Part of the Shrink Network
The language of the mind. Understood.
Shrinktionary explains mental health terms in plain English. Symptoms, diagnoses, medications, therapy concepts, and the words people hear without ever getting a clear definition.
Shrinktionary is the language layer of The Shrink Network. It helps people understand the terms they hear, then sends them deeper into the right resource.
Term of the day
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
OCD is a condition involving obsessions, which are unwanted intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, which are repetitive rituals done to relieve the distress. The rituals bring only short-lived relief, which keeps the cycle going.
Mental health language shouldn't be confusing.
People hear panic attack, rumination, SSRI, bipolar disorder, intrusive thought, dissociation, executive function in clinics, in articles, and in their own heads. Most never get the actual definition. Shrinktionary fixes that. Each term gets a plain English explanation, the clinical context behind it, what it isn't, and the related concepts you'd want to know next.
This is education. It isn't medical advice. It doesn't replace a clinician. It exists so the words make sense the next time you encounter them.
Explore by category
Symptoms
41 termsWhat people feel, notice, or experience that brings them to care.
Conditions
55 termsDiagnoses, syndromes, and recognized clinical conditions.
Medications
72 termsDrug classes and specific medications used in psychiatric care.
Therapy Terms
24 termsThe language of psychotherapy, techniques, and modalities.
Psychiatry Terms
30 termsClinical terms used in psychiatric practice.
Psychology Terms
28 termsConcepts from psychological science.
Brain and Body Terms
23 termsNeuroscience, physiology, and the body's role in mental health.
Everyday Language
29 termsWords people use casually that have specific clinical meanings.
Research Terms
12 termsWords you'll see in psychiatric research and evidence reviews.
The Term Web
Words don't exist alone. A symptom connects to a diagnosis. A diagnosis connects to a treatment. A treatment connects to medications. Medications connect to the questions you'd ask a prescriber. The Term Web shows how the language of mental health is wired together, so you can walk the connections instead of looking up one word at a time.
Learn the words in context
A dictionary gives you one word at a time. A cluster gives you the whole vocabulary around a real problem, the way it actually shows up, so the words make sense together.
Browse all language clusters →Words people mix up
Some mental health words sit right next to each other and get used as if they're the same. These side-by-side guides clear up the ones people ask about most.
Not sure what word you're looking for?
I heard a diagnosis
Find the clinical condition by name.
I heard a medication name
Find what a drug is and what it treats.
I'm trying to describe a symptom
Start from what you feel, not what it's called.
I'm reading a therapy term
Decode what a clinician or workbook is saying.
I want the broader explanation
Go to Shrinkopedia for the full encyclopedia entry.
I need care
Start with shrinkMD.
Where Shrinktionary fits in The Shrink Network
Shrinktionary explains the words. Shrinkopedia explains the concepts. AnxietyResource and DepressionResource explain specific conditions. PsychiatryRx explains medications. AnxietyResearch translates the evidence. ShrinkDaily turns it into a daily learning habit. shrinQ helps you see patterns in how you think. shrinkMD is where clinical care happens. Each property has its own role, and the links between them are intentional.
Common questions
What people ask about Shrinktionary
Is Shrinktionary medical advice?
No. Shrinktionary is education, not medical advice. It explains what mental health words mean, but it can't diagnose you and it doesn't replace a clinician. Decisions about your care belong with a licensed professional who knows your situation.
Who writes and reviews Shrinktionary?
Every entry is written and medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA, a board certified psychiatrist. The reviewer, the sources, and the review date appear on each entry.
How is Shrinktionary different from a regular dictionary?
A regular dictionary gives you a one-line gloss. Shrinktionary gives you the plain-English meaning, the clinical context behind it, what the term isn't, and the related terms you'd want next, all connected through the Term Web.
Is Shrinktionary free, and does it run ads?
It's free, and it runs no advertising. Shrinktionary doesn't take payment for placement, doesn't accept pharmaceutical funding, and doesn't earn referral fees. The point is good information, freely available.
Where do the definitions come from?
Definitions reflect current consensus from sources we trust, including the DSM-5-TR, the National Institute of Mental Health, the FDA, MedlinePlus, the Mayo Clinic, the American Psychiatric Association, and peer-reviewed literature. Every entry lists its sources.