile Affect: affect repeatedly and rapidly shifts from one extreme to another e.g. from despair to elation

Latah: A culture specific syndrome of Southeast Asia involving startle-induced disorganization, hypersuggestibility, automatic obedience, and echopraxia.

Latent Content: The hidden (i.e., unconscious) meaning of thoughts or actions, especially in dreams or fantasies. In dreams, it is expressed in distorted, disguised, condensed, and symbolic form.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27