Glossary

Explore the definition of social and cultural terminology as well as substance use and mental health terms and disorders from A to Z

N

Nicotine

Nicotine is the primary component in tobacco that is responsible for the plant’s physiological effects of humans. When consumed, it releases dopamine which causes mild euphoria for a short period of time. Nicotine can be consumed in a variety of ways, such as cigarettes, cigars, vapes, and chewing tobacco, but all methods share the same risk of addiction. The brevity of the pleasure given by nicotine can cause people to go back for more repeatedly, which often descends quickly into full-on dependency.

Nicotine dependence is prevalent, dangerous, and difficult to escape from. Tobacco, the most common vessel for nicotine, is full of harmful chemicals that can lead to health complications like lung disease, diabetes, or cancer. What’s more, the legality and availability of tobacco in the U.S. makes it very accessible for anyone to start smoking and form a dependence. Attempting to cut off nicotine is difficult because it directly affects the reward centers of the brain to induce cravings for more of itself. Going cold turkey could even bring on symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, which include anxiety and insomnia. Products like nicotine gum are available to help kick the habit of smoking, but can often be less convenient to obtain than the tobacco itself.

Nonbinary

Nonbinary is an umbrella term used to describe gender identities outside of the gender binary of male and female. It is often used synonymously with genderqueer. The identity is generally considered to be under the transgender umbrella, but not all nonbinary people self-identify as transgender. People who identify as nonbinary may also feel that their gender is both male and female or no gender at all. These identities are known as bigender and agender respectively. 

Being nonbinary is not a modern concept. Nonbinary people have existed for centuries, with even some religious figures in different cultures being described as neither male nor female. Similarly to other sects of the queer population, the concept of nonbinary gender expression has not recently appeared; instead it has lost the intense stigma associated with it that would prevent nonbinary people from coming out as such.

NSSI

Non-suicidal self injury (NSSI), also known as self-harm, is the intentional damaging of one’s own body with a lack of suicidal intent. Self-harm behavior includes the cutting, burning, or hitting of skin and tissue, and tends to affect the arms, wrists, thighs, and abdomen. NSSI is most often first exhibited between the ages of 12 and 14 and is much more common in sexual minorities.

The reasons behind NSSI vary from person to person. The most common include getting relief from negative thoughts and feelings, finding within themselves some evidence of living through pain, or punishing themselves for their perceived wrongdoings. NSSI is disproportionately associated with mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

O

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety-inducing thoughts called obsessions and the repetitive actions (compulsions) that arise in response to them. It is normally a chronic disorder, but some may feel that their symptoms ebb and flow over time. Experiencing obsessions and compulsions occasionally does not necessarily denote the presence of OCD; the disorder’s defining trait is the constant presence of obsessions and compulsions which serve as a consistent source of anxiety.

There are two main aspects of OCD: Obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are anxiety-inducing intrusive thoughts that are unwanted and uncontrollable. People with OCD know these thoughts aren’t what they are really thinking but will try to mitigate them regardless to reduce their anxiety. The methods they use to relieve these obsessions are called compulsions, or repetitive actions that people with OCD feel as though they need to perform to make their obsessions go away. Compulsions can include washing hands over and over, doing tasks a specific amount of times, or repeatedly seeking reassurance. The relief brought by compulsions is temporary, which necessitates the constant reapplications of these techniques to keep the obsessions at bay.

Opioids

Opioids are a class of drug that are commonly used to relieve pain. They can be either synthetic (man-made) or natural. Opioids work by directly communicating with nerve cells in the body to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. They also stimulate the reward centers of the brain, causing euphoria and a sense of satisfaction when taken. These factors make opioids incredibly addictive and easy to form dependencies on. Common opioids include codeine, fentanyl, heroin, and morphine.

Along with being highly addictive, opioids are extremely potent, which makes them easy to overdose on. In 2023, 81.4% of fatal drug overdoses in the U.S. involved at least one opioid. The reason opioid overdoses are so fatal is that high dosages restrict the parts of the brain responsible for regulating breathing. This is called respiratory depression, and it is the main cause of opioid overdose deaths. It is highly recommended to only take the prescribed amount and check in with one’s doctor frequently when using opioids to avoid potentially fatal accidents.

P

PCP ( Phencyclidine )

Phencyclidine, also known as PCP, Angel, or Angel Dust, is a synthetic dissociative drug that induces hallucinations and feelings of euphoria in those who take it. It was originally developed in 1950 for use as an intravenous anesthetic for surgeries, but was discontinued from use medically after it was linked to psychotic episodes in patients post-operation. Now, it is considered a Schedule II drug (only legal through nonrenewable prescription) and most often taken recreationally.

People who have taken PCP report feelings of detachment, floatiness, or dissociation from reality, as well as a dulled sense of self. High doses of PCP may result in psychosis and violent behavior, which may result in death due to recklessness. Low doses of PCP tend to do less harm psychologically, but may induce dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and a loss of coordination. The effects of PCP can last from 4 to 6 hours depending on dosage and personal tolerance.

Personality

Personality is an enduring set of traits and patterns that reflect how a person thinks, behaves, and feels. Personalities are long-standing and not easy to change, typically staying consistent throughout one’s life barring drastic circumstantial changes (i.e. brain trauma). The word itself comes from the Latin word “persona”, which refers to theatrical masks a performer puts on to conceal their identity and play a different character. 

The study of personality most likely began in ancient Greece with the physician Hippocrates and his theory of Humorism. Hippocrates believed that a person’s personality was heavily influenced by the distribution of four fluids in their body: blood from the heart, black bile from the kidneys, yellow bile from the liver, and phlegm from the lungs. According to humorist theory, one’s temperament at any given moment in time is determined by the circulation of these fluids through the organs of the body. This theory was widely discontinued following the medical advancements at the end of the 19th century that brought a greater understanding of the brain

Personality Disorder (General Definition)

Personality disorders are mental health conditions characterized by patterns of behavior that impact how a person thinks, behaves, and feels. The exact causes of personality disorders are unknown, but risk factors included genetics, childhood trauma/abuse, and culture, as different countries have noticeably different rates of personality disorders. For the U.S., around 9% of the adult population have some type of personality disorder. Many people with personality disorders find psychotherapy like CBT to be helpful as a form of treatment.

Personality disorders are categorized into three different clusters: A, B, and C. Cluster A is characterized by unusual patterns of thinking that impact a person’s perception of themselves and others, cluster B consists of patterns of erratic behavior and unstable emotions, and cluster C contains mostly anxiety-related disorders. Of the three clusters, cluster B is the most common, as it contains the two most frequently diagnosed personality disorders, borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.

Personality Trait

Personality traits are stable aspects of one’s personality that differentiate people from each other. Personality traits exist on a spectrum, meaning that every person exhibits certain aspects of a trait in different amounts. Modern psychological research has led to the creation of the OCEAN model, an acronym for the “Big Five” personality traits. OCEAN stands for openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. These traits are the five most influential categories of personal expression according to psychological researchers. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Big Five personality traits and what they mean. Openness is the general quality of curiosity, creativity, and imagination. Conscientiousness refers to the ability to be thoughtful and organized. Extraversion (also spelt extroversion) measures a person’s sociability, expressiveness, and excitability. Agreeableness is similar to extraversion, but focuses more on empathy and altruism. Finally, neuroticism relates to a person’s mood, with high neuroticism correlating with sadness, anxiety, and irritability.

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a medical condition unique to mothers directly after having a baby. While being overwhelmed, anxious or stressed after having a baby is normal, PPD is characterized by extreme sadness, anxiety or irritability right after birth. The condition could take anywhere from a couple weeks to several months to subside. It is relatively uncommon, with around 14% of new mothers being diagnosed with the condition. Treatment for PPD includes psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.

There are other postpartum mood disorders that vary in severity and rarity. Postpartum blues, commonly referred to as “baby blues”, is a tamer version of PPD that affects 50-75% of new mothers. It is characterized by random bouts of crying, sadness, and anxiety. Postpartum blues normally last for a week or two and require little to no medical attention. In contrast, postpartum psychosis (PPP) is much rarer than PPD, affecting 1 in 1000 new mothers, and represents the opposite end of the postpartum mood disorder spectrum. Mothers with postpartum psychosis experience insomnia, confusion, intense irritability, delusions and hallucinations as a result of giving birth. The condition requires immediate medical attention as mothers with PPP can harm themselves or others around them in this vulnerable state.

Pretty or Desirability Privilege

Pretty or desirable privilege consists of advantages given to people who meet their culture’s beauty standards. People with attractive features are more likely to be treated better by strangers, considered for jobs during interviews, or given promotions at their workplace. Furthermore, attractive people are less likely to be found guilty in court and statistically face lighter sentences when they are. Pretty privilege benefits both attractive men and women, but women uniquely have to grapple with the objectification that comes with it.

In previous centuries, that which is considered “conventionally attractive” was reliant on the culture, environment, and history of the country or nation one resided in. Due to globalization and colonialism, beauty standards all over the world have shifted to idealize proximity to whiteness, thinness, cisgenderness, and able-bodiedness. This comes from a cultural association of “prettiness” and “light skin” which formed from the white majority in places like the U.S. exporting their preferences to the places they colonized, which tied cisgender men and women that have fit bodies, light skin, and symmetrical faces to wealth and affluence, and therefore desirability.

Psychosis

Psychosis is the term used to describe the state of being disconnected from reality. It is important to note that psychosis is not a medical condition, but rather a term used to describe multiple symptoms. People undergoing a psychotic episode may have difficulties determining what is real and what is not. They may also experience ‘delusions’, beliefs with no basis in reality, or ‘hallucinations’, audio or visuals that others cannot perceive.

Psychosis does not have a single, absolute cause. It can arise from a combination of factors, including genetic predispositions, traumatic experiences, and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Psychosis can also result from drug or alcohol abuse, in a similar fashion to how certain drugs can induce schizophrenia in those predisposed to it.

Q

Queer

Queer is an umbrella term used by members of the LGBTQIA+ community to refer to any identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender. Many people use queer to describe themselves as non-cisgender or non-heterosexual when specifics aren’t required. The term also has utility as a way to indicate that sexual orientation and gender identification can be fluid or impossible to describe in a single label. 

Historically, “queer” was used as a synonym for weird or strange, but later found use as a slur for gay and lesbian people. Eventually, through the efforts of LGBTQIA+ activists and allies, the word “queer” was reclaimed and transformed into an umbrella term to be used to describe the community. The choice to keep a previously harmful word like queer in the modern LGBTQIA+ lexicon is representatitive of the turbulent history of sexual minorities in hetero/cisnormative environments.

R

Racism

Racism is prejudice, discrimination, or fear levied against a person or group of people based on their race or ethnicity, or the belief that certain racial or ethnic groups have inherent biological, physical, or mental advantages over others. Racism is often interpreted as inherently interpersonal, but it can be (and at least in the U.S., very much is) embedded into the legal, political, and economic institutions of a country. The enslavement of Africans in the U.S. and the Jim Crow laws of the post-Reconstruction era are explicit examples of institutional racism.

Interpersonal racism is what most people think of when they talk about racism. It is sometimes accidental; it can be based on inherent biases that were developed and reinforced over time. However, interpersonal racism often involves the deliberate misinterpretation of statistics to perpetuate negative stereotypes and reinforce bigoted beliefs. A common example of misinterpreted statistics is insinuating that the higher rates of crime in some areas with a large percentage of ethnic minorities is due to an inherent penchant for crime instead of the lack of resources in these areas resulting in increased desperation and stress.

S

Savant Syndrome

Savant syndrome is a rare condition where someone with a developmental disorder such as autism has an immense wealth of talent in a specific field. Many savant skills are related to incredible memory-based abilities, like being able to replicate a piece of music on an instrument after hearing it once, being able to remember license plates after seeing them in passing, or having the capacity to draw detailed city skylines from memory. Only around ten percent of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are reported to have some kind of savant skills, with the rate being 1 in 100 for individuals with other intellectual/developmental disorders.

Some famous examples of people with savant syndrome include: Ellen Boudreuax, a visually impaired woman with the ability to replicate any musical piece she’s ever heard and to tell time down to the second without a clock, and Kim Peek, a man known as a “megasavant” with the ability to calculate with both hemispheres of his brain simultaneously, giving him the ability to read and memorize two books at the same time.

Schizoaffective Disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition that contains the symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder. Schizophrenia affects how the world is perceived, while mood disorders affect feelings and behaviors. As a combination of the two types of disorders, schizoaffective disorder has both the characteristic hallucinations and delusions of schizophrenia and the depressive feelings and low energy of some mood disorders. In some cases, people with schizoaffective disorder may also experience mania, or periods of high energy, euphoria, and increased irritability along with depressive episodes, resulting in a disorder reminiscent of bipolar disorder.

Schizoaffective disorder is very rare, with only around 0.3% of adults being diagnosed with it within their lifetimes. This could be due to how difficult the disorder is to diagnose, as many who could potentially have the disorder may receive a diagnosis for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia instead. Some potential causes of schizoaffective disorder include genetics and chemical changes in the brain. The use of psychedelics or hallucinogens may also induce schizoaffective disorder in those genetically predisposed to it.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that changes how a person perceives reality and interacts with others. It is characterized by hallucinations (false experiences), delusions (false beliefs), and paranoia (the feeling that others are conspiring against you). People with schizophrenia may have disorganized speaking patterns or exhibit little to no emotion when interacting with others. 

The exact causes of schizophrenia aren’t known, but researchers believe that it develops partly because of chemical imbalances in the brain and genetic predisposition (if someone else in your family has schizophrenia). There are also environmental risk factors for schizophrenia, like poor nutrition or pre-birth exposure to illness. Treatment for schizophrenia includes talk therapy, anti-psychotic medication, and support groups.

Seasonal Depressive Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a mood disorder caused by the changing of seasons from summer to autumn. It has similar symptoms to major depressive disorder, with milder symptoms occurring at the start of fall that get worse during the winter. There is a much rarer form of seasonal depression called “summer depression” that takes place when the days get warmer and longer. This does not change the expression of symptoms at all; just the time period in which they begin and end.

Many people report feeling a mild form of seasonal affective disorder known as “winter blues”. The winter blues are relatively common, with around 10-20% of the U.S. population getting them every year. In contrast, only around 5% of people in the U.S. are diagnosed with seasonal depression. The winter blues are not an official diagnosis, so a lot of statistics regarding the condition are based on personal accounts. However, it is reasonable to assume the change in weather, decreased sunlight exposure, and shorter days would lead to low mood and energy for a sizable chunk of the population.

Sex assigned at birth

Assigned sex at birth (ASAB) refers to a person’s sex, derived shortly after birth using physical sex characteristics like genitalia. The majority of people’s assigned sex at birth matches their gender identity; this is referred to as being cisgender. People who are not cisgender (i.e. transgender and nonbinary people) have an assigned sex at birth that does not match with their gender identity. In the case of people with sex characteristics that don’t represent the gender binary (i.e. intersex people), the designation is made at the discretion of the present medical staff.

The purpose of referring to someone’s sex at birth as “assigned” is to acknowledge the lack of choice in the sex listed on their birth certificate. Someone else, most likely a doctor, assigned each person’s sex at birth made solely off of physical characteristics. While this statistically aligns with the majority of people’s gender identities, it is important to prioritize recognizing someone’s preferred gender identity over their assigned sex at birth, as they have agency in deciding the former for themselves.

Sexism

Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one’s sex or gender, mostly against women. Like most forms of bigotry, it can be interpersonal or institutional. Regardless of the form it takes, it is rooted in the belief that one sex is inherently superior to another. The purpose of sexism against women and girls is to maintain patriarchy, or a society dominated by males. Since most modern societies are patriarchal, sexism generally refers to the social, economical, and political oppression of women and girls.

The extreme version of sexism is called misogyny, or the hatred of women. While sexism usually refers to the socioeconomic disadvantages women have when interacting with others or institutions, misogyny carries a violent connotation. A misogynistic society is one that not only holds women back from participating in its systems, but implicitly (or explicitly) perpetuates and encourages violence and abuse against women.

Sexual Minority

A sexual minority is someone whose sexual orientation differs from what is considered the norm in a given society. Modern Western culture is quite heteronormative, so the sexual minorities in this case would be those who identify as gay, bisexual, lesbian, etc. Younger generations are more likely to identify as a sexual minority. This is most likely because of the reduced stigma around being LGBTQIA+ allowing more people to openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc.

The term “sexual minority” does not refer to people whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth. “Sexual minority” specifically refers to a person’s sexual orientation, so transgender and nonbinary individuals are not inherently considered sexual minorities. To rectify this, the term “sexual and gender minority (SGM)” was coined to be more inclusive to all people under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella who have to deal with the prejudice and discrimination that comes with being queer in a hetero/cisnormative society.

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