Hello! My name is Sayana I have been studying in health science at Ahuntsic College for 1 year. I created this glossary to help students and anyone interested in understanding mental disorders. Mental health terminology can be complex, and misunderstanding these terms can lead to confusion or stigma. This glossary contains 20 key terms with clear definitions, examples, and pictures.This glossary aims to solve that problem by offering clears, accessible definitions for key mental health terms.
Anxiety Disorders
noun
A condition in which a person has excessive worry and feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness. Other symptoms may include sweating, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, trouble sleeping, trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat, and dizziness.
Example: I was having panic attacks and was crippled by anxiety.
fr: troubles anxieux
Bipolar Disorder
noun
A mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. These shifts can make it difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Example: Some of the medications don’t actually treat bipolar disorder.
fr: trouble bipolaire
Borderline personality disorder
noun
A personality disorder characterized by severe mood swings, impulsive behavior, and difficulty forming stable personal relationships.
Example: With a therapy and treatment, borderline personality disorder is treatable.
fr: trouble de la personnalité borderline
Dementia
noun
A disorder of the mind affecting perception, memory, and judgment, characterized by reduced ability to remember, control muscular movements, recognize familiar objects and sounds, etc.
Example: My grandfather died at the age of 79 after a long illness with dementia.
fr: démence
Depression
noun
A clinical condition characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate.
Example: She has been undergoing treatment for severe depression.
fr: Dépression
Dissociative disorders
noun
A disorder, such as multiple personalities, that is characterized by sudden temporary alteration in consciousness, identity, or motor behavior.
Example: People with dissociative disorders believe they are different people in different contexts.
fr: Troubles dissociatifs
Eating Disorders
noun
A mental health condition in which someone eats in a way that is not healthy, for example controlling what they eat, eating too little, or eating too much, as a way of dealing with unhappiness about their life, their body, etc.:
Example: The site has tips for parents who have a child with an eating disorder.
fr: Troubles de l'alimentation
Histrionic personality disorder
noun
A mental health condition marked by unstable emotions, a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed. People with HPD often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.
Example: And you risk being labeled as having a narcissistic or histrionic personality disorder.
fr: Trouble de la personnalité histrionique
Kleptomania
noun
A mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need.
Example: She is secretly a kleptomaniac who keeps shoplifting.
fr: Kleptomanie
Munchausen by proxy
noun
A mental health condition in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under their care, such as a child, an elderly adult, or a person who has a disability.
Example: A woman named Lacey Spears caused her son Garnett's sickness. She poisoned him with salt delivered through a feeding tube.
fr: Syndrome de Münchhausen par procuration
Narcolepsy
noun
A chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles.
Example: For Tyler, who has narcolepsy, the years since his diagnosis have brought waves of frustration and grief but also a sense of loneliness.
fr: Narcolepsie
Obsessive compulsive disorder
noun
A chronic disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions or compulsions or both that cause significant distress, are time-consuming, and interfere with normal daily functioning.
Example: Adrian Monk is a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
fr: Trouble obsessionnel compulsif
Paranoia
noun
A mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations.
Example: She was diagnosed with delusional paranoia.
fr: Paranoïa
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
noun
A psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (such as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event.
Example: While recovering from his wounds, the soldier met people who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
fr: Trouble de stress post-traumatique (TSPT)
Prolonged grief disorder
noun
Intense and persistent grief that causes problems and interferes with daily life.
Example: After the loss of her husband, Vanessa struggled with prolonged grief disorder, finding it difficult to move forward even years after his passing.
fr: Trouble de deuil prolongé
Psychosis
noun
A severe mental disorder in which a person loses contact with reality. It often involves hallucinations or delusions.
Example: The patient was diagnosed with psychosis after experiencing vivid hallucinations.
fr: Psychose
Pyromania
noun
A psychiatric condition characterized by an uncontrollable urge to start fires, driven by compulsion rather than the intent to cause harm.
Example: His obsession with lighting fires was eventually diagnosed as pyromania, a rare and dangerous impulse control disorder.
fr: Pyromanie
Schizophrenia
noun
A chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality, often experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive difficulties.
Example: After years of hearing voices and experiencing delusions, Carl was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
fr: Schizophrénie
Social Anxiety
noun
A fear of social situations where one may feel judged, embarrassed, or scrutinized by others.
Example: Her social anxiety made it difficult for her to attend parties or speak in front of large groups.
fr: Anxiété sociale
Somatic symptoms disorder
noun
A mental health conditions where a person experiences physical symptoms that are distressing or disruptive to daily life, with excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to these symptoms, even if no clear medical cause is identified.
Example: Despite multiple medical tests showing no underlying issues, her persistent pain led doctors to diagnose her with a somatic symptom disorder.
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