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2BASICS OFPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY2.1 INTRODUCTION2.1.1 Learning the Language of PharmacologyOne of the difficulties in learning about any medical field is becoming familiar withthe technical jargon. Psychiatry is no different. Doctors like to use as few words aspossible but be as specific as they can possibly be. We accomplish this by takingsimple root words and adding one or more prefixes and suffixes to derive the specificmeaning that we want to convey. The result is that we can say a lot with a few words,though at times it may sound as if we say little with a large number of words. Thelengthy words that sometimes arise when several scientific prefixes and suffixes areadded to a root word can be very imposing to those who are not initiated into“doctor-speak.”Let us share an example. The body’s hormone system is called the endocrinesystem. Endocrine comes from a Greek prefix that means “within” (endo-) anda Greek root word that means “separate” (krinein). This makes sense when yourealize that hormones are substances that carry instructions between separate organswithin your body. By adding the suffix -ologist (which means one who studies) toPrinciples of Psychopharmacology for Mental Health ProfessionalsBy Jeffrey E. Kelsey, D. Jeffrey Newport, and Charles B. NemeroffCopyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.9