Depression Glossary
Obsessions:
persistent and recurrent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced as intrusive and disturbing but are difficult to suppress or control.
Obsessive:
used to describe persistent and recurrent unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses.
Obsessive Compulsive Personality:
a personality style characterized by concern with maintaining order, control and following the rules.
Obsessive Disorder:
a disorder characterized by persistent and recurrent unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses but few or no compulsions.
Operant Conditioning:
a form of learning by which a response is rewarded to increase the likelihood that is will happen again.
Oral Contraceptives:
used for birth control.
OTC:
over-the-counter (non-prescription) medication.
Outcome Research:
used to describe studies of the effectiveness of treatments.
Oxytocin:
a hormone with a number of functions including muscle contraction and nerve sensitivity.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD):
an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive and compulsive symptoms.
Obsessive Compulsive (OC) Spectrum Disorders:
a diverse group of problems/conditions that have been considered to perhaps be related to OCD including compulsive gambling, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), hypochondriasis, somatization disorder
OCD:
obsessive compulsive disorder
Overt Behavior:
behavior that can be observed by another person and can therefore be measured.