Glossary of Terms

Anxiety– Both a mental and physical state of negative expectation. Mentally it is characterized by increased arousal and apprehension tortured into distressing worry, and physically by unpleasant activation of multiple body systems—all to facilitate response to an unknown danger, whether real or imagined. (Psychology Today)

Addiction – A complex condition in which there is an uncontrollable use of a substance or behavior despite harmful consequences. People with addiction have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s) such as alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, or psychoactive substances and behavior(s) such as sex, gambling, working, shopping, food or exercise, to the point where their ability to function in day to day life becomes impaired. People keep participating in these behaviors even when they know it is causing or will cause problems. Repeated addiction can cause changes in how the brain functions. These changes can last long after the immediate intoxication or euphoria wears off. Intoxication is the intense pleasure, euphoria, and calm that are caused by the substance or behavior; these symptoms are different for each addiction. With continued use of a substance, tolerance can develop, where someone may require larger amounts to feel these effects. Additionally, discontinuing use can lead to symptoms of withdrawal and intense cravings to return to use, often experienced as anxiety. People with addiction may have distorted thinking and behaviors. Changes in the brain’s structure and function are what cause people to have intense cravings, changes in personality, abnormal movements, and other behaviors. Brain imaging studies show changes in the areas of the brain that relate to judgment, decision-making, learning, memory, and behavioral control. (Psychiatry.org)

Apathy – 1. lack of feeling or emotion 2. lack of interest or concern (Merriam Webster)

Averse racism – A form of racial prejudice felt by individuals who outwardly endorse egalitarian or non-racist attitudes and values but nonetheless experience negative emotions in the presence of members of certain racial groups, particularly in ambiguous circumstances. For example, if a White employer who supports equality nonetheless favors White candidates over Asian candidates in job interviews when all the individuals’ qualifications for the position are unclear, then they are demonstrating aversive racism. See Modern racism (American Psychological Association)

Bias – The action of supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way, because of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment. (Cambridge Dictionary)

Boundary – A limit that separates acceptable behavior from unacceptable behavior. (Dictionary.com)

Burnout – An occupation-related syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout can be measured and quantified using validated scientific tools. It involves ongoing emotional exhaustion, psychological distance or negativity, and feelings of inefficacy—all adding up to a state where the job-related stressors are not being effectively managed by the normal rest found in work breaks, weekends, and time off (World Health Organization, 2019). (American Psychiatric Association)

Coded language – Consists of seemingly neutral terms that individuals use to negatively describe identity (often racial or ethnic identity) and thus maintain oppressive power structures. These terms are ambiguous and so embedded in the general public’s vocabulary that they are often seen as normal and harmless. Phrases like “inner city” and “illegal immigrant” are often code for Black and Latino people, for instance. Terms like “massage parlor” and “liquor store/Food and Liquor,” may seem to simply be names of certain structures or businesses but are often used in coded ways to denigrate certain populations — for massage parlors, anti-Asian sentiment, and for liquor stores, anti-Black sentiment. It may be useful to include the histories of such institutions, as well as the hidden meanings of other coded language, to ensure these terms are being used only when appropriate and with sufficient context and explanation. (Language Please)

Co-dependency – A dysfunctional relationship dynamic where one person assumes the role of “the giver,” sacrificing their own needs and well-being for the sake of the other, “the taker.” The bond in question doesn’t have to be romantic; it can occur just as easily between parent and child, friends, and family members. The term “codependency” first appeared in substance abuse circles to describe a lopsided relationship that has been consumed and controlled by one person’s addiction. It grew in popularity and became shorthand for any enabling relationship. Codependency is not a clinical diagnosis or a personality disorder and has sparked much debate and controversy among psychology experts. (Psychology Today)

Colorism – Prejudice or discrimination, especially within a racial or ethnic group, favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin. (Merriam Webster)

Code-switching – Adjusting your identity to blend in and conform to a larger group is at the core of code-switching. It can happen in a range of contexts for a host of reasons. People may code-switch in multiple ways across different settings and groups, too. “Identity changes” may be done to draw attention away from someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, level of education, sexual orientation, or ability status. (Cleveland Clinic)

Colonization – To take control of (a people or area) especially as an extension of state power: to claim (someone or something) as a colony. (Merriam Webster)

Complex grief – For some people, feelings of loss are debilitating and don’t improve even after time passes. This is known as complicated grief, sometimes called persistent complex bereavement disorder. In complicated grief, painful emotions are so long-lasting and severe that you have trouble recovering from the loss and resuming your own life. (Mayo Clinic)

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – A mental health condition that can develop if you experience chronic (long-term) trauma. It involves stress responses, such as:
Anxiety
Having flashbacks or nightmares.
Avoiding situations, places and other things related to the traumatic event.
Heightened emotional responses, such as impulsivity or aggressiveness.
Persistent difficulties in sustaining relationships.

Examples of chronic trauma include:

Long-term child physical or sexual abuse.
Long-term domestic violence.
Being a victim of human or sex trafficking.
War.
Frequent community violence.
While CPTSD is often associated with chronic trauma in childhood, adults who experience chronic trauma can also develop the condition. (Cleveland Clinic)

Depression – A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.[1][2] The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) classifies the depressive disorders into:
Disruptive mood disregulation disorder
Major depressive disorder
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
The common features of all the depressive disorders are sadness, emptiness, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function.[3] Because of false perceptions, nearly 60% of people with depression do not seek medical help. Many feel that the stigma of a mental health disorder is not acceptable in society and may hinder both personal and professional life. There is good evidence indicating that most antidepressants do work but the individual response to treatment may vary. (National Institute of Health)

Disassociation – The experience of detaching from reality. Dissociation encompasses the feeling of daydreaming or being intensely focused, as well as the distressing experience of being disconnected from reality. In this state, consciousness, identity, memory, and perception are no longer naturally integrated. Dissociation often occurs as a result of stress or trauma, and it may be indicative of a dissociative disorder or other mental health condition. (Psychology Today)

Discrimination – The unjust action or behavior directed at members of such groups based on their perceived differences. (Simply Psychology)

Emotional Contagion – Refers to the phenomenon in which a person unconsciously mirrors or mimics the emotions of those around them. Emotional contagion can be triggered by nonverbals such as facial expressions as well as by overt conversational or behavioral cues: A smile can spread from one person to another, and someone who is complaining can bring someone else down. People are often unaware of their susceptibility to another’s mood or emotions, and an understanding of this phenomenon can help someone both regulate their own emotions and avoid dampening the moods of others. (Psychology Today)

Gaslighting – A specific phenomenon characterized by an abuser’s ability to consciously (or unconsciously) enact patterns of behavior that reoccur over time in an effort to get their target to question their sanity, foundational beliefs and decision-making capabilities. (Cleveland Clinic)

Healthy Detachment – Stepping back from obsessively worrying about others, telling others what to do, and trying to rescue them from the consequences of their choices. When we detach, we let others take responsibility for their own choices and don’t interfere or try to protect them from any negative consequences that may result. (Psychology Today)

Hostile Work Environment – Where the words and actions of a supervisor, manager or coworker negatively or severely impacts another employee’s ability to complete their work. Any employee can be responsible for creating a hostile work environment. (Indeed)

Hustle Porn – The fetishization of extremely long working hours (Urban Dictionary) A term coined by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit founder, in 2018. “It is this idea that unless you are suffering, unless you are grinding, unless you are working every hour of every day and posting about it on Instagram, you are not working hard enough,” [Ohanian] told the audience. “Do not let hustle porn win here. And do not let it infect your brain … It is such bullshit. Such utter bullshit. And the worst part about it is it has deleterious effects, not just on your business, but on your personal wellbeing.”

Internalized racism – A phenomenon that people of color (POC) experience when they adopt aspects of racism by accepting negative messaging about their worth and abilities based on their ethnic or racial group membership [1,2,3]. In other words, “the oppressed will identify and emulate the oppressive actions of their oppressor” (National Institute of Health)

Intergenerational Trauma – Refers to the apparent transmission of trauma between generations of a family. People who experienced adverse childhood experiences growing up, or who survived historical disasters or traumas, may pass the effects of those traumas on to their children or grandchildren, through their genes, their behavior, or both, leaving the next generation susceptible to anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and other emotional and mental health concerns. (Psychology Today)

Isolation – 1. The condition of being separated, such as in social isolation. 2. In psychoanalytic theory, a defense mechanism that relies on keeping unwelcome thoughts and feelings from forming associative links with other thoughts and feelings, with the result that the unwelcome thought is rarely activated. (American Psychological Association)

Loneliness– The state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences of it. (Psychology Today)

Micro-aggression – Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. (National Equity Project)

Modern racism – A contemporary form of prejudice against members of other racial groups that is expressed indirectly and covertly, typically by condemning the cultural values of the outgroup or by experiencing aversive emotions when interacting with its members but not acting on those negative emotions (see aversive racism). A modern racist, for example, expresses prejudice by condemning another group’s cultural values or by avoiding any contact with members of that group. Changed social attitudes have brought about a decline in the direct expression of racial discrimination and hostility toward minority groups, with a corresponding increase in less blatant modern racism. (American Psychological Association)

Narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder – A pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, with onset by early adulthood and present in various contexts. This pattern is characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success or power, a belief in one’s own specialness, a need for excessive admiration, a sense of entitlement, exploitative behavior, a lack of empathy, and envy of others. (DSM-5)

Othering – A set of dynamics, processes, and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on group identities.13 Dimensions of othering include, but are not limited to, religion, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (class), disability, sexual orientation, and skin tone. (Othering & Belonging)

Passive-aggressive – A way of expressing negative feelings, such as anger or annoyance, indirectly instead of directly. Passive-aggressive behaviors are often difficult to identify and can sabotage relationships at home and at work. (Psychology Today)

Projection – The process by which one attributes one’s own individual positive or negative characteristics, affects, and impulses to another person or group. This is often a defense mechanism in which unpleasant or unacceptable impulses, stressors, ideas, affects, or responsibilities are attributed to others. (American Psychological Association)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a distressing event involving the threat of death or extreme bodily harm. Examples of traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include sexual assault, physical violence, and military combat. PTSD can also occur in the wake of a motor vehicle accident, a natural disaster (e.g., fire, earthquake, flood), a medical emergency (e.g., having an anaphylactic reaction), or any sudden, disruptive incident. (Psychology Today)

Racism – The general belief that different races have different abilities (and that some races are inherently superior to others) or to the actual practice of discriminating against people because of their race. Jim Crow laws in the United States institutionalized racism, codifying discrimination against African Americans. Many worldwide political movements have fought to end racism. (Vocabulary.com)

Shame – When you believe you’ve failed to live up to your own standards or the standards of others. The feeling of shame evokes intense discomfort, and sometimes a desire to hide; people may describe feeling worthless, stupid, foolish, inadequate, or “less than.” Shame can paralyze people, forming the lens for all self-evaluation. Shame arises as a result of negative evaluations from others, even if an individual has nothing to feel guilty about. (Psychology Today)

Systemic oppression – Forms of racism that are pervasively and deeply embedded in systems, laws, written or unwritten policies, and entrenched practices and beliefs that produce, condone, and perpetuate widespread unfair treatment and oppression of people of color, with adverse health consequences. (Health Affairs)

Triangulation – A communication pattern where one person avoids direct interaction with another, instead using a third person as an intermediary. This can create misunderstandings and conflicts, often serving as a manipulative strategy to control or gain power. (Simply Psychology)

Unconscious bias – The person with the bias is not aware of can influence decisions in recruitment, promotion, and performance management. (Cambridge Dictionary)

Xenophopia – Fear of strangers, is a broad term that may be applied to any fear of someone different from themselves. Hostility towards outsiders is often a reaction to fear.¹ It typically involves the belief that there is a conflict between an individual’s ingroup and an outgroup. (Very Well Mind)