dying process

a progressive and nonreversible loss of vital functions that results in the end of life. The transition from health to death can be swift or extended, predictable or unpredictable, depending on the specific life-threatening condition, the vigor of the patient, and the treatment available. See also end of life; stages of grief; trajectories of dying.

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Psychology term of the day

March 9th 2025

moral masochism

in psychoanalytic theory, the unconscious need for punishment by authority figures caused by unconscious guilt arising from the repressed Oedipus complex. It is a nonsexual form of masochism.