ESL Podcast 1021 - Mental Disorders

mental health - an assessment of a person's psychological and emotional wellness, especially how one reacts to stress and how one interacts with other people

Do you think people with serious mental health problems should be allowed to own guns?

support group - a group of people who suffer from a similar illness, problem, or experience and meet regularly to discuss it and help each other

When Vic's wife died, he started attending a support group for young widowers.

anorexic - a person who suffers from anorexia nervosa, a mental illness that causes one to eat very little and exercises a lot to lose weight, becoming extremely thin, but still believing that one is fat

I've never seen Jennifer eat anything except plain lettuce. Do you think she's anorexic?

bulimic - a person who suffers from bulimia, a disease that causes one to eat a lot of food, but then vomit it (throw it up) to avoid gaining weight

Bulimics can have major health problems because the body doesn't get proper nutrition.

depression - long periods of unexplained feelings of sadness and a lack of energy and motivation

A lot of new mothers suffer from depression as they adjust to their new lifestyle.

warning sign - an indication that there is a problem

These small tremors could be warning signs that the volcano is going to erupt again.

social anxiety disorder - a condition that causes one to fear being around other people because one is afraid of being embarrassed or teased, and feels inferior to or not as good as other people

People who have social anxiety disorder find it extremely difficult to meet new people and make friends.

schizophrenia - a mental disorder that makes it difficult or impossible to know what is real and what is imaginary, and negatively affects how one reacts to other people and situations

Clarke was diagnosed with schizophrenia when doctors realized he believed he was speaking with Albert Einstein.

at risk of - in danger of; with a possibility of something bad happening

People who eat a lot of salt and fat are at risk of having a heart attack.

antisocial behavior - a way of acting that does not show consideration for the thoughts and feelings of other people

Paurin demonstrates antisocial behavior, often threatening her colleagues and making them feel extremely uncomfortable.

to cope with - to be able to handle or deal with something that is difficult and challenging

How is Ophelia coping with her mother's death?

binge drinking - the practice of drinking a lot of alcohol in a very short period of time

If you often have four or five drinks at a time, you might have a problem with binge drinking.

obsessive-compulsive - a mental disorder that causes one to excessively worry about things and engage in repetitive, uncontrolled behaviors

Some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder spend hours washing their hands every day.

well-adjusted - accustomed and adapted to a situation or environment, meeting general expectations for how one should appear and behave

Their children appear to be happy, well-adjusted kids who love playing with others.

nervous habit - an action or behavior that one unconsciously performs repeatedly, especially when experiencing stress or worry

Jenna has a nervous habit of biting her nails when she's working under a deadline.

to deny - to say that something is not true; to not recognize the existence or reality of something

The man denied stealing the money, even thought three people said they saw him do it. (letter)-word - a phrase used to avoid saying a rude, unacceptable, or secret word, using only the first letter as an indication of what that word might be

When I was a kid, my parents punished me for saying the f-word.