Glossary

Category: A

  • Antabuse

    Brand name for disulfiram. A drug used in treatment of alcoholism to create an aversive response to alcohol. It blocks the normal metabolism of alcohol and produces increased blood concentrations of acetaldehyde which cause very unpleasant reactions including flushing of the skin, pounding of the heart, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting. With more severe…

  • Anosognosia

    From the Greek “loss of knowledge,” it usually occurs among people who have had a STROKE in the right hemisphere of the BRAIN, which has made them unable to use the left arm or leg (hemiplegic). A small proportion of these hemiplegic patients cannot perceive that they are paralyzed. The apparent denial or unawareness of…

  • Anosodiaphoria

    A condition in which the patient appears unconcerned with or minimizes the significance of neurological and neuropsychological deficits. Indifference to one’s sickness.  

  • Anosmia

    Anosmia

    The partial or complete absence of the sense of smell, which is either congenital or the result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). If present following TBI, it predicts a poorer prognosis. Lack or impairment of the sense of smell. Impairment or loss of smell. A conversion disorder marked by loss or impairment of the…

  • Anorgasmia

    The inability to achieve orgasm. Classified as primary orgasmic dysfunction or secondary orgasmic dysfunction. Also pertains to situational or coital or random orgasmic dysfunction. Absence of a climax (orgasm) in sexual relations.  

  • Anomie

    Apathy, alienation, and personal distress resulting from the loss of goals previously valued. Durkheim popularized this term when he listed it as a principal reason for suicide. In psychology, without relationship or the feeling of belonging. A psychological condition in which a person develops the feeling of not being part of the everyday world, and…

  • Anomic aphasia

    Loss of the ability to name objects. Also called amnestic aphasia. Inability to name objects; loss of memory for words. A state characterized by the partial or complete inability to remember and retrieve the names of individuals or objects, typically caused by factors such as stroke, head trauma, brain tumor, or infection.  

  • Anomia

    A problem with word finding. Impaired recall of words with no impairment of comprehension or the capacity to repeat the words. Also known as anomic aphasia or amnestic aphasia. Indicating an absence of moral sense (Benjamin Rush). Inability to remember names of people and things. A type of aphasia involving the inability to recall the…

  • Anniversary reaction

    An emotional response to a previous event occurring at the same time of year. Often the event involved a loss, and the reaction involves a depressed state. The reaction can range from mild to severe and may occur at any time after the event.  

  • Anima

    Shadow; In jungian psychology (carl gustav jung, 1875–1961), a person’s inner being as opposed to the character or persona presented to the world. Furthermore, the anima may be the more feminine “soul” or inner self of a man, and the animus may be the more masculine soul of a woman. A archetype that is the…