disorder
[noun]
a disease, illness, or medical condition that impairs normal physical or mental function
Ex:
Essential Vocabulary for TOEFL - Mental Disorders
Here you will learn some English words about mental disorders, such as "anxiety", "mania", "PTSD", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.
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anxiety
[noun]
(psychiatry) a mental disorder of constant nervousness and worry, in which one expects something bad to happen with no valid reason
Ex:
Physical
symptoms
of
anxiety
include
rapid
heartbeat
and
sweating
.
mental
[adjective]
relating to the health or state of the mind, including aspects of emotional, psychological, and cognitive well-being
Ex:
depression
[noun]
a state characterized by constant feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of enegry or interest in activities
Ex:
Many
people
experience
depression
during
major
life
changes
.
mania
[noun]
mental condition that causes extreme and unusual changes in one's energy level, mood, or emotions
dementia
[noun]
a mental condition that happens when the brain is damaged by disease or injury, causing memory loss and impairing the ability to think or make decisions
Ex:
The
doctor
explained
that
dementia
can
affect
both
short-term
and
long-term memory
.
autism
[noun]
a disorder that begins in early childhood, causing behavioral, social, and communication challenges
hyperactivity
[noun]
a state where a person is unusually active, is unable to stay focused or quiet for long, experienced mostly by children
a condition, experienced mostly by children, making them seem restless, unable to keep focus, and act impulsively
a disorder causing a person to have recurring unwanted thoughts or to do something such as cleaning or checking on something over and over
Ex:
Cognitive-behavioral
therapy
(
CBT
)
,
particularly
exposure
and
response
prevention
(
ERP
)
,
is
an
effective
treatment
for
obsessive-compulsive disorder
,
helping
patients
confront
their
fears
and
reduce
compulsive
behaviors
.
a disorder that is formed in a person who has experienced a very shocking or frightening event, causing them to have nightmares or flashbacks from the event
Ex:
Cognitive-behavioral
therapy
(
CBT
)
and
eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
(
EMDR
)
are
effective
treatments
for
post-traumatic stress disorder
,
helping
individuals
process
and
cope
with
their
trauma
.
paranoia
[noun]
a mental disorder that causes a person to think they are very important or that others are trying to harm them
paranoid
[adjective]
suffering from a mental condition that causes one to believe other people are trying to harm one
personality disorder
[noun]
any mental illness characterized by different patterns of social behavior, inability to form healthy interpersonal relationships and to function normally in society
psychopath
[noun]
someone with a severe mental condition that makes them prone to violent or antisocial behavior
sociopath
[noun]
someone with a mental condition characterized by impulsive behavior, impaired remorse, and indifference to other people's feelings
schizophrenia
[noun]
a chronic mental disorder in which a person's ability to think, feel or behave is affected, often associated with the distortion of reality
psychotic
[adjective]
(of a mental condition) affecting brain processes so severely that makes one unable to tell the difference between reality and fantasy
Ex:
Psychotic
disorders
can
severely
impair
one
's
ability
to
function
in
daily
life
.
a mental illness that causes a person to act impulsively, to experience severe shifts in mood, and to be unable to form interpersonal relationships
Ex:
Treatment
for
borderline personality disorder
often
involves
a
combination
of
psychotherapy
,
such as
dialectical
behavior therapy
(
DBT
)
,
and
medication
to
help
manage
symptoms
.
bipolar disorder
[noun]
a chronic mental health condition marked by episodes of mania and depression
Ex:
Treatment
for
bipolar disorder
typically
involves
a
combination
of
medication
,
such as
mood
stabilizers
and
antidepressants
,
and
psychotherapy
to
help
manage
symptoms
and
prevent
relapse
.
a psychological condition in which there are more than one personality in a person, each personality has different memories and patterns of behavior
Ex:
Trauma
,
particularly
in
childhood
,
is
often
associated
with
the
development
of
dissociative identity disorder
,
as
a
coping mechanism
to
escape from
overwhelming
or
traumatic
experiences
.
insomnia
[noun]
a disorder in which one is unable to sleep or stay asleep
Ex:
The
doctor
recommended
a few
relaxation
techniques
to
help
combat
her
insomnia
and
improve
her
sleep
quality
.
amnesia
[noun]
a severe medical condition that leads to partial or complete loss of memory
Ex:
Cases
of
dissociative
amnesia
can
follow
extreme
emotional
trauma
and
sometimes
resolve
with
psychotherapy
.
trauma
[noun]
a medical condition of the mind caused by extreme shock, which could last for a very long time
Ex:
Childhood
trauma
can
have
long-lasting
effects
on
a
person
's
mental
and
emotional
well-being
.
self-harm
[noun]
the action of intentionally harming oneself, usually as a result of a mental disorder
complex
[noun]
a group of partly or completely repressed emotions or impulses that affect a person's behavior and patterns of thought
Ex:
masochistic
[adjective]
gaining sexual satisfaction from being physically or mentally harmed or controlled
sadistic
[adjective]
finding pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure in hurting or humiliating others
Ex:
The
sadistic
serial killer
took
pleasure
in
the
suffering
of
his
victims
.