Psychological Disorders Glossary

adjective describing a person who has autism, a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior

• Many autistic individuals have unique talents and abilities.
• My cousin is autistic and he loves playing video games.
• Some people use 'autistic' as a derogatory term, which is not okay.
• His mind works in such an autistic way, always focused on the details.

noun harm or injury to the brain

• The patient suffered from severe brain damage after the car accident.
• He got brain damage from hitting his head on the pavement.
• Dude, don't do that stunt again, you could end up with some serious brain damage!
• The misinformation campaign caused irreparable brain damage to the public's perception of the issue.

adverb in a way that is impossible to resist or control

• She compulsively checked her email every five minutes, even during important meetings.
• He compulsively rearranges his bookshelf whenever he's feeling stressed.
• She's always compulsively scrolling through social media, it's like she can't stop.
• His need for control was so strong, it was like he was compulsively trying to hold the world together.

verb to suffer violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles

• The patient began to convulse uncontrollably after being administered the wrong medication.
• I freaked out when I saw him convulse like that.
• She started convulsing out of nowhere and it was scary.
• The news of the scandal caused the company's stock to convulse wildly.

verb to disrupt the order or arrangement of something

• The new manager implemented a system to prevent the department from becoming disorganized.
• I always disorganize my desk when I'm looking for something.
• I tend to disorganize my room when I'm in a rush.
• The unexpected news completely disorganized my thoughts.

noun a worsening or aggravation of a situation or condition

• The patient's condition worsened due to the exacerbation of his symptoms.
• His cough got worse because of the exacerbation.
• The party was already a disaster, but his arrival was the exacerbation we didn't need.
• The heated argument led to an exacerbation of tensions between the two groups.

noun a severe criticism or denunciation

verb to criticize or berate severely; to flay or remove the skin from

• The critic proceeded to excoriate the author's latest novel in a scathing review.
• She really excoriated him for forgetting her birthday.
• The players were excoriated by the coach for their poor performance on the field.
• Her words seemed to excoriate his soul, leaving him feeling raw and exposed.

adjective artificially created or developed; not natural or genuine

• The experiment was designed to test the effects of factitious substances on plant growth.
• She made up a factitious excuse to leave the party early.
• I can't believe he's trying to sell us on that factitious story.
• His smile seemed factitious, hiding his true feelings.

adjective relating to or tending towards homicide; murderous

• The suspect exhibited homicidal tendencies during the interrogation.
• I heard he's been acting all homicidal lately.
• That guy gives off major homicidal vibes, stay away from him.
• The competition between the two companies was so intense, it felt almost homicidal.

noun a stupid act or statement

• The court deemed the defendant's actions as a result of his imbecility.
• Her imbecility was evident when she couldn't solve a simple math problem.
• Stop acting with such imbecility, it's getting annoying.
• The imbecility of the plan was clear when it fell apart within minutes.

adjective relating to or characteristic of infants or infancy; childish

• The psychologist noted that the patient's behavior was indicative of infantile tendencies.
• She always teases him about his infantile sense of humor.
• Stop acting so infantile, grow up!
• The company's decision to cut corners was seen as infantile by their competitors.

noun a physical tossing or jerking of the body

• The defendant's jactitation of false claims only served to further damage their credibility in court.
• Stop with the jactitation already, no one believes your exaggerated stories.
• Her jactitation about her new job was so over the top, it was hard to take her seriously.
• The politician's jactitation of his accomplishments was like a desperate attempt to gain approval from the public.

noun a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior and may impair their ability to function in daily life

• Mental illness is a serious medical condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, behavior, and mood.
• It's important to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness.
• Dealing with mental illness can be tough, but it's okay to ask for help.
• The dark cloud of mental illness can sometimes feel overwhelming, but there is always hope for brighter days ahead.

adjective describing someone or something that is capable of or inclined to commit murder

• The jury found the defendant guilty of committing a murderous act.
• He has a murderous look in his eyes whenever he gets angry.
• That guy is straight up murderous, I wouldn't mess with him.
• The competition in the industry is so fierce, it's like a murderous battle for market share.

noun the act of causing severe damage to a body part, especially by cutting or removing it

• The act of mutilation is considered a serious crime under the law.
• I heard that the poor dog suffered from mutilation by its previous owner.
• That movie was so bad, it felt like a visual mutilation of my eyes.
• Her self-esteem was deeply wounded, it felt like emotional mutilation.

noun a sudden overwhelming fear or anxiety

verb to feel or cause to feel sudden overwhelming fear or anxiety

• The stock market experienced a sudden panic among investors.
• Don't panic, we still have time to finish the project.
• When the fire alarm went off, everyone started panicking.
• She felt a sense of panic wash over her as she realized she had forgotten her presentation.

noun a person who is addicted to or frequently uses pills, especially prescription drugs

• The doctor warned about the dangers of becoming a pillhead due to excessive use of prescription medication.
• I heard that guy is a total pillhead, always popping painkillers for every little ache.
• Don't hang out with that pillhead, he's always looking for a quick fix.
• His addiction to social media turned him into a digital pillhead, constantly seeking validation online.

noun the state of being delayed or held back in terms of progress or development

• Intellectual retardation is a condition characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.
• The doctor explained that the child's mental retardation may require specialized education and support.
• Using the term 'retardation' as an insult is offensive and disrespectful.
• The economic retardation of the region was evident in the lack of infrastructure development.

adverb in a spasmodic manner; characterized by spasms or sudden bursts of activity

• The patient's muscles were contracting spasmodically during the seizure.
• She laughed spasmodically at the comedian's jokes.
• He twitched spasmodically when he heard the loud noise.
• The old car's engine sputtered spasmodically before finally starting.

noun the action of taking something unlawfully without permission

verb to take something unlawfully without permission

• The act of stealing is considered a serious crime in many countries.
• I heard that someone has been stealing from the office supplies cabinet.
• I can't believe he's still out there stealing stuff.
• She was accused of stealing his heart with her charm.

adjective relating to or constituting a symptom or symptoms of a particular disease or condition

• The patient's cough is symptomatic of an underlying respiratory infection.
• Her fatigue is symptomatic of staying up too late last night.
• Dude, your sneezing is totally symptomatic of allergies.
• The cracks in the foundation were symptomatic of deeper structural issues.

noun a person or thing that is considered abnormal or monstrous

• The medical community was puzzled by the teratism found in the patient's ultrasound results.
• Did you hear about the teratism that was discovered during the prenatal screening?
• That baby has some serious teratism going on, it's wild!
• The artist's painting was a teratism of colors and shapes, creating a mesmerizing effect.

adjective tending to relapse into a previous condition or behavior, especially criminal behavior

• The recidivous behavior of the criminal led to his multiple arrests.
• That guy is so recidivous, he keeps getting in trouble with the law.
• She's a recidivous troublemaker, always causing problems.
• His recidivous tendencies towards procrastination hindered his academic progress.

noun an irrational fear of stings or jellyfish

• Cnidophobia is a specific phobia that involves an intense fear of stinging animals, such as jellyfish or sea anemones.
• I heard Sarah has cnidophobia, so she avoids going to the beach at all costs.
• Don't be such a wimp, cnidophobia is not that big of a deal.
• His cnidophobia towards criticism is hindering his personal growth.

noun an extreme or irrational fear of penises

• Phallophobia is a type of specific phobia characterized by an irrational fear of the penis.
• I heard she has phallophobia, so she gets nervous around guys.
• Some people joke that phallophobia is just a fancy term for being scared of male genitalia.
• Her phallophobia is like a barrier preventing her from forming intimate relationships.

noun an irrational fear of chickens or poultry

• A person suffering from alektorophobia may experience extreme fear when encountering a rooster.
• My friend has alektorophobia, so we always avoid going to the farm together.
• I heard she has alektorophobia, that's why she freaks out whenever she sees a chicken.
• His alektorophobia towards public speaking is hindering his career advancement.

noun the consumption of feces, typically by animals

• Coprophagia is a behavior observed in some animal species where they consume feces.
• I read that coprophagia is actually a natural behavior in certain animals.
• Ew, did you know some animals engage in coprophagia?
• Metaphorically speaking, engaging in coprophagia means consuming negative thoughts and emotions.

noun the act of killing one's wife

• The man was arrested for committing uxoricide, the act of killing one's wife.
• I can't believe he's been charged with uxoricide, that's so shocking.
• He's facing serious consequences for the uxoricide, it's messed up.
• In a metaphorical sense, his actions can be seen as a form of uxoricide towards their relationship.

noun a noun referring to a specific type of eating disorder that involves an unhealthy preoccupation with consuming only healthy or 'pure' foods

• Orthorexia nervosa is a term used to describe an obsession with eating healthy food.
• Some people take healthy eating to the extreme and develop orthorexia nervosa.
• I heard she's got a serious case of orthorexia, always talking about clean eating and organic food.
• His orthorexia nervosa is like a prison, restricting him from enjoying a variety of foods.

adjective relating to or characteristic of a person who does not have a neurological disorder such as autism or ADHD

• It is important to understand the differences between neurotypical individuals and those with neurodivergent conditions.
• Neurotypical people may not always understand the perspectives of neurodivergent individuals.
• Some people just don't get it because they're so neurotypical.
• In a world full of neurotypical thinkers, it's refreshing to encounter someone with a different perspective.

noun a person who is addicted to spending money excessively and irresponsibly

• The spendaholic individual struggled to keep their finances in check.
• My friend is such a spendaholic, always buying the latest gadgets.
• She's a total spendaholic, can't resist splurging on designer clothes.
• His reckless spending habits earned him the title of a spendaholic.

noun a state or quality of being abnormal

• The doctor was concerned about the abnormity in the patient's test results.
• There was definitely something abnormal going on with that abnormity.
• That abnormity is just plain weird, man.
• The abnormity in her behavior was like a dark cloud hanging over the family.

noun a rare medical condition characterized by a loss of the sense of reality

• The patient's acoenesthesia resulted in a loss of sensation in their limbs.
• He couldn't feel his legs at all due to acoenesthesia.
• I think she's got a bit of acoenesthesia going on, she didn't even notice she cut her finger.
• His emotional numbness was like a form of acoenesthesia, blocking out any feelings of joy or sadness.