Depression and Anxiety Disorders Glossary

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Antidepressants:
Medications that are primarily used to treat depression.
Anxiety:
A condition that causes an unpleasant feeling (ranging from mild unease to extreme fear) about an anticipated event. Physical symptoms may include rapid heartbeat and breathing, muscle tension, and restlessness.
Chronic:
Lasting for a long time.
Depression:
A condition that affects how people feel, think, and act; symptoms can include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, pessimism, and a general loss of interest.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD):
A condition that causes extreme, ongoing apprehension and tension that are not related to any particular situation. Physical symptoms may include trembling, jitteriness, sweating, lightheadedness, and irritability.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs):
Drugs used in the treatment of depression that are thought to work by stopping an enzyme that breaks down certain chemicals in the brain.
Neurotransmitters:
Chemicals that transfer messages from one nerve cell to another or from a nerve cell to a muscle cell. In the brain, neurotransmitters are believed to play a role in depression and anxiety disorders.
Norepinephrine:
A chemical in the brain that is thought to be linked to depression.
Panic attack:
A discrete period of overwhelming fear in the absence of real danger in which symptoms that might include palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensation, or dizziness develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes.
Panic disorder (PD):
Repeated and unexpected panic attacks followed by at least 1 month of constant worry about when the next attack will occur.
Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy):
An approach used by mental health professionals to help patients learn about themselves, better understand past and present relationships, and change fixed patterns of behavior.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs):
A group of drugs thought to treat depression and anxiety disorders by correcting an imbalance of serotonin.
Serotonin:
A chemical in the brain that is believed to be linked to depression.
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs):
A group of drugs thought to treat depression by correcting an imbalance of serotonin and norepinephrine.
Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia):
A condition that causes an excessive, persistent fear of social and performance situations so severe that it disrupts daily life and relationships. People with social anxiety disorder may have an intense and ongoing fear of being watched, judged by others, and embarrassed or humiliated by their actions.