Understanding Concepts of Disorder

The idea that adaptations, while beneficial in their original environment, may become harmful or maladaptive in a changed environment.

An emotional state characterized by a persistent low mood, loss of interest, and lack of energy.

A theory suggesting that depression serves to reallocate energy and resources when faced with prolonged stressful situations, such as illness or starvation.

The tendency to avoid engaging in behaviors that lead to negative outcomes, even if those behaviors are necessary for achieving goals.

The idea that depression, while uncomfortable, is actually a motivational state that triggers avoidance learning and encourages problem-solving strategies.

A defense mechanism characterized by the redirection of impulses towards a socially acceptable outlet. For example, channeling aggression into competitive sports.

The act of reinterpreting behaviors or motives with a more socially acceptable explanation. For example, justifying procrastination by saying you work better under pressure.

A defense mechanism where a person represses emotional content while acknowledging the facts of a situation. For example, a surgeon may discuss a patient's surgery in a detached and factual manner.

The process of denying or ignoring stimuli that evoke anxiety or unacceptable thoughts. For example, refusing to acknowledge a serious illness.

When our expectations about a situation are unmet, we experience a feeling of surprise and disappointment.

A psychological defense mechanism where individuals recall memories with less detail to avoid reliving negative emotions. It's like selectively forgetting the bad parts of a movie.

The ability to control our impulses, actions, and emotions in social situations. It's like having a good internal governor.

The idea that our future self contains the aspirations and dreams we hold onto, while our lost possible self represents the dreams we've left behind.

A measure of how often a particular thought or feeling arises in our minds.

The tendency to displace feelings from one relationship onto another, often based on expectations from earlier experiences.

A mental faculty that punishes behaviors that deviate from internal and external norms, leading to guilt and preventing moral violations.

The belief that delusions arise from a rational interpretation of a perceived disturbance, rather than being inherently irrational.

A state of being unsure or indecisive, often resulting in inaction.

The tendency to overestimate the reliability and trustworthiness of others, often leading to exploitation.

A category of mental illness characterized by episodic mood swings, often including periods of mania and depression.

A category of mental illness characterized by gradual decline in cognitive function and social withdrawal, resembling modern schizophrenia.

Strong, unshakeable beliefs that are inconsistent with reality and resistant to evidence, often accompanied by bizarre or impossible content.

A tendency to attribute negative events to external factors, such as people or circumstances, rather than oneself.

Individuals with this type of delusion believe they are being persecuted or conspired against by others.

A type of delusion where a person believes they have special abilities, powers, or importance.

An internal defense mechanism where individuals protect their self-esteem by blaming external factors for their failures.

A subtype of paranoid delusions where the individual believes their persecution is undeserved and they are the victim.

A subtype of paranoid delusions where the individual believes their persecution is deserved, often due to their own actions or thoughts.

A theoretical model suggesting that paranoid delusions can fluctuate between "Poor Me" and "Bad Me" states, influenced by factors like self-esteem and external attributions.

The tendency for psychosis to emerge during the reproductive years, coinciding with a period of high social and evolutionary pressure.

The idea that psychosis might have evolved as a byproduct or a dysfunction of a beneficial adaptation, rather than a direct adaptation itself.

The process by which serotonin is taken back into the presynaptic neuron after being released into the synapse. This is the mechanism blocked by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

A type of enzyme that helps break down serotonin, ensuring enough goes to mitochondria to become an antioxidant and back to the dorsal raphe nucleus for storage.

The brain region involved in emotional processing and attention, especially orienting attention to a problem. It plays a crucial role in analytical thinking by guiding attention towards the issue at hand.

This theory suggests serotonin redistributes energy resources. It downregulates systems like reproduction, immunity, and growth, freeing up energy for cognitive processes. It also impacts the nucleus accumbens and can lead to anhedonia.

The area in the brain that processes reward and pleasure. It plays a role in anhedonia, which is the loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed.

This region of the brain is crucial for working memory, which is the ability to hold information in mind and manipulate it. In analytical thinking, the hippocampus helps manage information flow for problem-solving.

A part of the brain responsible for higher-order cognitive functions like planning, decision-making, and inhibiting distractions. During analytical thinking, it supports sustained attention and cognitive effort.

A state of balance in the brain's neurotransmitter systems, characterized by a stable level of serotonin and glutamate activity in the synapse.

An exaggerated state of serotonin and glutamate activity caused by depression, potentially leading to heightened activation of cortical networks associated with depressive symptoms.

The ability to engage in persistent and effortful thinking about a problem, especially when faced with distractions. It is often an aspect of analytical rumination in depression.

Antidepressant medications (ADMs) can modify the brain's adaptations related to neurotransmitter regulation, suggesting that the positive effects go beyond simply blocking serotonin reuptake.

The recurrence of depressive symptoms after a period without them, often after discontinuing medication, due to the brain's adaptation to the medication.

Rumination is the tendency to repeatedly dwell on negative thoughts and emotions, particularly related to the causes of problems. This involves a persistent and distraction-resistant focus on analyzing the situation.

A type of rumination that focuses on analyzing the root causes of an event or problem, often with a focus on self-blame, but can lead to understanding, self-reflection, and a sense of control

A coping mechanism that involves focusing on negative aspects of oneself and using self-criticism to motivate behavioral change and prevent future mistakes. Often triggered by events that cause guilt or shame.