Psychiatric Symptoms

The observable behaviour by which a person's internal emotional state is judged.

Excessive motor activity associated with a feeling of inner tension. The activity is usually non-productive and repetitious and consists of such behaviour as pacing, fidgeting, wringing the hands, pulling the clothes and inability to sit still.

The apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune. It is associated with feelings of tension and symptoms of autonomic arousal.

A loss of, or alteration in, motor or sensory function.
Psychological factors are judged to be associated with the development of the symptom, which is not fully explained by anatomical or pathological conditions. The symptom is the result of unconscious conflict and is not feigned.

A false unshakable idea or belief that is out of keeping with the patient's educational, cultural and social background.

An alteration in the awareness of the self-the individual feels as if he or she is unreal.

An alteration in the perception or experience of the external world so that it seems unreal.

Confusion about the time of day, date or season (time), where one is (place) or who one is (person).

A nearly continuous flow of accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic that are usually based on understandable associations, distracting stimuli, or plays on words. When severe, speech may be disorganised or incoherent.

An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power, knowledge, importance or identity. When extreme, grandiosity may be of delusional proportions.

A sensory perception that seems real, but occurs without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ. The term hallucination is not ordinarily applied to the false perceptions that occur during dreaming, while falling asleep (hypnagogic) or when awakening (hypnopompic).

The feeling that casual incidents and external events have a particular significance and unusual meaning that is specific to the person.

A misperception or misinterpretation of a real external stimulus.

A pervasive and sustained emotion that colours the perception of the world.

An unreasonable belief that is held, but not as strongly as a delusion (i.e. the person is able to acknowledge the possibility that the belief may not be true). The belief is not one that is ordinarily accepted by other members of the person's culture or subculture.

Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself.

A persistent irrational fear of a specific object, activity or situation (the phobic stimulus) that results in a compelling desire to avoid

Speech that is increased in amount, accelerated, and difficult or impossible to interrupt. Usually it is also loud and emphatic. Frequently the person talks without any social stimulation and may continue to talk even though no one is listening.

Visible generalised slowing of movements and speech

Psychotic can be used to mean a loss of contact with reality, but is generally used to imply the presence of delusions or hallucinations.