Depression Glossary
Habit:
a learned behavior that is a typical or customary pattern of response.
Habituation:
the process by which a person’s response to a feared stimulus is reduced over time following repeated exposure.
Hepatitis:
an infection or irritation of the liver that may cause permanent damage.
Heredity:
the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to children.
Homeostasis:
the tendency of an organism to maintain a steady state that permits a constant level of physiological functioning.
Hostilit:
an emotional reaction that involves the thought and/or intent to destroy or damage something that is perceived as a threat.
Huntington’s Disease:
an disease of sub-cortical brain tissue that includes symptoms of jerking and twitching movements as well as a progressive deterioration of physical and mental functioning.
Hypersomnia:
excessive sleeping
Hypertension:
high blood pressure
H2 Blockers:
a class of drugs used to treat ulcers and heartburn.
Hypervigilance:
extreme sensitivity to cues that may signal presence of feared object or situation.
Hypochondria:
an exaggerated concern about bodily processes and the possibility of having various diseases.
Hypothalamus:
a structure at the base of the brain importantly involved in emotion and motivation.
Homework:
a term used in cognitive behavioral therapy or behavioral therapy to describe the assignments that people are asked to complete between therapy sessions.
Hormone:
a product of an endocrine gland that is released into the blood that regulate development and activity in target tissues somewhere else at a distance in the body. Steroid hormones include cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. Non-steroid hormones include choleckystokinin, epinephrine, dopamine, insulin, norepinephrine, serotonin, and vasopressin.
Housebound:
an inability to leave one’s house. Common in severe cases of panic, agoraphobia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Can also occur in social phobia.
HRT:
hormone replacement therapy.
Hyperactivity:
see attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Hypersensitivity:
exaggerated sensitivity. People with panic disorder are often hypersensitive to internal bodily sensations such as heart rate, respiration, and stomach and intestinal movements.
Hyperthyroid:
a disorder in which the thyroid gland produces too much hormone, resulting in a condition characterized by excessive energy and difficulty sleeping.
Hyperventilation:
chronic excessive breathing that results in changes in carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and oxygen levels in the blood. Associated with intense anxiety. Can produce panic attacks.
Hypnotherapy:
the use of hypnosis in psychotherapy.
Hypochondriac:
someone who has hypochondria.
Hypochondriasis:
see hypochondria
Hypomania:
a temporary mild to moderate elevated (manic) mood.
Hypothyroid:
a thyroid disorder characterized by underproduction of hormone by the thyroid gland resulting in symptoms including exhaustion and excessive sleeping.