Home
Members Area


Jargon Buster P

Panic attacks See Anxiety
Parkinson’s Disease Before a relapse happens we often experience changes in the ways in which the usual symptoms of our illness, or changes in the way we behave, think or feel. These changes are what we call warning signs. The early warning signs of mental illness differ from person to person, but could include depression, anxiety, and irritability, disturbed patterns of sleep or eating. The earlier we can identify warning signs, the better chance we have of stopping a relapse or reducing the severity of a relapse.

Personality disorder Personality disorder is defined in the Mental Health Act 1983 as ... ' a persistent disorder or disability of mind...which results in abnormal aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct...' It is common for someone with a personality disorder to be impulsive, have high levels of sensitivity, be aggressive, attention seeking and overly dependent on others.
Phobias A phobia is an irrational and uncontrollable fear of an object or situation that most people can face without anxiety. A person with a phobia has feelings of intense panic when confronted with whatever it is that frightens then and will go to great lengths to avoid the causes of the distress. Examples of phobias are 'fear of flying, of meeting people, claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces and agoraphobia (fear of leaving the security of the home).
Postnatal Depression More than 1 in 10 women develop post natal depression, or PND, which may occur any time in the first year after having a baby, but most commonly in the first six months. Women may experience a wide range of symptoms including feeling low and unhappy most of the time, acute anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness, tiredness and a loss of enjoyment of desire to do anything. These symptoms may be made worse by feelings of guilt about not being able to cope or look after the baby. See also ‘depression’ and ‘baby blues’.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is an illness that can occur after an exper4eince or witnessing of life threatening events, like serious accidents, violent personal assaults or terrorist incidents. People with PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have problems sleeping and feel detached from reality. PTSD is complicated by the fact that it often occurs together with other mental health problems like depression, memory problems and substance misuse.
Psychiatrists Psychiatrists are doctors who are specifically trained, to diagnose and treat mental illness. They are often based at Community Mental Health centres or at inpatient facilities. They will be involved in mental health assessments and if necessary, will be involved in your ongoing treatment through the Care Programme Approach and outpatient appointments.
Psychologists They are non medically trained people who specialise in the workings of the mind. Often they assess the mental processes of individuals and work on a one to one basis, to improve coping skills. They may support you with finding ways of adapting/ changing your behaviour and the way that you perceive things. To receive this service, you would need to be referred by your Care Coordinator. They are often based at Community Mental Health Centres.


Psychosis Psychosis is the term used to describe when a person isn’t able to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t. Mental health professional will assess someone as being psychotic when they are experiencing hallucinations or delusions. It is common for people with schizophrenia or manic depression to experience psychosis.
Psychotherapists Psychotherapy uses talking therapies to help patients help themselves. It is based on a variety of 'talking treatments' including cognitive, behavioural, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies. To receive this service, you would need to be referred by your Care Coordinator. They are often based at Community Mental Health Centres
Psychotherapy Psychotherapy aims to help a person overcome a period of distress. A qualified therapist will spend time helping the person to analyse his or her past experiences to understand what may be the cause of their current feelings of unhappiness and distress.

Back to Jargon Buster

 


Latest Health News


New Horizons Logo

Rhondda Cynon Taff Logo