Dictionary

paranoia: A psychiatric state in which a person has an unfounded fear or suspicion without experiencing hallucinations.

personality disorder: A set of mental disorders related to character or personality traits. Some such disorders may include symptoms such as anxiety, mania or depression.
 
physical abuse: Any type of abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm.
 
post traumatic stress disorder: an anxiety disorder that can occur after someone has been through a traumatic event.

post-traumatic stress syndrome: Another term for posttraumatic stress disorder.

post-vietnam syndrome: A type of PTSD experience by those who have experienced tragedy in Vietnam.
 
Prozac: Also known as fluoxetine hydrochloride, an antidepressant that treats clinical depression and other disorders.

psychological trauma: A type of damage to the psyche which is the result of a traumatic event. 

psychotherapy: The process of treatment for psychiatric disorders. Psychotherapy tends to revolve around group or private therapy sessions and, at times, prescription medication.

reverse seasonal affective disorder: A disorder that causes depressive symptoms similar to SAD, but that occurs in the summer.

schizophrenia: A psychiatric disorder in which a person has a distorted perception of reality that is coupled with hallucinations, delusions, mood swings, bizarre behavior, etc. for a period of more than six months.

seasonal affective disorder (SAD): A condition where the sufferers experience normal health throughout most of the year, but depressive symptoms in the winter or summer.

serotonin: The neurotransmitter (brain hormone) closely related to the nervous system that plays a role in our perception of emotion, display of behavior and process of thought. Serotonin also influences the feeling of hunger and our perception of other sense.

sexual abuse: Any civil and criminal offense wherein an adult engages in sexual activity with someone else, or exploits someone for the purpose of sexual gratification.

shell shock: A colloquial term for posttraumatic stress disorder.

sodium depletion: The condition in which a person’s body doesn’t have sufficient sodium (either because of insufficient intake of sodium, excessive renal loss or excessive intake of water). If sodium depletion persists, a person can suffer from headaches, nausea and seizures.

SSRI: Standing for "Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors," SSRI refers to a set of drugs that treats depression and other psychiatric disorders by slowing the rate at which cells absorb serotonin.

substance abuse: The condition in which a person consistently misuse a certain substance to a debilitating degree. While most people associate substance abuse with illegal drugs (such as marijuana or cocaine), it can also define the abuse of legal substances (such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and even food).

survivor guilt: A mental condition that results from the appraisal that a person has done wrong by surviving traumatic events such as combat or natural disasters.

survivor syndrome: Another name for survivor guilt.