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Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Key Terms

Psychiatric-Mental Health NursingKey Terms
body illusion
discrepancy between the actual physical characteristics of the body and the way it is perceived by an individual
de-escalation
use of strategies and communication techniques to calm and reduce agitation or aggression in individuals experiencing heightened emotional distress or crisis
dissociative symptoms
experience of detachment from oneself or reality
grandiosity
exaggerated sense of self-importance, with beliefs of being unique, superior, and deserving of special treatment, associated with narcissistic personality disorder
ideas of reference
false belief that coincidental events relate to oneself
magical thinking
idea that one can influence the outcome of specific events by doing something that has no bearing on the circumstances
maladaptive behavior
patterns of thoughts, emotions, and actions that are ineffective or counterproductive to normal everyday life
personality
unique and enduring patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize an individual and distinguish them from others
personality disorder
when a personality exhibits enduring patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that deviate significantly from cultural norms and cause significant distress and impairment in functioning
personality traits
characteristics, whether considered positive or negative, that make up one’s personality
splitting
alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation of one’s partner
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