Author: Glossary

An identity adopted by an individual as a “patient” that specifies a set of expected behaviors, usually dependent. A dependent affect or behavior, or both, associated with physical or mental illness. A role people may adopt when they are ill in which they evaluate symptoms, seek medical care, and ask for support from close others.…

An appetite suppressant medication used in the management of obesity. Sibutramine (including all generic and brand [meridia] products) was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2010 because of its association with increased cardiovascular events and strokes. A medication with a central appetite-suppressing mechanism, utilized to address obesity in individuals who haven’t achieved success with alternative…

A degenerative neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system and sympathetic nervous system; characterized by an abrupt decrease in blood pressure when moving from a supine to a sitting position or from a sitting to a standing position. A progressive disorder of the central and autonomic nervous systems. Shy-Drager syndrome is also known as multiple…

The recognition, recall, and reproduction of perceived material 10 seconds or longer after initial presentation. A memory system that keeps material for intervals of a minute or so, that has a small storage capacity, and that holds material in relatively less processed form than long-term memory.  

A Korean syndrome characterized by anxiety and somatic complaints (general weakness, dizziness, fear, loss of appetite, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems), followed by dissociation and possession by ancestral spirits.  

A Chinese syndrome attributed to excessive semen loss from frequent intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal emission, or passing of “white turbid urine” believed to contain semen. This loss is feared because of the belief that it represents the loss of one’s vital essence and can thereby be life threatening. Symptoms include dizziness, backache, general weakness, insomnia, and…

In China, a condition characterized by physical and mental fatigue, concentration difficulties, sleep disturbances, and memory loss. In many cases, the symptoms would meet the criteria for a dsm-iv-tr mood or anxiety disorder. Shenjing shuairuo, or neurasthenia, is a culture-bound syndrome found predominately in China, and other East Asian cultures, such as Hong Kong and Korea.…