Glossary
This glossary was put together with the hope of helping parents navigate through some of the terms they may run into while getting support for their family.
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AA See Alcoholic Anonymous
Addiction (Source: Answer.com) Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or substance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has been partially replaced by the word dependence for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity).
Agoraphobia (Source: Wikipedia) Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to his or her home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this “safe place.”
AlAnon (Source Answer.com) Group connected to Alcoholics Anonymous specifically organized for spouses, adult children, siblings, parents, and other individuals connected to the recovering alcoholic.
Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) (Source Answer.com). A group program in which the members help themselves and each other defeat alcoholism. Members address each other only on a first-name basis, and group confidentiality is highly guarded.
Alternative Therapy (Source: Cancer Care Manitoba) A variety of treatments, outside the scope of conventional medical practice, and used instead of standard treatments – eg. nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, massage, acupuncture, energy work, etc.
American Psychiatric Association = APA
ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) (Source: NEDA) A nonprofit corporation that seeks to alleviate the problems of eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Anorexia Nervosa (Source: NEDA) A disorder in which an individual refuses to maintain minimally normal body weight, intensely fears gaining weight, and exhibits a significant disturbance in his/her perception of the shape or size of his/her body.
Anorexia Athletica (Source: NEDA) The use of excessive exercise to lose weight.
Anxiety (Source: NEDA) A persistent feeling of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including: panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social and specific phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Anxiety is a type of mood disorder. (See Mood Disorders.)
APA = American Psychiatric Association
Art Therapy (Source: NEDA) A form of expressive therapy that uses visual art to encourage the patient’s growth of self awareness and self esteem to make attitudinal and behavioral changes.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (Source Answer.com) A disorder characterized by a difficulty in retaining focus, especially on tasks, for long periods of time.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Source Answer.com) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities.
Behavior Therapy (BT) - (Source: NEDA) A type of psychotherapy that uses principles of learning to increase the frequency of desired behaviors and/or decrease the frequency of problem behaviors. Subtypes of BT include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and hypnobehavioral therapy.
Beneficiary (Source: NEDA) The recipient of benefits from an insurance policy.
Binge Eating (also Bingeing) (Source: NEDA) Consuming an amount of food that is considered much larger than the amount that most individuals would eat under similar circumstances within a discrete period of time. Also referred to as “binge eating.”
Biofeedback (Source: NEDA) A technique that measures bodily functions, like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and muscle tension. Biofeedback is used to teach people how to alter bodily functions through relaxation or imagery. Typically, a practitioner describes stressful situations and guides a person through using relaxation techniques. The person can see how their heart rate and blood pressure change in response to being stressed or relaxed. This is a type of non-drug, non-psychotherapy.
Bipolar Disorder (Source: Answer.com) Bipolar, or manic-depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that causes radical emotional changes and mood swings, from manic highs to depressive lows. The majority of bipolar individuals experience alternating episodes of mania and depression.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder or Dysmorphophobia (Source: NEDA) A mental condition defined in the DSM-IV in which the patient is preoccupied with a real or perceived defect in his/her appearance. (See DSM-IV.)
Body Image (Source: NEDA) The subjective opinion about one’s physical appearance based on self perception of body size and shape and the reactions of others.
Bulimia Nervosa (Source: NEDA) A disorder defined in the DSM-IV-R in which a patient binges on food an average of twice weekly in a three-month time period, followed by compensatory behavior aimed at preventing weight gain. This behavior may include excessive exercise, vomiting, or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, other medications, and enemas.
Bulimarexia (Source: NEDA) A term used to describe individuals who engage alternately in bulimic behavior and anorexic behavior.
Case Management (Source: NEDA) An approach to patient care in which a case manager mobilizes people to organize appropriate services and supports for a patient’s treatment. A case manager coordinates mental health, social work, educational, health, vocational, transportation, advocacy, respite care, and recreational services, as needed. The case manager ensures that the changing needs of the patient and family members supporting that patient are met.
COBRA (Source: NEDA) A federal act in 1985 that included provisions to protect health insurance benefits coverage for workers and their families who lose their jobs. The landmark Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) health benefit provisions became law in 1986. The law amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to provide continuation of employer-sponsored group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has advisory jurisdiction for the COBRA law as it applies to state and local government (public sector) employers and their group health plans.
Codependence – See blog entry
Cognitive Therapy (CT) (Source: NEDA) A type of psychotherapeutic treatment that attempts to change a patient’s feelings and behaviors by changing the way the patient thinks about or perceives his/her significant life experiences. Subtypes include cognitive analytic therapy and cognitive orientation therapy
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) (Source: NEDA) A type of cognitive therapy that focuses its attention on discovering how a patient’s problems have evolved and how the procedures the patient has devised to cope with them may be ineffective or even harmful. CAT is designed to enable people to gain an understanding of how the difficulties they experience may be made worse by their habitual coping mechanisms. Problems are understood in the light of a person’s personal history and life experiences. The focus is on recognizing how these coping procedures originated and how they can be adapted.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) (Source: Medicinenet.com) A relatively short-term form of psychotherapy based on the concept that the way we think about things affects how we feel emotionally. Cognitive therapy focuses on present thinking, behavior, and communication rather than on past experiences and is oriented toward problem solving. Cognitive therapy has been applied to a broad range of problems including depression, anxiety, panic, fears, eating disorders, substance abuse, and personality problems.
Cognitive therapy is sometimes called cognitive behavior therapy because it aims to help people in the ways they think (the cognitive) and in the ways they act (the behavior).
Cognitive Orientation Therapy (COT) (Source: NEDA) A type of cognitive therapy that uses a systematic procedure to understand the meaning of a patient’s behavior by exploring certain themes such as aggression and avoidance. The procedure for modifying behavior then focuses on systematically changing the patient’s beliefs related to the themes and not directly to eating behavior.
Crisis Residential Treatment Services (Source: NEDA) Short-term, round-the-clock help provided in a nonhospital setting during a crisis. The purposes of this care are to avoid inpatient hospitalization, help stabilize the individual in crisis, and determine the next appropriate step.
Cure (Source: NEDA) The treated condition or disorder is permanently gone, never to return in the individual who received treatment. Not to be confused with “remission.” (See Remission.)
Depression (also called Major Depressive Disorder) (Source: NEDA) A condition that is characterized by one or more major depressive episodes consisting of two or more weeks during which a person experiences a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities. It is one of the mood disorders listed in the DSM-IV-R. (See Mood Disorders.)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (Source: DBT Self Help) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) combines cognitive and behavioral therapy, incorporating methodologies from various practices including Eastern mindfulness techniques.
Disordered Eating (Source: Wikipedia) Disordered eating is a term that is used by the DSM-IV-TR, used by health care, to describe a wide variety of irregularities in eating behavior that do not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. People who have this kind of disordered eating patterns may be diagnosed with an eating disorder not otherwise specified. A change in eating patterns can also be caused by other mental disorders (e.g. clinical depression), or by factors that are generally considered to be unrelated to mental disorders (e.g. extreme home-sickness).
Drunkorexia (Source: NEDA) Behaviors that include any or all of the following: replacing food consumption with excessive alcohol consumption; consuming food along with sufficient amounts of alcohol to induce vomiting as a method of purging and numbing feelings.
DSM-IV (Source: NEDA) The fourth (and most current as of 2006) edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders IV published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This manual lists mental diseases, conditions, and disorders, and also lists the criteria established by APA to diagnose them.
DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria (Source: NEDA) A list of symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders IV published by APA. The criteria describe the features of the mental diseases and disorders listed in the manual. For a particular mental disorder to be diagnosed in an individual, the individual must exhibit the symptoms listed in the criteria for that disorder. Many health plans require that a DSM-IV diagnosis be made by a qualified clinician before approving benefits for a patient seeking treatment for a mental disorder.
DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria (Source: NEDA) Criteria in the revised edition of the DSM-IV used to diagnose mental disorders.
Dysthymic disorder (Source: Answer.com) Mild chronic depression that often results in impairment of social functioning, family relations, and work performance.
Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA) (Source: NEDA) A fellowship of individuals who share their experiences with each other to try to solve common problems and help each other recover from their eating disorders.
Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (ED-NOS) (Source: NEDA) Any disorder of eating that does not meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimic nervosa.
Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) (Source: NEDA) A self-report test that clinicians use with patients to diagnose specific eating disorders and determine the severity of a patient’s condition.
Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) (Source: NEDA) Second edition of the EDI.
ED (Source: NEDA) Acronym for eating disorder.
EMDR – See Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Enmeshment – See blog entry
Equine/Animal-assisted Therapy (Source: NEDA) A treatment program in which people interact with horses and become aware of their own emotional states through the reactions of the horse to their behavior.
Exercise Therapy (Source: NEDA) An individualized exercise plan that is written by a doctor or rehabilitation specialist, such as a clinical exercise physiologist, physical therapist, or nurse. The plan takes into account an individual’s current medical condition and provides advice for what type of exercise to perform, how hard to exercise, how long, and how many times per week
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) (Source: Wikipedia) Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a treatment method available from behavioral psychologists and cognitive-behavioral therapists for a variety of anxiety disorders, especially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is an example of an Exposure Therapy, with the addition of Response Prevention.
Expressive Therapy (Source: NEDA) A nondrug, nonpsychotherapy form of treatment that uses the performing and/or visual arts to help people express their thoughts and emotions. Whether through dance, movement, art, drama, drawing, painting, etc., expressive therapy provides an opportunity for communication that might otherwise remain repressed.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Source: Wikipedia) Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a form of psychotherapy that was developed to resolve symptoms resulting from disturbing and unresolved life experiences. It uses a structured approach to address past, present, and future aspects of disturbing memories.
Family Therapy (Source: NEDA) A form of psychotherapy that involves members of a nuclear or extended family. Some forms of family therapy are based on behavioral or psychodynamic principles; the most common form is based on family systems theory. This approach regards the family as the unit of treatment and emphasizes factors such as relationships and communication patterns.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – (Source: Answer.com) Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic feelings of excessive worry and anxiety without a specific cause. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder often feel on edge, tense, and jittery. Someone with generalized anxiety disorder may worry about minor things, daily events, or the future. These feelings are accompanied by physical complaints such as elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, and shaking.
Guided Imagery (Source: NEDA) A technique in which the patient is directed by a person (either in person or by using a tape recording) to relax and imagine certain images and scenes to promote relaxation, promote changes in attitude or behavior, and encourage physical healing. Guided imagery is sometimes called visualization. Sometimes music is used as background noise during the imagery session. (See Alternative Therapy.)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (Source: NEDA) A federal law enacted in 1996 with a number of provisions intended to ensure certain consumer health insurance protections for working Americans and their families and standards for electronic health information and protect privacy of individuals’ health information. HIPAA applies to three types of health insurance coverage: group health plans, individual health insurance, and comparable coverage through a high-risk pool. HIPAA may lower a person’s chance of losing existing coverage, ease the ability to switch health plans, and/or help a person buy coverage on his/her own if a person loses employer coverage and has no other coverage available.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) (Source: NEDA) A health plan that employs or contracts with primary care physicians to write referrals for all care that covered patients obtain from specialists in a network of healthcare providers with whom the HMO contracts. The patient’s choice of treatment providers is usually limited.
Hypno-behavioral Therapy (Source: NEDA) A type of behavioral therapy that uses a combination of behavioral techniques such as self-monitoring to change maladaptive eating disorders and hypnotic techniques intended to reinforce and encourage behavior change.
Hypoglycemia (Source: NEDA) An abnormally low concentration of glucose in the blood.
ICD See International Classification of Diseases
In-network benefits (Source: NEDA) Health insurance benefits that a beneficiary is entitled to receive from a designated group (network) of healthcare providers. The “network” is established by the health insurer that contracts with certain providers to provide care for beneficiaries within that network.
Indemnity Insurance (Source: NEDA) A health insurance plan that reimburses the member or healthcare provider on a fee-for-service basis, usually at a rate lower than the actual charges for services rendered, and often after a deductible has been satisfied by the insured.
Independent Living Services (Source: NEDA) Services for a person with a medical or mental health-related problem who is living on his/her own. Services include therapeutic group homes, supervised apartment living, monitoring the person’s compliance with prescribed mental and medical treatment plans, and job placement.
Individual Education Program (IEP) – (Source: Wikipedia) In the United States an Individualized Education Plan, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)…..
In the US, the IDEA requires public schools to develop an IEP for every student with a disability who is found to meet the federal and state requirements for special education.
Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA) – (Source: Wikipedia) – The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. It addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities from birth to the age of 21.
Intake Screening (Source: NEDA) An interview conducted by health service providers when a patient is admitted to a hospital or treatment program.
International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) (Source: NEDA) The World Health Organization lists international standards used to diagnose and classify diseases. The listing is used by the healthcare system so clinicians can assign an ICD code to submit claims to insurers for reimbursement for services for treating various medical and mental health conditions in patients. The code is periodically updated to reflect changes in classifications of disease or to add new disorders.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) (Source: NEDA) IPT is designed to help people identify and address their interpersonal problems, specifically those involving grief, interpersonal role conflicts, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits. In this therapy, no emphasis is placed directly on modifying eating habits. Instead, the expectation is that the therapy will enable people to change as their interpersonal functioning improves. IPT usually involves 16 to 20 hour-long, one-on-one treatment sessions over a period of 4 to 5 months.
Level of Care (Source: NEDA) The care setting and intensity of care that a patient is receiving (e.g., inpatient hospital, outpatient hospital, outpatient residential, intensive outpatient, residential). Health plans and insurance companies correlate their payment structures to the level of care being provided and also map a patient’s eligibility for a particular level of care to the patient’s medical/psychological status.
Major Depression See Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder (Source: NEDA) A condition that is characterized by one or more major depressive episodes that consist of periods of two or more weeks during which a patient has either a depressed mood of loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities. (See Depression)
Maladaptive (Source: Answer.com) Behavior which is not adaptive to the individual. Adaptive means the behavior is useful to the individual, generally considered to be appropriate, or helpful to the adjustment of the individual. Adjustment refers to the individual developing a positive relationship with his or her environment, which facilitates the fulfillment of the potential of the individual.
Mandometer Therapy (Source: NEDA) Treatment program for eating disorders based on the idea that psychiatric symptoms of people with eating disorders emerge as a result of poor nutrition and are not a cause of the eating disorder. A Mandometer is a computer that measures food intake and is used to determine a course of therapy.
Mandates See State Mandates
Mania (Source: Answer.com) Mania is an abnormally elated mental state, typically characterized by feelings of euphoria, lack of inhibitions, racing thoughts, diminished need for sleep, talkativeness, risk taking, and irritability. In extreme cases, mania can induce hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms.
Massage Therapy (Source: NEDA) A generic term for any of a number of various types of therapeutic touch in which the practitioner massages, applies pressure to, or manipulates muscles, certain points on the body, or other soft tissues to improve health and well-being.
Mealtime Support Therapy (Source: NEDA) Treatment program developed to help patients with eating disorders eat healthfully and with less emotional upset.
Mental Disorder (Mental Illness) (Source: Wikipedia) – A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. The recognition and understanding of mental disorders has changed over time and across cultures. Definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary, but guideline criteria listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals. Categories of diagnoses in these schemes may include dissociative disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, ambulatory disorders and many other categories.
Mental Health Parity Laws (Source: NEDA) Federal and State laws that require health insurers to provide the same level of healthcare benefits for mental disorders and conditions as they do for medical disorders and conditions. For example, the federal Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) may prevent a group health plan from placing annual or lifetime dollar limits on mental health benefits that are lower, or less favorable, than annual or lifetime dollar limits for medical and surgical benefits offered under the plan.
Mental Illness See Mental Disorder
Mood Disorders (Source: Wikipedia) Mental disorders characterized by periods of depression, sometimes alternating with periods of elevated mood. People with mood disorders suffer from severe or prolonged mood states that disrupt daily functioning. Among the general mood disorders classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia. (See Anxiety and Major Depressive Disorder)
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) (Source: NEDA) A treatment is based on a model of change, with focus on the stages of change. Stages of change represent constellations of intentions and behaviors through which individuals pass as they move from having a problem to doing something to resolve it. The stages of change move from “pre-contemplation,” in which individuals show no intention of changing, to the “action” stage, in which they are actively engaged in overcoming their problem. Transition from one stage to the next is sequential, but not linear. The aim of MET is to help individuals move from earlier stages into the action stage using cognitive and emotional strategies.
Movement/Dance Therapy (Source: NEDA) The psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process that furthers the emotional, cognitive, social, and physical integration of the individual, according to the American Dance Therapy Association.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – (Source: Answer.com) Narcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program of recovery from drug addiction, modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous.
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders – See ANAD
National Eating Disorder Association = NEDA
Naturopathy (Source: Wordnet.princeton.edu) a method of treating disease using food and exercise and heat to assist the natural healing process
NEDA = National Eating Disorder Association
Nonpurging (Source: NEDA) Any of a number of behaviors engaged in by a person with bulimia nervosa to offset potential weight gain from excessive calorie intake from binge eating. Nonpurging can take the form of excessive exercise, misuse of insulin by people with diabetes, or long periods of fasting.
Nutritional Therapy (Source: Medical Webends) Improving the health status of an individual by adjusting the quantities, qualities, and methods of nutrient intake.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) (Source: NEDA) Mental disorder in which recurrent thoughts, impulses, or images cause inappropriate anxiety and distress, followed by acts that the sufferer feels compelled to perform to alleviate this anxiety. Criteria for mood disorder diagnoses can be found in the DSMIV.
Orthorexia Nervosa (Source: NEDA) An eating disorder in which a person obsesses about eating only “pure” and healthy food to such an extent that it interferes with the person’s life. This disorder is not a diagnosis listed in the DSM-IV.
Out-of-network benefits (Source: NEDA) Healthcare obtained by a beneficiary from providers (hospitals, clinicians, etc.) that are outside the network that the insurance company has assigned to that beneficiary. Benefits obtained outside the designated network are usually reimbursed at a lower rate. In other words, beneficiaries share more of the cost of care when obtaining that care “out of network” unless the insurance company has given the beneficiary special written authorization to go out of network.
Parity Equality (see Mental Health Parity Laws).
Partial Hospitalization (Intensive Outpatient) (Source: About.com) An intermediate level of mental health care. Individuals are seen as a group 2 to 5 times a week (depending on the structure of the program) for 2 to 3 hours at a time. The clinical work is primarily done in a group setting, with individual sessions scheduled periodically generally outside group hours. The groups are led by a least one clinician. Insurance generally covers IOP, if they determine that it meets medical necessity.
Pharmacotherapy (Source: NEDA) Treatment of a disease or condition using clinician-prescribed drugs.
Phobia (Source: Answer.com) A phobia is an intense, unrealistic fear, which can interfere with the ability to socialize, work, or go about everyday life, that is brought on by an object, event or situation.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – (Source: Answer.com) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that affects people who have been exposed to a major traumatic event. PTSD is characterized by upsetting memories or thoughts of the ordeal, “blunting” of emotions, increased arousal, and sometimes severe personality changes.
Pre-existing Condition (Source: NEDA) A health problem that existed or was treated before the effective date of one’s health insurance policy.
Provider (Source: NEDA) A healthcare facility (e.g., hospital, residential treatment center), doctor, nurse, therapist, social worker, or other professional who provides care to a patient.
Psychiatrist (Source: Wikipedia) Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MBBS, MD, DO, etc) who specialize in treating mental illness using the biomedical approach to mental disorders, including psychotherapies. Unlike other mental health professionals, psychiatrists have also completed medical school, and have medical and medication training.
Psychoanalysis (Source: NEDA) An intensive, nondirective form of psychodynamic therapy in which the focus of treatment is exploration of a person’s mind and habitual thought patterns. It is insight-oriented, meaning that the goal of treatment is for the patient to increase understanding of the sources of his/her inner conflicts and emotional problems.
Psychodrama (Source: NEDA) A method of psychotherapy in which patients enact the relevant events in their lives instead of simply talking about them.
Psychodynamic Therapy (Source: NEDA) Psychodynamic theory views the human personality as developing from interactions between conscious and unconscious mental processes. The purpose of all forms of psychodynamic treatment is to bring unconscious mental material and processes into full consciousness so that the patient can gain more control over his/her life.
Psychodynamic Group Therapy (Source: NEDA) Psychodynamic groups are based on the same principles as individual psychodynamic therapy and aim to help people with past difficulties, relationships, and trauma, as well as current problems. The groups are typically composed of eight members plus one or two therapists.
Psychoeducational Therapy (Source: NEDA) A treatment intended to teach people about their problem, how to treat it, and how to recognize signs of relapse so that they can get necessary treatment before their difficulty worsens or recurs. Family psychoeducation includes teaching coping strategies and problem-solving skills to families, friends, and/or caregivers to help them deal more effectively with the individual.
Psychopharmacotherapy (Source: NEDA) Use of drugs for treatment of a mental or emotional disorder.
Psychotherapy (Source: NEDA) The treatment of mental and emotional disorders through the use of psychologic techniques (some of which are described below) designed to encourage communication of conflicts and insight into problems, with the goal being relief of symptoms, changes in behavior leading to improved social and vocational functioning, and personality growth.
PTSD – See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Purging (Source: NEDA) To evacuate the contents of the stomach or bowels by any of several means. In bulimia, purging is used to compensate for excessive food intake. Methods of purging include vomiting, enemas, and excessive exercise.
Recovery Retreat See Residential Treatment Center.
Relaxation Training (Source: NEDA) A technique involving tightly contracting and releasing muscles with the intent to release or reduce stress.
Remission (Source: NEDA) A period in which the symptoms of a disease are absent. Remission differs from the concept of “cure” in that the disease can return. The term “cure” signifies that the treated condition or disorder is permanently gone, never to return in the individual who received treatment.
Residential Services (Source: NEDA) Services delivered in a structured residence other than the hospital or a client’s home.
Residential Treatment Center (Source: NEDA) A 24-hour residential environment outside the home that includes 24-hour provision or access to support personnel capable of meeting the client’s needs.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) (Source: NEDA) A class of antidepressants used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. These drugs are designed to elevate the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin. A low level of serotonin is currently seen as one of several neurochemical symptoms of depression. Low levels of serotonin in turn can be caused by an anxiety disorder, because serotonin is needed to metabolize stress hormones.
Self-directedness (Source: NEDA) A personality trait that comprises self-confidence, reliability, responsibility, resourcefulness, and goal-orientation.
Self-guided Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Source: NEDA) A modified form of cognitive behavior therapy in which a treatment manual is provided for people to proceed with treatment on their own, or with support from a nonprofessional. Guided self-help usually implies that the support person may or may not have some professional training, but is usually not a specialist in eating disorders. The important characteristics of the self-help approach are the use of a highly structured and detailed manual-based CBT, with guidance as to the appropriateness of self-help, and advice on where to seek additional help.
Self-report Measures (Source: NEDA) An itemized written test in which a person rates his/her feeling towards each question; the test is designed to categorize the personality or behavior of the person.
State Mandate (Source: NEDA) A proclamation, order, or law from a state legislature that issues specific instructions or regulations. Many states have issued mandates pertaining to coverage of mental health benefits and specific disorders the state requires insurers to cover.
Substance Abuse (Source: NEDA) Use of a mood or behavior-altering substance in a maladaptive pattern resulting in significant impairment or distress of the user.
Substance Use Disorders (Source: NEDA) The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) defines a substance use disorder as a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by one (or more) of the following, occurring within a 12-month period: (1) Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home; (2) Recurrent substance use in situations in which it is physically hazardous; and (3) Recurrent substance-related legal, social, and/or interpersonal problems.
Subthreshold Eating Disorder (Source: NEDA) Condition in which a person exhibits disordered eating but not to the extent that it fulfills all the criteria for diagnosis of an eating disorder.
Supportive Residential Services See Residential Treatment Center.
Supportive Therapy (Source: NEDA) Psychotherapy that focuses on the management and resolution of current difficulties and life decisions using the patient’s strengths and available resources.
Telephone Therapy (Source: NEDA) A type of psychotherapy provided over the telephone by a trained professional.
Therapeutic Foster Care (Source: NEDA) A foster care program in which youths who cannot live at home are placed in homes with foster parents who have been trained to provide a structured environment that supports the child’s learning, social, and emotional skills.
Third-party Payer (Source: NEDA) An organization that provides health insurance benefits and reimburses for care for beneficiaries.
Treatment Plan (Source: NEDA) A multidisciplinary care plan for each beneficiary in active case management. It includes specific services to be delivered, the frequency of services, expected duration, community resources, all funding options, treatment goals, and assessment of the beneficiary environment. The plan is updated monthly and modified when appropriate.
Trigger (Source: NEDA) A stimulus that causes an involuntary reflex behavior. A trigger may cause a recovering person to engage in an unwanted behavior again.
Twelve Tradition. (Source: Answer.com) The Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Questions of finance, public relations, donations, and purpose are addressed in the Traditions. They were originally written by Bill Wilson after the founding of the first twelve-step group, Alcoholics Anonymous.
Twelve Step Program (Source: Answer.com) A twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems. Originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous as a method of recovery from alcoholism, the Twelve Steps were first published in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism in 1939. The method was then adapted and became the foundation of other twelve-step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Co-Dependents Anonymous and Debtors Anonymous.
Usual and Customary Fee (Source: NEDA) An insurance term that indicates the amount the insurance company will reimburse for a particular service or procedure. This amount is often less than the amount charged by the service provider.
Vocational Services (Source: NEDA) Programs that teach skills needed for self-sufficiency.
Yoga (Source: NEDA) A system of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation practices to promote bodily or mental control and well-being.< >< ><–>
