Author: Glossary

A term used to describe the shift of mentally ill individuals from the mental health care system into the criminal justice system. This phenomenon has also been described as “the criminalization of mentally disordered behavior.”  

In clinical psychoanalysis, the analysand’s reexperiencing of his or her characteristic intrapsychic conflicts and modes of defense, which are expressed in fantasies about the analyst. A phase of psychoanalysis in which the patient reacts to the analyst as if he or she were the patient’s parent. Such an event enables the analyst and patient to…

A term used to describe when a patient flees from further treatment in order to avoid dealing with repressed material. The patient is not cured but is in temporary remission. Relapses are almost certain when the patient encounters further stress.  

The unconscious assignment to others of feelings and attitudes that were originally associated with important figures (e.g., parents, siblings) in one’s early life. The psychiatrist uses this phenomenon as a therapeutic tool to help the patient understand emotional problems and their origins. In the patient-physician relationship, the transference may be negative (hostile) or positive (affectionate).…

Refers to the use of a magnetic field to stimulate or inhibit cortical neurons in treatment resistant depression. TMS is not intended to produce a seizure, so anesthesia is not required. The application of pulses from a magnetic coil to induce electrical currents in specific parts of the brain. This treatment has been used in…

A psychodynamic psychotherapy based on role theory that attempts to understand the interplay between therapist and patient and ultimately between the patient and external reality. A form of therapy in which an individual becomes aware of his or her ability to control his or her own fate, thinks independently, and makes rational decisions. Psychotherapy involving…

A state of focused attention and diminished sensory and motor activity seen in hypnosis, certain dissociative disorders, and ecstatic religious states. A sleeplike state in which the range of consciousness is limited and voluntary activities are suspended. A condition in which a person is in a dream, but not asleep, and seems not to be…

The personal analysis that is required of prospective psychoanalysts and intended to help them become aware of their own psychological processes and to master unconscious conflicts that might otherwise lead to interference with participation in the analytic treatment.  

Psychosis caused by the poisonous effect of chemicals or drugs. A severe mental disturbance induced by a poisonous substance. A mental disorder induced by toxic substances, like opium or alcohol.