Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts

Friday, March 02, 2007

Hyperkinesis

Hyperkinesis is the medical term for cramp or a muscle that is in spasm. It is also used in psychiatry to indicate children who are hyperactive and have a difficult time concentrating. It is Greek for "above normal motion."

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Discombobulated

To Discombobulate some thing or person is to utterly confuse, upset, or frustrate it or them, "throw[ing them] into a state of confusion." (American Heritage Dictionary) A person can be discombobulated by multiple others harrassing him or her for information. An animal can be discombobulated by a small child picking it up, turning it in circles, chasing it around and then pulling it's tail.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Febrile

Febrile means feverish but is most often used as an adjective to describe a great deal of nervous excitement or energy: "The politician's febrile response to his opponent's speech caused anxiety amongst the voters in his district." It derives from the Latin febrilis--fever.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Paramnesia

Paramnesia is a psychological disorder in which the afflicted cannot tell dreams or fantasy from waking life. The mental state of déjà vu--a feeling that something has happened before is sometimes identified with this disorder.