ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by executive dysfunction occasioning symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and developmentally-inappropriate.

ADHD symptoms arise from executive dysfunction, and emotional dysregulation is often considered a core symptom. Impairments resulting from deficits in self-regulation such as time management, inhibition, and sustained attention

Autism

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted, and inflexible patterns of behavior, interests, and activities; deficits in social communication and social interaction; and the presence of high or low sensory sensitivity. 

APD

Avoidant Personality Disorder –

A cluster personality disorder characterized by excessive social anxiety and inhibition, fear of intimacy (despite an intense desire for it), severe feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and an overreliance on avoidance of feared stimuli (e.g., self-imposed social isolation) as a maladaptive coping method.

BPD

Borderline Personality Disorder –

A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, a distorted sense of self, and intense emotional responses. People diagnosed with BPD frequently exhibit self-harming behaviors and engage in risky activities, primarily due to challenges regulating emotional states to a healthy, stable baseline

DBT

Dialectical Behavior Therapy –

An evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders and suicidal ideation 

DSM of Mental Disorders

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders –

A publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a common language and standard criteria. It is an internationally accepted manual on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, though it may be used in conjunction with other documents.  

GAD

Generalized Anxiety Disorder –

A mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about events or activities. Worry often interferes with daily functioning, and individuals with GAD are often overly concerned about everyday matters such as health, finances, death, family, relationship concerns, or work difficulties

HSC

Highly Sensitive Children –

Since sensitivity is a trait that a person is born with, much like eye color and left or right handed-ness, it is expressed from birth to childhood (and into adulthood).

OCPD

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder –

A cluster personality disorder marked by a spectrum of obsessions with rules, lists, schedules, and order, among other things. 

Somatoform Disorders

One or more chronic physical symptoms that coincide with excessive and maladaptive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors connected to those symptoms. The symptoms are not deliberately produced or feigned, and they may or may not coexist with a known medical ailment.

Theta waves

A neural oscillation in the brain that underlies various aspects of cognition and behavior, including learning, memory, and spatial navigation in many animals.

Transmarginal Inhibition

Ivan Pavlov found that organisms had different levels of tolerance for pain. He found that those people that were quickly overwhelmed in their tolerance of pain, resulting in a system wide shut-down “have a fundamentally different type of nervous system."