In today’s world, conversations are often peppered with slang terms and phrases that seem to mean one thing but actually have deeper connotations when viewed through the lens of mental health and therapy.
While these expressions might be used casually to describe everything from stress to personal growth, many of them hold nuanced meanings that professionals use to address complex emotions and mental health struggles.
These popular terms are becoming more prevalent in everyday vernacular, so let’s look at what we actually mean when we’re using these terms.
1. Trigger
Everyday Use: A “trigger” is a sudden stimulus that causes a strong emotional reaction, often related to a specific situation, memory, or event. People often use this term casually to talk about something that annoys or upsets them.
Therapeutic Meaning: In therapy, a trigger refers to something that activates a person’s trauma response or brings up past traumatic memories. For example, a certain song might trigger flashbacks for someone who has experienced a significant loss or a traumatic event. Recognizing triggers is an essential part of trauma-focused therapy, as it helps individuals develop coping strategies to manage intense emotional reactions.
2. Boundaries
Everyday Use: When people talk about “boundaries,” they might be referring to personal limits in relationships, such as needing time alone or refusing to discuss certain topics. Oftentimes, people express the need for boundaries without understanding the process of establishing them, or how they’re meant to facilitate your relationships.
Therapeutic Meaning: In therapy, boundaries are seen as essential to maintaining healthy relationships and protecting one’s emotional well-being.
Boundaries can be physical, emotional, or psychological and involve recognizing where one person’s responsibilities end and another’s begin. The process of setting and maintaining boundaries can help prevent burnout, reduce stress, and support personal growth. For example, someone who sets a boundary to avoid excessive work emails outside of office hours is prioritizing their mental health.
3. Self-Care
Everyday Use: Self-care is often used to describe anything done for relaxation or to indulge oneself, like taking a bath or treating oneself to a massage. Companies have capitalized on the idea of self care- producing your bath bombs and face masks.
Therapeutic Meaning: In a therapeutic context, self-care is an intentional practice that helps maintain one’s mental and emotional health. It’s more than pampering; it’s about nurturing your body and mind in a way that strengthens resilience and prevents burnout. While bubble baths and massages can be part of it, true self-care also involves mindfulness, healthy habits, exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate sleep. Therapists encourage individuals to practice self-care regularly as an act of self-respect and to avoid falling into negative mental patterns.
4. Gaslighting
Everyday Use: To say someone is “gaslighting” is to accuse them of manipulating another person into doubting their reality or sanity.
Therapeutic Meaning: Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation and abuse, where one person seeks to make another doubt their perceptions, memories, or sense of reality.
It’s a tactic often seen in emotionally abusive relationships, where one partner seeks control by undermining the other’s confidence. Understanding this term in therapy helps individuals identify and break free from toxic situations, recognizing that their experiences and emotions are valid.
5. Mindfulness
Everyday Use: When people talk about “being mindful,” they might mean paying attention to what’s happening in the moment, like focusing on the sights and sounds around them or practicing deep breathing.
Therapeutic Meaning: Mindfulness in therapy is a practice that encourages being present and fully engaged in the current moment without judgment. It’s a key component of many therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Mindfulness can help reduce stress, manage anxiety, and improve overall mental well-being. Through mindfulness, individuals learn to observe their thoughts and emotions as they arise, which can reduce the power of negative thinking patterns.
6. Trauma Dumping
Everyday Use: People often use the phrase “trauma dumping” to describe someone who shares an overwhelming amount of personal or traumatic information in an unfiltered way, usually without considering the listener’s ability to handle it. It can sometimes be seen as oversharing or venting excessively in a casual conversation.
Therapeutic Meaning: In therapy, trauma dumping refers to the act of disclosing deep, painful experiences or emotional wounds to someone who is not prepared or equipped to provide support.
While expressing emotions and sharing personal stories can be therapeutic, trauma dumping typically occurs when someone unloads their trauma on another person without proper boundaries or context, potentially overwhelming the listener and creating discomfort or emotional fatigue.
It’s important to recognize that while sharing feelings with others can help process trauma, it’s most effective when done with people who can provide appropriate support, like a trained therapist or a trusted friend who understands the boundaries of emotional sharing.
Therapists often work with clients to help them develop healthier ways of sharing and processing their trauma. This can involve recognizing who is a safe person to confide in, setting emotional boundaries, and learning to express emotions in a way that doesn’t place undue emotional pressure on others.
Trauma dumping can be harmful for both the person sharing and the recipient, leading to strained relationships and emotional exhaustion. Learning to approach sharing with care, such as using “I need support” or “Can I share something difficult with you?” can help create more meaningful and supportive conversations.
7. Toxic
Everyday Use: “Toxic” is often thrown around to describe people, relationships, or environments that are harmful or bring negative energy.
Therapeutic Meaning: In therapy, a “toxic” relationship or environment is one that drains emotional resources and hinders personal growth. These relationships are characterized by patterns of manipulation, dishonesty, lack of respect, and emotional unavailability.
Recognizing toxic relationships can be vital for maintaining mental health, as it encourages individuals to distance themselves from harmful influences and prioritize healthier connections.
8. Coping Mechanism
Everyday Use: People might use “coping” to describe how they handle stress, such as watching TV to unwind or going out with friends to feel better.
Therapeutic Meaning: Coping mechanisms are strategies or behaviors that individuals use to manage stress, anxiety, or difficult emotions. While some coping mechanisms (e.g., exercising, journaling, or talking to friends) are healthy and promote well-being, others (e.g., substance abuse, excessive screen time, or avoidance) can be detrimental.
Therapists help clients identify unhealthy coping mechanisms and work on replacing them with healthier alternatives that promote emotional resilience.
9. Inner Child
Everyday Use: People might use “inner child” in a lighthearted sense, like when they reminisce about childhood joys or act silly for fun.
Therapeutic Meaning: In therapy, the concept of the “inner child” refers to the part of a person that carries the emotional experiences and memories of their younger self. Healing the inner child can be an essential step in addressing childhood trauma or unmet emotional needs.
Activities that nurture the inner child may include playful activities, creative expression, and reconnecting with childhood interests. Therapy encourages healing and nurturing the inner child to foster a sense of safety and self-worth.
10. Self-Worth
Everyday Use: Self-worth is sometimes used casually to mean someone’s self-esteem or confidence level.
Therapeutic Meaning: Self-worth in therapy goes deeper than confidence; it’s about intrinsic value and believing that you deserve love and respect regardless of achievements or external validation. Low self-worth can lead to negative self-talk, self-sabotage, and a tendency to remain in unhealthy relationships or situations. Therapy aims to help individuals recognize their inherent worth, separate it from their achievements, and build a more compassionate and affirming inner dialogue.
11. Burnout
Everyday Use: People often talk about “burnout” in the context of feeling exhausted or fed up with work, life, or a specific responsibility.
Therapeutic Meaning: Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, usually resulting from long-term stress, overwork, or unmanageable expectations. In therapy, it’s a serious condition that affects both mental and physical health, leading to feelings of detachment, ineffectiveness, and reduced personal accomplishment. Addressing burnout involves learning to set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and find ways to manage stress more effectively.
These terms are more than just buzzwords or casual expressions; they carry deeper meanings that can shed light on how people experience and manage their mental health.
Whether you’re learning to recognize your triggers, understanding your boundaries, or nurturing your inner child, the language we use can offer profound insight into our emotional landscapes.
By recognizing and embracing the therapeutic significance of these everyday terms, we can begin to take steps toward greater awareness, healthier relationships, and a more balanced life.
