anxiety - A feeling of apprehension, worry or dread. A certain amount of anxiety is normal. Excess anxiety interferes with one's daily life. (see anxiety disorders, anxiety neurosis).

bipolar disorder - Also known as "manic depression", this disorder is characterized by mood swings from depression to mania, with very little in the middle.

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - A type of psychological therapy where the patient learns to recognize negative or disruptive thought patterns ("cognitive distortions") in themselves, and to modify behaviors resulting from those thoughts. A useful adjunctive therapy for the treatment of a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders.

crisis - a time of danger or great difficulty. A person in crisis may feel out of control or unable to cope (e.g., the person may have difficulty sleeping, eating, paying attention or carrying on a normal routine at work, school or home).

dysthymia - A milder form of depression characterized by changes in eating or sleeping patterns, and a “down,” irritable, or self-critical mood that is present more of the time than not. People with dysthymia may say they are “just that way,” or “have always been that way.”

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - A chronic, non-specific anxiety lasting at least 6 months characterized by excessive worry over everything, including the excessive worrying itself.

hypomania - A distinct period of elevated, expansive or irritable mood, for at least four days, that is distinctly different from the person's usual non-depressed mood.

insomnia - Inability to sleep, or sleep prematurely ended or interrupted by periods of wakefulness. A symptom of some anxiety and mood disorders.

major depressive disorder - When an individual has more than one episode of major depression, they are said to have major depressive disorder. There may or may not be full recovery between episodes.

mania - A mood disorder characterized by periods of abnormally and persistently elevated mood, overactivity, over-production of ideas and exalted thoughts.

mood disorder - A pattern of illness defined by a disturbance of mood (such as profound sadness, apathy, euphoria or irritability), including depression, dysthymia, bipolar affective disorder, mania, hypomania and other disorders.

mood stabilizers - Another term for drugs designed to alter the chemical balance in the brain and allow moods to balance or stabilize.

panic disorder - An anxiety disorder characterized by attacks of acute anxiety, terror or fear that occur suddenly. These attacks are typically brief and self-contained but they can be severely debilitating if left untreated. They may be caused by or cause phobias, and may be accompanied by agoraphobia.

psychotherapy - "Talk therapy" - a method of treating depressive and anxiety disorders by helping individuals change their mental process or way of thinking or approaching situations that cause them distress. See cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy.

rapid cycling -  A characteristic of bipolar disorder that occurs when a person has four or more manic, hypomanic, mixed or depressive episodes within a 12-month period. For many people, rapid cycling is temporary.

seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - A type of depression associated with loss of daylight, usually experienced in the winter in the northern hemisphere. SAD affects 3 - 5 % of adults in Canada, with 4 times more women than men affected; it is characterized by a chronic depression, fatigue, and carbohydrate cravings, with regular onset in the fall and offset in the spring.

social phobia - Also known as social anxiety disorder; characterized by unusual or intense anxiety associated with encounters with unfamiliar people or situations, or situations that may involve being watched by others (speaking to a group, attending parties or business meetings, eating or writing in public).

support group -  a group of people who have a common interest or situation, such as the same mental health problem, who meet regularly to share ideas, feelings and community resource information.

SOURCES:
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment (www.canmat.org)
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (www.dbsalliance.org)
Moods Magazine (www.moodsmag.com)

Updated: 27 August 2007