826 Glossary of Technical Terms
obsession Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges,  or images that are experienced, at
some time during the disturbance, as intru sive and unwanted and that in most individ-
uals cause marked anxiety or distress. The individual attempts to  ignore or suppress
such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or ac-
tion (i.e., by performing a compulsion).
overeating Eating too much food too quickly.
overvalued idea An unreasonable and sustained belief that is maintained with less than
delusional intensity (i.e., the person is able to acknowledge the possibility that the be-
lief may not be true). The belief is not one th at is ordinarily accept ed by other members
of the person’s culture or subculture.
panic attacks Discrete periods of sudden onset of in tense fear or terror, often associated
with feelings of impending doom. During these attacks there are symptoms such as
shortness of breath or smothering sensations; palpitations, pounding heart, or acceler-
ated heart rate; chest pain or  discomfort; choking; and fear of going crazy or losing con-
trol. Panic attacks may be unexpected, in wh ich the onset of the attack is not associated
with an obvious trigger and instead occurs “ out of the blue,” or expected, in which the
panic attack is associated with an obvious trigger, either internal or external.
paranoid ideation Ideation, of less than delusional proportions, involving suspicious-
ness or the belief that one is being hara ssed, persecuted, or  unfairly treated.
parasomnias Disorders of sleep involv ing abnormal behaviors or physiological events
occurring during sleep or sleep-wake transitions. Compare with DYSSOMNIAS .