Mental health glossary

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• G
• H
• I
• M
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T

A

Acute stress disorder

A strong stress reaction that begins within days of a traumatic event and lasts from three days to a month. Read about Acute Stress Disorder.

ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A neurodevelopmental condition marked by ongoing inattention, impulsivity or restlessness that affects daily life. Read about ADHD.

Advance directive

A written statement in which an adult says how they would, or would not, like to be treated for mental illness if they cannot decide for themselves. India's Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 provides for it.

Agoraphobia

Intense fear of places or situations where escape could be hard or help unavailable, such as crowds, queues or public transport. Read about Agoraphobia.

Anorexia nervosa

An eating disorder in which a person restricts food intake, fears weight gain and has a distorted view of their body or weight. Read about Anorexia Nervosa.

Antidepressant

A medicine used to treat depression, and often anxiety disorders and OCD. It usually takes several weeks to work fully.

Antipsychotic

A medicine used to treat psychosis and schizophrenia, and sometimes bipolar disorder and other conditions.

Anxiety disorder

A group of conditions in which fear or worry is excessive, lasts, and gets in the way of daily life.

Autism

A neurodevelopmental difference in communication, social interaction and sensory experience that is seen from early childhood. Read about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

B

Baby blues

Tearfulness and mood swings in the first days after childbirth that usually pass within about two weeks. Read about Postpartum Depression.

Benzodiazepine

A class of medicines that calms the nervous system, used for short periods for severe anxiety or sleep problems. They can cause dependence, so doctors prescribe them with care.

Binge eating disorder

An eating disorder with repeated episodes of eating a large amount of food while feeling out of control, without regular purging. Read about Binge Eating Disorder.

Bipolar disorder

A mood condition with episodes of unusually high mood or energy (mania or hypomania) and episodes of depression. Read about Bipolar Disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder

Constant preoccupation with a flaw in appearance that others hardly notice, with repeated checking, hiding or reassurance seeking. Read about Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Borderline personality disorder

A condition marked by intense, shifting emotions, a fear of abandonment, unstable relationships and impulsive behaviour. Read about Borderline Personality Disorder.

Bulimia nervosa

An eating disorder with cycles of binge eating followed by behaviours to avoid weight gain, such as vomiting or fasting. Read about Bulimia Nervosa.

Burnout

Exhaustion, distance from work and reduced effectiveness from long-term workplace stress. The WHO describes it as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition. Read about Burnout & Work-Related Stress.

C

CBT

Cognitive behavioural therapy. A structured talk therapy that helps you notice links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and change patterns that keep problems going.

CBT-I

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. A structured programme that changes sleep habits and unhelpful thoughts about sleep. It is a first-line treatment for long-term insomnia. Read about Insomnia Disorder.

Clinical psychologist

A mental health professional trained to assess and treat mental health conditions with psychological therapies. In India, clinical psychologists register with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

Comorbidity

Having two or more conditions at the same time, such as depression and an anxiety disorder.

Compulsion

A repeated behaviour or mental act that a person feels driven to carry out, often to ease the distress caused by an obsession. Read about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Conduct disorder

A pattern of repeated behaviour in childhood or adolescence that breaks rules or the rights of others, such as aggression or deceit. Read about Conduct Disorder & ODD.

D

Delusion

A fixed belief that is false and stays even when there is clear evidence against it. Read about Delusional Disorder.

Dementia

A decline in memory, thinking and daily functioning, usually in older adults, caused by diseases of the brain. Read about Dementia & Alzheimer's Disease.

Depersonalisation

A feeling of being detached from your own body, thoughts or feelings, as if you were watching yourself from outside. Read about Depersonalisation/Derealisation Disorder.

Depression

Low mood or loss of interest that lasts two weeks or more, with changes in sleep, appetite, energy or concentration. Read about Depression.

Diagnosis

A clinician's assessment of which condition, if any, explains a person's symptoms. It follows a clinical interview and, where needed, tests.

Dissociation

A disconnection between thoughts, surroundings, memory or sense of identity. Read about Dissociative Identity Disorder.

DSM-5 and ICD-11

The two main systems clinicians use to classify mental health conditions. DSM-5 comes from the American Psychiatric Association, and ICD-11 from the World Health Organization.

Dysthymia

Also called persistent depressive disorder. Low mood that lasts two years or more and is usually milder than major depression. Read about Persistent Depressive Disorder.

E

Eating disorder

A group of conditions in which eating, weight or body image becomes a source of distress and affects health.

Exposure and response prevention

ERP. A therapy for OCD in which a person faces feared situations step by step without carrying out the compulsion. Read about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

G

Generalised anxiety disorder

Excessive worry about everyday things that is hard to control and is present on most days for six months or more. Read about Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

Grief

The natural response to loss. When it stays very intense for a long time and stops a person living their life, it can need professional help. Read about Grief & Bereavement.

H

Hallucination

Seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling or tasting something that is not there, such as hearing voices. Read about Brief Psychotic Disorder & First Episode Psychosis.

Hoarding disorder

Persistent difficulty parting with possessions, so that they pile up and make living spaces unusable. Read about Hoarding Disorder.

Hypomania

A milder form of high mood and energy than mania, lasting at least four days, without severe impairment. Read about Bipolar Disorder.

I

Insomnia disorder

Trouble falling or staying asleep, or waking too early, at least three nights a week for three months, with tiredness or poor concentration by day. Read about Insomnia Disorder.

M

Mania

A period of unusually high or irritable mood and energy, with less need for sleep, that is severe or lasts a week or more. Read about Bipolar Disorder.

Mental Healthcare Act, 2017

The Indian law that protects the rights of people with mental illness, including access to care, confidentiality and equal treatment with physical illness.

Mindfulness

A practice of paying attention to the present moment without judging it. Some therapies use it to help with stress, anxiety and low mood.

Mood stabiliser

A medicine used to even out mood swings, most often in bipolar disorder.

O

Obsession

An unwanted thought, image or urge that comes again and again and causes distress. Read about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. A condition with obsessions, compulsions or both, that take up time and cause distress. Read about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

P

Panic attack

A sudden surge of intense fear with physical symptoms such as a racing heart and breathlessness, usually peaking within minutes. Read about Panic Disorder.

Panic disorder

Repeated, unexpected panic attacks, with ongoing worry about having more or a change in behaviour to avoid them. Read about Panic Disorder.

Perinatal

The period during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Read about Prenatal and Antenatal Mental Health.

Personality disorder

A long-standing, inflexible pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving that differs from what is expected and causes distress or problems with relationships.

Phobia

An intense, lasting fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the danger. Read about Specific Phobias.

Postpartum depression

Depression that begins after childbirth, with low mood, anxiety or numbness that lasts longer or is more severe than the baby blues. Read about Postpartum Depression.

Postpartum psychosis

A rare emergency soon after childbirth, with confusion, hallucinations or delusions. It needs urgent medical care. Read about Postpartum Psychosis.

Pre-consultation call

At Mindly Health, a free call before your first consultation. Our team takes your history and prepares a report for your clinician.

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor with an MD in psychiatry who can diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medicine and check for physical causes.

Psychosis

A state in which a person loses touch with reality, with hallucinations, delusions or very disorganised thinking. Read about Brief Psychotic Disorder & First Episode Psychosis.

Psychotherapy

Talk therapy. A structured conversation with a trained therapist that helps you understand what you feel and learn ways to cope.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder. A condition that can follow a frightening or life-threatening event, with flashbacks, avoidance, nightmares and being on edge. Read about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

R

Relapse

The return of symptoms after a period of improvement.

Remission

A period in which the symptoms of a condition have eased or gone.

S

Schizophrenia

A condition that affects thinking, perception and behaviour, with symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and loss of motivation. Read about Schizophrenia.

Selective mutism

A childhood anxiety condition in which a child cannot speak in certain settings, such as school, though they speak at home. Read about Selective Mutism.

Self-harm

Deliberately hurting oneself, usually as a way to cope with distress. It is a sign that someone needs support, and help is available.

Separation anxiety

Intense fear of being apart from a person the individual is attached to, most often seen in children. Read about Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Sleep hygiene

Everyday habits that support sleep, such as regular sleep and wake times and limiting caffeine and screens at night. Read about Insomnia Disorder.

Social anxiety

Strong fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations, leading a person to avoid them. Read about Social Anxiety Disorder.

Somatic symptom disorder

Physical symptoms that cause distress, along with excessive thoughts or worry about them. Read about Somatic Symptom Disorder.

SSRI

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. A common type of antidepressant, also used for anxiety disorders and OCD.

Stigma

Negative attitudes and shame attached to mental illness, which can stop people seeking help.

Substance use disorder

Also called addiction. Continued use of alcohol or drugs despite harm, with cravings and difficulty cutting down. Read about Addiction.

Suicidal ideation

Thoughts of ending one's life. If you or someone you know has them, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 112 straight away.

T

Tele-MANAS

India's national tele mental health service. It offers free support on 14416, at any hour.

Telepsychiatry

Psychiatric care delivered by video, phone or message.

Tic disorder

A condition with sudden, repeated movements or sounds (tics) that begin in childhood. Read about Tic Disorders & Tourette Syndrome.

TMS

Transcranial magnetic stimulation. A non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain, used for depression that has not improved with other treatments.

Trauma

A lasting emotional response to a deeply distressing or frightening event.