Glossary

Glossary


DSM - The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders - the most used diagnostic tool/textbook in psychiatry.

Clinical Depression - An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration, sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide, caused when the brain does not produce or release anywhere near a "normal" amount of the chemical serotonin. 

Serotonin - One of the chemicals produced by the brain to influence your emotions. Serotonin is the chemical your brain releases when you are "happy".

High-Functioning - A term used for people with a mental illness, that can maintain a certain level or normalcy, and, where their illness does not impair their life to a high degree.

Bi-Polar Disorder - A condition (traditionally called manic depression) in which a person alternates between the two emotional extremes of depression and mania (an elated, euphoric mood).

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Mental illness characterized by the recurrence of (O.C.D.) intrusive, anxiety-producing thoughts (obsessions) accompanied by repeated attempts to suppress these thoughts through the performance of certain irrational, often ritualistic, behaviours (compulsions).

Sectioning - Colloquial term used when a person has been committed, with or without their permission, to a mental-health clinic/hospital, for a set duration of time, due to the danger that they may do harm to either themselves or someone else.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - A therapeutic approach based on the principle that (C.B.T.) maladaptive moods and behaviour can be changed by replacing distorted or inappropriate ways of thinking with thought patterns that are healthier and more realistic.

Self-Harm - The practice of purposely hurting oneself physically, as a way of coping with emotional trauma.

Cutting - Colloquial term used for the most common form of self-harm. The cut oneself purposely.

Purging - The practice of purposely making oneself throw up, due to an eating disorder, or as a form of self- harm.

Anorexia-Nervosa - An eating disorder where preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss, due to refusal to eat, while the individual continues to feel fat and fails to acknowledge that the weight loss or thinness is a problem.

Bulimia-Nervosa - An eating disorder in which a person indulges in recurrent episodes of binge eating, followed by purging through self-induced vomiting or by the use of laxatives and/or diuretics in order to prevent weight gain.

Classical Conditioning - The process of closely associating a neutral stimulus with one that evokes a reflexive response so that eventually the neutral stimulus alone will evoke the same response.

Negative Re-Enforcement - The process of classical conditioning where bad/unwanted behaviour is punished.

Positive Re-Enforcement - The process of classical conditioning where good/desired behaviour is rewarded.

Samaritans - A Voluntary, charity organisation that provides completely confidential emotional support 24 hours a day by telephone, personal visit, email, and letter, or through its branch network in order to enable persons who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those who may be at risk of suicide, to receive confidential emotional support at any time of the day or night from appropriately trained Samaritans in order to improve their emotional health and to reduce the incidence of suicide; and to promote a better understanding in society of suicide, suicidal behaviour and the value of expressing feelings which may otherwise lead to suicide or impaired emotional health.

SSRI Anti-Depressants - Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors - work by inhibiting the brains natural ability to breakdown serotonin.

TCA Anti-Depressants - tricyclic antidepressants - work by increasing the brains production of serotonin.

Prozac - (Fluoxetine) - SSRI anti-depressant drug most commonly used due to it’s extremely low risk of addiction.

Citalopram - SSRI anti-depressant drug.

Amitriptiline - TCA anti-depressant most commonly used when the depression is severely impending sleep patterns.

Diazepam - Anti-anxiety drug.

Crisis Counselling Service/Crisis Team - Emergency response team for patients at risk of suicide.

Talked Down - Colloquial term when someone had to persuaded to not hurt themselves or commit suicide, and encouraged to seek psychiatric advice.