a2zpsychology.com > Psychology Guide > Disorders > Mental Illness Terms |
Anxiety is a condition of worry, tension, or uneasiness produced by the anticipation of some danger whose source is largely unknown. Compulsion is an irresistible impulse to perform a certain action. Delusion is a false belief that a person maintains in spite of evidence that proves it untrue. Depression is a mental disorder characterized by feelings of deep sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Hallucination is the sensation of something that does not really exist. Illusion is a distorted perception of reality. Mania means a mental disorder that involves extreme optimism and excessive energy, often accompanied by uncontrollable irritability and anger. Mood disorder is a mental illness that mainly affects a person's mood. Neurosis is a mild mental disorder. Obsession is a recurring thought that a person considers senseless or terrible but cannot ignore. Organic disorder refers to a mental illness that results from a physical cause, such as a birth defect, a disease, or an injury. Paranoia is a mental condition in which an individual unjustifiably feels threatened by other people. Phobia means a strong, unreasonable fear of a particular object or situation. Psychosis is a severe mental disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and inability to deal with reality. Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by unpredictable thoughts and behaviour and a withdrawal from reality. Unconscious refers to thoughts and feelings that a person is not directly or fully aware of. |