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neurasthenia

n. a condition marked by fatigue, weakness, insomnia, aches, and pains. The term (from Greek neurastheneia, “nerve weakness”) originated in the 19th century, when the symptoms were believed to be due to exhaustion, primarily from overwork. It is rarely used today. The condition is now attributed primarily to emotional conflicts, tensions, frustrations, and other psychological factors, and in DSM–IV–TR it is classified as undifferentiated somatoform disorder. [coined in 1869 by U.S. neurologist George Miller Beard (1839–1883)] —neurasthenic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

December 18th 2024

endosomatic current

endosomatic current

an electrical current produced by a living organism.