ESL Podcast 651 - Psychological Disorders
psychology - the study of how the human brain affects thoughts and behavior
Janet is studying psychology because she's interested in why people behave in the way they do.
nervous - uncomfortable, worried, and anxious, not wanting to do something
Do you get nervous when you have to speak in public?
anxiety disorder - a mental health condition where one often feels uncontrollably nervous, anxious, and worried, sometimes for no reason
Hal has an anxiety disorder that makes him sweat and want to leave whenever he's in a noisy environment.
phobia - a strong fear of something
Doctors have given special names to many phobias. For example, if you have a fear of spiders, you have arachnophobia.
mood swing - a rapid, unexpected change in one's emotions and feelings
Karl has mood swings and he sometimes goes from laughter to tears within a few seconds.
to make a diagnosis - for a doctor to determine what is medically or psychologically wrong with someone
The doctor said she couldn't make a diagnosis over the phone, so I'll have to schedule an appointment with her.
bipolar disorder - a mental health condition where one moves between extreme depression and extreme happiness
It's very hard to speak to people with bipolar disorder because you never know how they're going to react to things.
obsessive-compulsive disorder - a mental health condition where one always worries about something or always needs to complete a particular task many times
Mona is obsessive-compulsive and washes her hands at least five times before touching food.
eating disorder - a mental health condition that affects the types and quantity of food eaten, often not eating enough or eating far too much
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where people stop eating because they think they are overweight.
pyromania - a mental health condition where one is fascinated by fires and often starts fires because they make one feel good and in control
The police suspect that whoever started those fires suffers from pyromania.
to feel compelled to - with a strong sensation that one must or should do something
Willamina spends too much money, because she feels compelled to buy things even when she doesn't need them.
kleptomania - a mental health condition where one always wants to steal things
I can't believe you stole that candy from the store! Do you have kleptomania?
therapist - a person who provides treatment and care for someone with a mental health or medical condition, often a psychologist or psychiatrist
When the Bains began having problems in their marriage, they started seeing a therapist twice a week.
a real fear of - a strong fear of something; strong feelings of anxiety or worry related to something
Ulysses has a real fear of heights, so his office and apartment are on the ground floor.