| abnormal behavior | Behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives.
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| medical perspective | The perspective that suggests that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the root cause will be found in a physical examination of the individual, which may reveal a hormonal imbalance, a chemical deficiency, or a brain injury.
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| psychoanalytic perspective | The perspective that suggests that abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression.
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| behavioral perspective | The approach that suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study.
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| cognitive perspective | The approach that focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world.
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| humanistic perspective | The approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior.
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| sociocultural perspective | The perspective that assumes that people's behavior-both normal and abnormal-is shaped by the kind of family group, society, and culture in which they live.
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| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) | A system, devised by the American Psychiatric Association, used by most professionals to diagnose and classify abnormal behavior.
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| anxiety disorder | The occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning.
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| phobias | Intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations.
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| panic disorder | Anxiety disorder that takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hours.
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| generalized anxiety disorder | The experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry.
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| obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) | A disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions.
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| obsession | A persistent, unwanted thought or idea that keeps recurring.
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| compulsion | An irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some act that seems strange and unreasonable.
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| somatoform disorders | Psychological difficulties that take on a physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause.
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| hypochondriasis | A disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health.
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| conversion disorder | A major somatoform disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move an arm or leg.
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| dissociative disorders | Psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person's personality that are normally integrated.
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| dissociative identity disorder (DID) | A disorder in which a person displays characteristics of two or more distinct personalities.
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| dissociative amnesia | A disorder in which a significant, selective memory loss occurs.
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| dissociative fugue | A form of amnesia in which the individual leaves home and sometimes assumes a new identity.
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| mood disorder | A disturbance in emotional experience that is strong enough to intrude on everyday living.
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| major depression | A severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability.
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| mania | An extended state of intense, wild elation.
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| bipolar disorder | A disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoric feelings of mania and periods of depression.
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| schizophrenia | A class of disorders in which severe distortion of reality occurs.
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| personality disorder | A disorder characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society.
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| antisocial personality disorder | A disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others.
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| borderline personality disorder | A disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are.
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| narcissistic personality disorder | A personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance.
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| attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | A disorder marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and a great deal of inappropriate activity.
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| autism | A severe developmental disability that impairs children's ability to communicate and relate to others.
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