British Columbia Schizophrenia Society (BCSS)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Particularly recommended as good starting point for family members, consumers, and service providers. It is clearly written and has an excellent reference section.

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Glossary: Understanding the Language of Mental Illness If you have a relative, friend, or student with schizophrenia, you may find medical professionals and others using words you are not familiar with. This is a short glossary of some of the most commonly used terms.

Affective Disorders or Mood Disorders Mental illness characterized by greatly exaggerated emotional reactions and mood swings from high elation to deep depression. Commonly used terms are manic-depression (or bipolar disorder) and depression -- although some people experience only mania and others only depression. These extreme mood changes are unrelated to changes in the person's environment.

Delusion A fixed belief that has no basis in reality. People suffering from this type of thought disorder are often convinced they are famous people, are being persecuted, or are capable of extraordinary accomplishments.

Diagnosis Classification of a disease by studying its signs and symptoms. Schizophrenia is one of many possible diagnostic categories used in psychiatry.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Used primarily for patients suffering from extreme depression for long periods, who are suicidal, and who do not respond to medication or to changes in circumstances.

Hallucination An abnormal experience in perception. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or feeling things that are not there.

Involuntary Admission The process of entering a hospital is called admission. Voluntary admission means the patient requests treatment, and is free to leave the hospital whenever he or she wishes. People who are very ill may be admitted to a mental health facility against their will, or involuntarily. There are two ways this can occur:

under medical admission certificates or renewal certificates under special court orders when the person has been charged or convicted with a criminal offence. In this case, they may be held in a forensic facility. In British Columbia, before someone can be admitted involuntarily under certificates, two physicians -- one of whom is a psychiatrist -- must certify that the person is:

suffering from a mental disorder and requiring care, protection and medical treatment in hospital; unable to fully understand and make an informed decision regarding treatment, care and supervision; likely to cause harm to self or others or to suffer substantial mental or physical deterioration if not hospitalized. Medications In psychiatry, medication is usually prescribed

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