100+ Words Related to Mental Health

November 24, 2023

In the realm of mental health, there are all sorts of words that the ordinary person is unfamiliar with. Some of these words are conditions. Others are psychological jargon. Regardless, if you’re going to understand mental health at a base level, you need to know what they mean. That’s where this article comes in. Below, we’re going to discuss some of the most important words related to mental health, helping you dive into the subject with proper vigor. Let’s go!

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Words Related to Health

Table of Contents

Depression

Have you ever experienced feelings of prolonged sadness? If so, you may have suffered from depression. Depression is one of the more common mental illnesses in existence, with around 8% of people experiencing at least one depressive episode in a calendar year. It may cause you to lose interest in things you once enjoyed. It may also cause you to feel irritable or hopeless. Some with depression even struggle to complete everyday tasks.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most extreme mental illnesses. It’s a fairly rare condition that affects under 1% of the United States population. It’s marked by hallucinations, rushed speech, cluttered thoughts, and a lack of motivation. If you’re schizophrenic, you might even hear voices in your head.

There are many potential challenges that come with schizophrenia. You might struggle to remain employed. You might also have trouble with relationships. Fortunately, schizophrenia is a treatable condition. With the right medications and therapy, you can, more or less, lead a happy and healthy life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD for short, is a condition in which you experience chronic obsessive thoughts. These obsessive thoughts not only lead to anxiety but to repetitive behaviors such as excessively washing your hands or constantly checking to make sure your possessions are in their right place.

This condition affects a little over 1% of the population. In diagnosed individuals, the severity of symptoms varies. Regardless of severity, however, there are treatment options available to you, including talk therapy and medication.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is, of course, the process of being assessed to determine whether you have an illness. In the case of mental illness, a psychiatrist commonly performs the diagnosis. However, general practitioners can also diagnose you if you’re suffering from common mental issues such as anxiety and depression.

Depending on the illness, a diagnosis can be made either in person or through remote means. You’ll speak with the individual who is treating you and describe your symptoms. You’ll also be asked a series of questions. In some cases, this alone is enough to render a diagnosis.

For more severe illnesses, however, additional tests are required. In some cases, your psychiatrist might even need to assess you over a prolonged period for an accurate diagnosis.

Psychotic

Another word related to mental health is “”psychotic.”” The word “”psychotic”” means you are disconnected from reality. It’s extremely uncommon for a person to be permanently psychotic; most patients experience short psychotic episodes interspersed with normal periods of behavior.

There are all sorts of things that can cause you to become psychotic. Conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often lead to psychosis. Drug use and even sleep deprivation can also lead to a psychotic episode.

Bipolar Disorder

If you have severe mood swings, you might have bipolar disorder. At certain times, you’ll experience severe depression. At other times, you’ll experience mania, a condition in which your mood is highly elevated to the point of irrationality.

Your psychiatrist can diagnose you with either bipolar 1 or bipolar 2. With bipolar 1, you’ll experience extreme mania. If you have bipolar 2, you’ll experience a more subdued form of mania.

Bipolar disorder affects around 4.5% of people. If there are bipolar individuals in your family, you’re more likely to experience bipolar disorder yourself.

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety is the most common of all mental illnesses. Around 30% of people will experience an anxiety disorder at some time throughout their lives.

If you’re experiencing anxiety, you’ll have severe worries about things going on in your life. These worries can inhibit your behavior to the point that you fail to complete necessary tasks. In some cases, they can even produce physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and the like.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

The last of our words related to mental health is seasonal affective disorder. This is a depression disorder in which your mood drops during certain times of the year. Most commonly, your mood will drop during winter.

The exact cause of SAD isn’t known and likely varies based on the patient. That said, shorter days and less sunlight are common culprits. There’s also the fact that winter weather inhibits outdoor activity. Because of this, you might not be able to lead your life to the fullest, resulting in feelings of depression.

SAD affects around 5% of the US population. If you suffer from SAD, you can combat it by engaging in therapy and by utilizing ample artificial lighting.