Glossary
Glossary of Mental Health Terms, Definitions, Behaviors & Emotions
The purpose of this glossary is to help you to better understand your behaviors and emotions. These terms are to help you understand that these types of responses are very common, especially after you have experienced a trauma or very high stress or life-threatening situation. It may help you to understand what you might be experiencing. Some of these responses may happen right after an event or months or even years later. Having these responses does not mean you have a mental illness or clinical disorder.
You can recover from these feelings on your own over time, although some distress can come back at times that remind you of a trauma or loss. Most people recover more quickly with good coping behaviors like exercise, talking to friends or loved ones who understand and accept how you feel, seeking spiritual support and if any of your reactions are really bothering you, see a professional. And you always need self care! This means having enough time for relaxation, sleep, good nutrition and simple body movements like walking, stretching and deep breathing.
Symptoms
The following is a list of symptoms that can occur as a result of mental health issues even without a clinical diagnosis.
Clinical Descriptions
Stress
Being under pressure is a normal part of life. It can help you take action, feel more energized and get results. But if you often become overwhelmed by stress, these feelings could start to [...]
Insomnia
Sleep Disturbances – Insomnia There’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with mental health challenges can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your [...]
Self-harm
Self-harm is when you hurt yourself as a way of dealing with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences. Some people have described self-harm as a way to: express something that [...]
Trauma
Traumatic stress is a type of anxiety disorder which you may develop after being involved in, or witnessing, life threatening traumatic events like an attack, a fire, a natural disaster, a car accident, etc. It is [...]
Depression
Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. Depression can be due to a variety of things and or a chemical imbalance In its mildest form, [...]
Anger
We all feel angry at times – it’s part of being human. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion, which we might experience if we feel: let down in some way denied of something that [...]
Panic
Panic is the word used to describe high levels of anxiety. When people experience panic, many uncomfortable physical symptoms occur in their body. These can include: a rapid heart rate, sweating, a tight and [...]
Anxiety
We live in a stressful society and anxiety (which is a form of stress) is very common. When we are anxious we normally experience a variety of uncomfortable physical sensations like Clinical Symptoms Excessive worrying [...]