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Barbiturate - Type of synthetic sedative drug.

Basal ganglia - A group of structures at the base of the cerebral hemispheres, concerned with involuntary control of movement, among other functions.

Baseline - A patient’s level of functioning prior to relapse.

Behavioral contract - A contract, often between family members, stipulating privileges and responsibilities.

Behavioral modification - A treatment modality that focuses on modifying and changing specific observable dysfunctional patterns of behavior by means of conditioning Example: systematic desensitization, token economy.

Benign - Of a mild, self-limiting nature; not malignant.

Bereavement - Grief and sorrow following the death of a loved one.

Best practices - Activities or programs that are in keeping with the available evidence regarding what is most effective.

Beta-blocker - An agent that inhibits the action of beta-adrenergic receptors, which modulate cardiac functions, respiratory functions, and the dilation of blood vessels. Beta-blockers are of value in the treatment of hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and migraine. In psychiatry, they have been used in the treatment of aggression and violence, anxiety-related tremors and lithium-induced tremors, neuroleptic-induced akathisia, social phobias, panic states, and alcohol withdrawal.

Binge-purge cycle - Uncontrolled, rapid ingestion of large quantities of food over a short period of time, often followed by vomiting. Typically seen in people with bulimia nervosa.

Biofeedback - A technique for gaining conscious control over unconscious body functions, such as blood pressure and heartbeat. The purpose is to achieve relaxation or the relief of stress-related physical symptoms.

Biogenic - Having a biological origin.

Bipolar disorder - Mood disorders that include one or more manic episodes and usually one or more depressive episodes. This affective disorder is characterized by extreme changes in mood ranging from mania to depression.

Bipolar I disorder - A type of bipolar disorder characterized by one or more manic or mixed episodes, often with a history of one or more major depressive episodes.

Bipolar I disorder, mixed - A type of bipolar disorder characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of mania and depression.

Bipolar II disorder - A type of bipolar disorder characterized by one or more major depressive episodes accompanied by at least one hypomanic episode but without any manic or mixed episodes.

Bizarre delusion - A delusion that involves a phenomenon that the person's culture would regard as totally implausible.

Blunted affect - Reduction in emotional expression.

Blurred boundaries - Refers to a blending together or roles, so that clear distinctions among family or group members fail to emerge.

Body image - One’s internalized sense of one’s body.

Bombastic - Grandiloquent, pompous speech or writing; ostentatiously lofty in style.

Booking - The process of photographing, fingerprinting, and recording identifying data of a suspect. This process follows the arrest.

Borderline personality disorder - Personality disorder characterized by impulsive and unpredictable behavior and marked shift in mood. Instability is predominantly in the areas of behavior, mood, relationships to others, and images of self.

Boundaries  - Those functions that maintain a clear distinction among individuals within a family or group and with the outside world. They may be clear, diffuse, rigid, or inconsistent.

Bruxism - Grinding of the teeth, occurs unconsciously while awake or during stage 2 sleep. May be secondary to anxiety, tension, or dental problems.

Bulimia - An eating disorder characterized by excessive and uncontrollable intake of large amounts of food (binges), alternating with purging activities such as self-induced vomiting.

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