Terms beginning with "B"

Many misunderstandings in the depiction of people with mental illnesses have arisen from misunderstanding of the vocabulary of mental illnesses, or inaccuracies in that vocabulary’s use. The following glossary has been developed from The American Psychiatric Association’s Psychiatric Glossary and a list prepared by the Mental Health Association in Los Angeles County, of preferred and misunderstood terms used to describe mental illnesses. The glossary contains examples of both proper language and language that perpetuates misunderstanding and stigma.

Those marked with an asterisk (*) are examples of outmoded, inaccurate and stigmatizing language.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P S V W

Behavior Therapy

A form of treatment based on the theory that a troubled person’s behavior results from learned bad habits. This type of therapy seeks to modify such behavior by teaching new adaptive skills.

Benzodiazepines

A class of medications that has a tranquilizing effect by depressing the central nervous system.

Bipolar (Manic-Depressive) Disorder

A major affective or mood disorder in which there are episodes of both mania and severe, disabling depression. Psychiatric researchers believe it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Bulimia

A disorder characterized by compulsive eating binges followed by some effort to counteract the weight gain that would result from these binges—usually vomiting, but often excessive exercising, fasting or use of diet pills, laxatives or diuretics. Over concern with weight and body shape are also symptoms of bulimia. It is often accompanied by depression.
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