Mental Health Glossary

/ˈæŋ.kər/

The stable emotional foundation that allows a person to feel secure in relationships and within themselves. The central identity concept of MentalHealthLove.

"After months of therapy, she finally found her anchor — a quiet confidence that didn't depend on anyone else's approval."

See also: anchor work, anchor drift, anchor surge

/ˈæŋ.kər drɪft/

The gradual erosion of emotional security that occurs when someone neglects their mental health practices, relationships, or self-awareness over time.

"She noticed anchor drift setting in — the small anxieties were back, the sleep was broken, the patience was thin."

See also: anchor, re-anchor

/ˈæŋ.kər sɜːrdʒ/

A sudden, powerful increase in emotional stability and self-awareness, often following a breakthrough in therapy, journaling, or a meaningful connection.

"The conversation with her sister triggered an anchor surge — for the first time in years, she felt completely at peace."

See also: anchor, anchor drift

/ˈæŋ.kər wɜːrk/

The intentional, ongoing practices — therapy, journaling, boundary-setting, self-reflection — that build and maintain emotional security.

"Anchor work isn't glamorous, but it's the reason she shows up as her best self every day."

See also: anchor, re-anchor, anchor hack

/ˈæŋ.kər hæk/

A practical, evidence-backed micro-technique for quickly restoring emotional stability in a stressful moment (e.g., box breathing, the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise).

"Her favourite anchor hack before a difficult conversation: three slow breaths and naming five things she could see."

See also: anchor work, anchor surge

/ˈæŋ.kər ɡæp/

The distance between where someone currently is emotionally and where they want to be; the space that anchor work closes.

"Recognising your anchor gap is the first honest step toward real change."

See also: anchor drift, anchor work

/tuː ˈæŋ.kər/

To intentionally stabilise one's emotional state through a grounding practice, meaningful relationship, or moment of self-awareness.

"She anchored herself before the meeting by writing three things she was grateful for."

See also: anchor work, anchor hack

/tuː riː ˈæŋ.kər/

To return to emotional stability after a period of drift, disconnection, or overwhelm.

"After the breakup, it took six months to fully re-anchor — but she came back stronger."

See also: anchor drift, anchor work

/tuː drɪft/

To gradually lose emotional grounding, often without noticing, until the anchor gap becomes significant.

"He had been drifting for months before the panic attack finally made him pay attention."

See also: anchor drift, anchor gap

/ˈæŋ.kərd/

Describes a person who is emotionally secure, self-aware, and able to maintain stability under stress.

"She walked into the room anchored — calm, present, and completely herself."

See also: anchor, anchor-ready

/ˈdrɪf.tɪŋ/

Describes a person experiencing anchor drift; emotionally unmoored, reactive, or disconnected from their values.

"He knew he was drifting when small things started feeling catastrophic."

See also: anchor drift, anchor gap

/ˈæŋ.kər ˈrɛd.i/

Describes a person who has done enough anchor work to engage with difficult emotions, conversations, or relationships from a place of security rather than fear.

"You don't have to be perfect — you just have to be anchor-ready."

See also: anchored, anchor work

Affect

The observable expression of emotion, including facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language.

Alexithymia

Difficulty identifying and describing one's own emotions, often associated with trauma, autism spectrum conditions, and certain personality disorders.

Anxious Attachment

An attachment style marked by fear of abandonment, hypervigilance to relationship cues, and a need for constant reassurance.

Attachment Theory

A psychological framework developed by John Bowlby describing how early bonds with caregivers shape emotional development and adult relationships.

Avoidant Attachment

An attachment style characterized by emotional distance, self-reliance, and discomfort with intimacy or dependency.

Boundaries

The emotional, physical, and psychological limits a person sets to protect their wellbeing and define acceptable behavior in relationships.

Codependency

A relational pattern in which a person excessively relies on another for emotional regulation, often at the expense of their own needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A structured, evidence-based therapy that helps identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to emotional distress.

Cognitive Distortions

Inaccurate or exaggerated thought patterns that reinforce negative emotions, including all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, and mind-reading.

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

A condition resulting from prolonged, repeated trauma (often interpersonal), characterized by emotional dysregulation, negative self-perception, and relational difficulties.

Countertransference

A therapist's emotional reaction to a client, influenced by the therapist's own history and unresolved issues.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A therapy developed by Marsha Linehan that combines CBT with mindfulness, focusing on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Disorganized Attachment

An attachment style resulting from frightening or inconsistent caregiving, marked by conflicting desires for closeness and fear of it.

Dissociation

A disconnection from thoughts, feelings, surroundings, or identity, often as a protective response to overwhelming stress or trauma.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — a trauma-focused therapy using bilateral stimulation to help the brain process distressing memories.

Emotional Dysregulation

Difficulty managing emotional responses in proportion to the situation, often resulting in intense, prolonged, or rapidly shifting emotional states.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

The ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively use one's own emotions and the emotions of others.

Emotional Regulation

The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in a healthy, adaptive way.

Empathy

The capacity to understand and share the feelings of another person, distinguishing between cognitive empathy (understanding) and affective empathy (feeling with).

Enmeshment

A relational pattern in which individual boundaries are blurred, making it difficult for people to function independently or maintain a separate sense of self.

Fawn Response

A trauma response involving appeasement and compliance to avoid conflict or danger, often developing in people who experienced unpredictable caregiving.

Fight-or-Flight Response

The body's automatic physiological reaction to perceived threat, preparing the organism to either confront or flee the danger.

Freeze Response

A survival response in which the body becomes immobile in the face of overwhelming threat, often seen in trauma survivors.

Gaslighting

A form of psychological manipulation in which someone causes another person to question their own perceptions, memories, or sanity.

Grounding

Techniques used to reconnect with the present moment and reduce anxiety or dissociation, often involving the five senses.

Hypervigilance

A state of heightened alertness and sensitivity to potential threats, common in people who have experienced trauma or chronic stress.

Inner Child

A concept representing the childlike part of the psyche that carries early emotional experiences, needs, and wounds.

Intrusive Thoughts

Unwanted, involuntary thoughts, images, or urges that are often distressing and inconsistent with a person's values.

Locus of Control

The degree to which a person believes they have control over the outcomes in their life (internal) versus being controlled by external forces (external).

Mindfulness

The practice of paying deliberate, non-judgmental attention to the present moment, including thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Narcissistic Abuse

A pattern of emotional manipulation and control inflicted by someone with narcissistic traits, often leaving lasting psychological trauma.

Nervous System Regulation

The process of returning the autonomic nervous system to a calm, balanced state after activation by stress or perceived threat.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, providing the biological basis for therapeutic change.

People-Pleasing

A behavioral pattern of prioritizing others' needs and approval over one's own, often rooted in fear of conflict or rejection.

Polyvagal Theory

Stephen Porges' theory explaining how the autonomic nervous system regulates social engagement, safety, and threat responses through the vagus nerve.

Projection

A defense mechanism in which a person attributes their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.

Psychoeducation

The process of providing information about mental health conditions, treatments, and coping strategies to individuals and families.

Radical Acceptance

A DBT concept involving fully accepting reality as it is, without judgment or resistance, even when it is painful.

Reparenting

The therapeutic process of providing oneself (or receiving from a therapist) the nurturing, validation, and guidance that was absent in childhood.

Rumination

The repetitive, passive focus on distressing feelings and their causes and consequences, associated with depression and anxiety.

Schema

A deeply held belief or pattern of thinking about oneself, others, and the world, often formed in childhood and influencing adult behavior.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style characterized by comfort with intimacy and independence, typically developed through consistent, responsive caregiving.

Secure Base

A concept from attachment theory describing a caregiver (or therapist) who provides safety and support, allowing the attached person to explore the world confidently.

Self-Compassion

Treating oneself with the same kindness, understanding, and support one would offer a good friend during times of failure or suffering.

Shame vs. Guilt

Shame is the feeling that 'I am bad'; guilt is the feeling that 'I did something bad.' Guilt can motivate repair; shame tends to be paralyzing.

Somatic Therapy

A body-centered approach to therapy that addresses how trauma and stress are stored in the body and uses physical sensations to facilitate healing.

Toxic Positivity

The excessive promotion of positive thinking that dismisses or invalidates genuine negative emotions and experiences.

Transference

The redirection of feelings from a past relationship (often a caregiver) onto a current relationship or therapist.

Trauma Bonding

A psychological response in which a victim develops a strong emotional attachment to an abuser due to cycles of abuse and positive reinforcement.

Validation

Acknowledging and accepting another person's thoughts, feelings, and experiences as understandable given their circumstances.

Vulnerability

In Brené Brown's framework, the willingness to show up and be seen despite uncertainty and emotional exposure — a prerequisite for authentic connection.

Window of Tolerance

The optimal zone of arousal in which a person can function effectively and process information without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.