Psych and Symptoms - Annotated List

Affect

This construct refers to the emotional intonation, and/or modulation of the facial expression: Impairments may be of limited range, as in being flat, constricted, blunted, inappropriate, or incongruent to thought and mood. Even minor irregularities in this area must be flagged.

Ambivalence

Ambivalence is underscored with an ever-present state of conflicting ideas, attitudes, and emotions towards one's self and/or others that impede motivation, action, and decisiveness often leading to depersonalization, and debilitating dysphoria and anxiety. Ambivalence is not a synonym for indecision. Ambivalence, more often than not entails contrasting feelings about the same object; whereas indecision refers to contrasting feelings of two, or more different objects. Ambivalence, more often than not implies a ‘split’, or a double-bind where (a) equals Doom, and (b) equals Disaster, without a visible source of an exit. Such a dilemma, in the opinion of this author forms the foundation for anxiety states be it generalized, in the form of attacks.

Associations

This area of exploration is needed in that it may point to an impairment of the ability to maintain a cohesive and coherent train of thought, void of loss of associations from one thought to another resulting in going off in tangents, or engaging in word-salads, or introducing neologisms. Associations may be circumstantial, tangential, loose, or disorganized.

Autism

This is indicative of a proclivity towards social withdrawal, and fantasy rather than assimilating to, and integrating external objective reality norms, ideas and behaviors.

Abstraction

Referring to the ability to think, decipher, and interpret, in an abstract fashion, when needed, and void of concrete, semantic, or literal interpretations; as in understanding proverbial ideas, humor, or theoretical constructs.

Aprosodia

Referring to the emotional quality of speech modulation, and intonation, or to the ability for understanding non-verbal language, subtleties, or nuances. Prosody may be expressive, receptive, or both.

Appropriateness

A marked absence of the ability to be socially, or behaviorally, appropriate, usually exceeding the limits of decorum.

Alexithymia

The absence of the ability to integrate, or incorporate, a wide range of 'feeling-words’, or expressions. Exceptions may include the expressions of the most primitive of affects such as anger, fear, frustration and despondency.

Aloofness

A marked presence of general indifference, or remoteness, or withdrawal.

Apathy

A marked presence of dispassion, or detachment, or unconcern, or indifference.

Affection / Intimacy

The ability, as well as the desire to be affectionate, warm, and appropriately expressive, and void of constriction.

Alienation

Either a forced, or voluntary withdrawal, or distancing, or isolation from others, or isolation of affect. It might vary in its degree, its frequency, its duration, or it may be selective.

Affiliation

Referring to the innate capacity, as well as desire, and needed relatedness, for in-depth social interactions that go beyond a circle of 'relatives'.

Autonomy

Its absence may be a very strong indication of a dependent personality profile. The individual is not capable, or fearful in exercising their right to free will. In and by itself it may not be anything significant in so far as diagnostic entities are concerned, though it may be a source of significant distress and supportive intervention.

Aggression

Argumentative, combative, defiant, threatening or menacing, Frequent power struggles, reactivity, poor impulse control.

Agitation

Excessively verbal, and/or irritable with a low threshold of tolerance, increased motor-activity. There may be pacing, restlessness, lability of mood, clenching of teeth, or fists, palm-sweating, frequency of urination, aggression. Please consider that agitation may be intra, or extra-psychic.

Alertness

Aside from normative states, we may observe hypo-alertness, attention and focusing impairments, or hyper-alertness, or hyper-vigilance …

Alluring

This is a highly emotional, attention seeking, individual who is flirtatious, seductive, provocative, highly sexualized, ego-centric, theatrical, and dramatic. This individual requires excessive amounts of validation.

Anergia

There is, or are, distinct periods of loss, or limited, or constricted reservoirs of energy, where even menial tasks appear monumental with consequent difficulties in initiating, performing, or completing tasks; Unusual protracting and procrastinating not in congruence with the individual’s previous history.

Anhedonia

This is a state of chronic or episodic loss of interest in pleasure, or socialization; absence of concern for pleasurable or sexual activities vis-à-vis dysthymic moods.

Anxiety

A state dominated by excessive experiences of fear, intrapsychic agitation, intrusive thoughts, and feelings of morbid anticipation. ... If highly remarkable, it usually includes involuntary physiological reactions such as frequency of urination, shying respirations, tachycardia, sweating, and muscle weakness. It is usually episodic, and transitory. The individual may fear collapse, fainting, dying, or going crazy.

Appropriateness

When this term is used in a socio-cultural context, it refers to socio-cultural codes of morality, ethics, and morays. Remarkable impairments are indicated by failure to observe boundaries, or etiquettes, or protocols, or by defects in automatic, and even retrospective insight, or sensitivity into the effect their behavior, appearance, or words, may have upon others.

Appetite

Impairments in this area include loss, absence, and selective; ravenous, excessive, anorexia, gluttonous. Symptoms are patient reports, significant gain or loss of weight, food or taste selectivity or sensitivity.

Arrogance

Demonstrated by being haughty, pompous, lacking in humility, boasting, and/or self-aggrandizement.

Ansonia

A literal interpretation refers to the absence of sleep or the absence of the ability to sleep. However, in assessments we explore and report sleep difficulties using terms such as initial insomnia (Difficulty falling asleep), mid insomnia (waking up in the middle of the night), or terminal insomnia (waking up earlier than we planned, and unable to fall back to sleep.).

Assertiveness

Characterized by a profound inability to assert, or take control; Needy, clinging, indecisive. The individual is unable to function outside the bounds of a close relationship. They experience serious difficulties in initiating without assistance, support, or reassurance.

Ataxia

Lack of constancy of ideas, and/or restlessness. Psycho-neurologically it may refer to a degenerative disease, or loss of power for voluntary movement.

Awkward

The individual may be referred to as odd, nerdy, geeky, dorky, socially inept, or lacking in dexterity, or social skills, or conversational skills, or social appropriateness; they may, or may not be excessively concerned about social ridicule or humiliation.

Unforgiving

Such persons are either unable, or unwilling to forget, or forgive, with a propensity for holding grudges.

Haplessness

Referring to a general absence of happiness underscored with feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, and resignation.

Hopelessness

This is a state where there is significant loss, or absence of hope, underscored with morbid, or passive suicidal thoughts, or a world view dominated by cynicism, pointlessness, and/or stoicism.

Jealousy paranoia.

A term used to describe unwarranted verbal, or behavioral demonstrations of excessive jealousy and possessiveness.

Mood Lability

It usually defines excessive mood lability or shifting within a short period of minutes and usually not exceeding a couple of hours, without a return to a normal mood.

Motor-behavior

This is s a significant marker for detecting hyper-kinesis, intra, or extrapsychic agitation, excessive and unmitigated levels of energy, restlessness, and aspects of responses to stress, or conflict.

Pressure, and qualities of speech

Speech-content is overelaborate, often circumstantial, imposing, and its amplitude is significantly louder than normal at a highly remarkable rate (fast).

Relatedness

Its absence or limitations may impede, or interfere with our level of likeability, and/or our wish and desire to relate to others, feel connected, or being sought after as a friend, or companion.

Pervasive distrust, or suspiciousness

This is a state underscored with suspicion, Hypervigilance, and not trusting others. Some individuals are hyper alert and hypersensitive to non-existent meanings between words, or to someone looking at them, and are virtually unable to fully comprehend humor.