compassionate human language terms of mental illness

Non-Clinical Terms for Common Mental Health Experiences

A Compassionate Language Guide

Compiled by Telle Wild Rose

Nonclinical tools link: LINK

Anxiety

- Nervousness

- Worrying a lot

- Overthinking

- Tense or on edge

- Jumpy

- Tight chest or racing heart

- Hard to relax

- Ruminating

- Feeling panicky

- Butterflies in stomach

- Feeling unsafe

Depression

- Heavy-hearted

- Feeling low

- Down in the dumps

- Sad a lot

- No motivation

- Emotionally numb

- Hopeless

- Crying often

- Drained

- Hard to get out of bed

- Tired all the time

- Empty inside

Trauma Responses

- Easily startled

- Shut down emotionally

- Flashbacks

- Can’t trust people

- Always on alert

- Avoids reminders

- Feels like it’s happening again

- Spacey or disconnected

- Feeling broken

- Stuck in survival mode

Anger & Irritability

- On a short fuse

- Snapping at people

- Feeling ragey

- Frustrated all the time

- Holding in too much

- Built-up stress

- Quick to explode

- Hard to calm down

Grief & Loss

- Heartache

- Missing someone deeply

- Numb with sorrow

- Waves of sadness

- Can’t stop thinking about them

- Overwhelmed by memories

- Tears come unexpectedly

Burnout & Exhaustion

- Running on empty

- Totally drained

- Can’t keep up

- Mentally fried

- Just surviving

- No energy left

- Tapped out

- Emotionally spent

Overstimulation & Sensory Overload

- Too much going on

- Can’t focus

- Sounds feel too loud

- Need quiet

- Everything feels too much

- Need to unplug

- Want to hide in silence

Mood Swings & Emotional Intensity

- Emotions all over the place

- Feeling everything too deeply

- Rollercoaster feelings

- Can’t explain why I’m crying

- Happy one moment, sad the next

- Up and down all day

Loneliness & Disconnection

- Feeling invisible

- Nobody gets me

- Alone even in a crowd

- Longing for connection

- Disconnected from others

- Feeling left out

- Unseen, unheard

Fear & Paranoia

- Can’t stop looking over my shoulder

- Feel like something bad is coming

- Hard to trust people

- Feel watched or judged

- Everything feels like a threat

Intrusive Thoughts or Voices

- Thoughts I don’t want

- Things pop into my head I didn’t ask for

- Voices in my head

- Feels like someone’s talking to me inside

- Unwanted mental noise

- Inner chatter I can’t shut off

Self-Esteem & Identity Struggles

- Don’t like myself

- Feel like I’m not enough

- Don’t know who I am anymore

- Ashamed of who I am

- Feel like a failure

- Hard to accept myself

Disconnection from Reality (Mild Dissociation)

- Floating feeling

- Watching myself from outside

- Everything feels unreal

- Zoned out

- Not fully here

- Spacey

- Dreamlike state

Obsessive or Repetitive Thinking

- Can’t stop checking

- Need things a certain way

- Stuck on one thought

- Looping thoughts

- Mind won’t let it go

- Do things over and over

September is suicide prevention month

Resharing My Book for Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to bring awareness, break the silence, and extend hope to those who are hurting. This cause is deeply personal to me, which is why I want to take this opportunity to reshare my book with you.

When I first wrote it, my heart was to speak into the pain that so many silently carry—the feelings of loneliness, struggle, and searching for meaning. My prayer is that these words would serve as both a mirror and a light: a mirror that acknowledges real struggles, and a light that points toward healing, faith, and hope.

Suicide prevention is not just about statistics or awareness campaigns—it’s about people. People we know, people we love, and maybe even ourselves. If you are walking through dark moments, I want you to know: you are not alone. Your life has purpose, and your story is still unfolding.

This month, I’m resharing my book not only as a resource, but also as a reminder: that in the hardest valleys, there is still hope, and that God’s love reaches into the deepest places of our pain.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. Talk to a friend, a counselor, or call the suicide prevention hotline (988 in the U.S.). One conversation can truly save a life.

I invite you to read, share, and most importantly—hold onto hope.

✨ Here’s the link to my book: [insert link]

Together, let’s spread awareness, compassion, and light this September. 💛

Link to download the book: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJJCtG_17omlSDVOczHHgrQR76wpR4Dz/view?usp=drive_link

Link to other grit and grace works you may be interested in: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iBtx21vCU1dF1ZxwB8WpVNn4uEvllJiC?usp=sharing

statistics about suicide: 

Suicide Statistics in the United States

Suicide is a major public health crisis in America. Here are some sobering facts:

• Overall: In 2022, over 49,000 people died by suicide in the U.S.—the highest number ever recorded. That’s about 1 death every 11 minutes.

• Attempts: More than 12 million adults reported serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, and about 1.6 million attempts were documented.

• Gender:

  • Men die by suicide nearly 4 times more often than women.

  • Women, however, are more likely to attempt suicide than men.

• Race/Ethnicity:

  • White Americans account for the largest number of suicide deaths overall.

  • Native American/Alaska Native communities have the highest suicide rate per capita, especially among youth and young adults.

  • Suicide rates among Black Americans and Hispanic/Latino populations have been rising in recent years, showing concerning trends.

• Age: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10–34 in the U.S.

Behind each number is a life, a story, and loved ones left behind. These statistics remind us that awareness, prevention, and compassionate support are urgent and necessary.

What Goes Unreported

While official numbers give us a snapshot, they don’t tell the whole story. Suicide is often underreported for several reasons:

• Stigma and Shame: Families and communities sometimes report a suicide as an “accident” or “undetermined cause” because of cultural, religious, or personal stigma.

• Medical Coding: Coroners or medical examiners may rule deaths as accidental overdoses, car crashes, or other causes, even if suicide was likely.

• Cultural Barriers: In some communities, mental health struggles aren’t openly discussed, making both attempts and deaths less likely to be documented accurately.

• Non-Fatal Attempts: For every death, there are many more attempts that never make it into official statistics, especially if someone doesn’t seek medical care.

Experts believe the true number of suicide deaths and attempts is significantly higher than reported. This makes prevention efforts even more urgent—because behind every statistic are countless untold stories.

The single Chronicles Poems by Telle WIld Rose

 🌹 Introducing My New Book: The Single Chronicles Poems 🌹

I am so excited to finally share my newest work with you—The Single Chronicles Poems, a collection straight from the deepest parts of my journey with singleness.

This book is more than just poetry—it’s my heart on paper. It walks through the stages of grief as they are experienced in singleness: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and ultimately, acceptance. Each stage carries its own raw honesty, tears, questions, and breakthroughs.

For me, singleness has not been a simple season to endure, but a battle to wrestle with, a cross to carry, and ultimately, a gift to surrender to God. These poems reflect the struggle of longing, the ache of loneliness, and the freedom I’ve discovered in finding my wholeness in Him alone.

💔 When I felt invisible, I wrote.
🔥 When I wrestled with anger, I wrote.
🙏 When I bargained, broke, and finally surrendered, I wrote.

And now, I am offering these words to you.

Whether you are single, waiting, widowed, divorced, or simply walking through your own season of unmet expectations, my prayer is that these poems will speak to your soul and remind you that you are not alone. There is beauty even here. There is purpose even in this season. And most of all—there is a God who sees, loves, and holds you in every stage.

✨ The Single Chronicles Poems is for anyone who has ever felt the weight of loneliness and wondered if God still writes beautiful stories with broken pieces.

📖 I invite you to read, reflect, and maybe even find your own heart tucked inside these verses.

With love & grace,
Telle Wild Rose

September 1, 2025 

Free Download: DOWNLOAD

poem scripture companions: DOWNLOAD

they sit they wait they watch: caged bird

They sit, they wait, they watch: caged bird by telle wild rose ©️ 2025

They sit, they wait, they watch

But she never opens her mouth to sing. 

Their eyes have a look of knowing and yet…

They sit, they wait, they watch

But she never allows herself to dream. 

The catcher clipped her wings to fly, help! Yet…

They sit, they wait, they watch

as he steals everything of her being. 

Innocence stolen, future dies. Yet,

They sit, they wait, they watch

But she never opens her mouth to sing. 

Ears dull of hearing, eyes blind to seeing,

They turn away from her pain of yesteryear, and

They sit, they wait, they watch,

But she never opens her mouth to sing. 

Sitting, waiting and watching for something,

Perhaps HER to conform and fall in line, but, still,

They sit, they sit, they watch,

But she never opens her mouth to sing. 

Psalm 41:9 ESV

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

Psalm 42:10-11

New International Version

10 My bones suffer mortal agony

    as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

Encouragement:

Your voice is not unheard. Your broken heart is not silenced here nor unseen, I see you bleeding and so does the Father. He's the only that can heal the hurts. Turn to The God who heals you. Call upon His name. 

 

Free falling poem by telle wild rose

 

Free falling
By telle wild rose ©️
2025

Free falling

Falling,
I'm falling deeper
Love,
Love is calling my name
Affection,
Swells in my heart, it whispers, he's a keeper
Humility,
This is no place for pride or for shame
Name,
I have a new name.
Known,
He knows me fully and calls me His own
Justified,
I stand in right standing, if it's all the same.
Cherished,
I'm the apple of His eye, in Him I'm home.
Pieces,
Broken pieces put together again
End,
Old life is gone, new life can begin.
Sing,
The song of my heart praise Him again and again.
Safe,
And sound and saved, no loss just gain.
Bad,
I've got it bad for this God, no lie
Stutter,
My heart flutters and skips a beat, I'm gone
Action,
He beckons me forward to die
Die,
To self, blessed is the man who finds life in Him alone.
Eternity,
Starts now in the every day choices
Mortal,
I am no longer
Immortal,
My spirit and soul, body to catch up, she rejoices
Glory,
I can go on n on, this love, I'm a goner.
falling,
I'm falling deeper.
Love,
Love is calling my name.

Psalm 86:12: "I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."
Psalm 138:1: "I will praise you, Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to you."
Psalm 9:1: "I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done."
Isaiah 43:1
King James Version
43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

encouragement: so you've tried and failed at love, it escapes you, love unreturned, or given to the wrong one? then try jesus! fall in love with Him, he'll never break your heart, He'll never cheat on you, He is for YOU.

falling deeper

Telle wild rose ©️ 2025

The itch underneath my skin, scratching,

Crawling, searching for something. 

My drug is of a different sort but just as deadly,

I've been turning to it a lot lately. 

Done fighting the urge

To dig into the flesh and sin purge.

Brought down to my knees, low

But not for worship, but reaping what I sow. 

Angels and demons battle over my shoulder,

See now this thing she thinks to do, nothing shall withold her. 

Watching, waiting aimlessly around

The darkness is finally gaining ground

Photo by maten newhall unsplash

John 1:5

King James Version

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Encouragent: when you feel like giving in, don't. Hold on, your redemption draws near. 

Don't let me, let go by Telle Wild Rose

 

Photo by Mayank Dhanawade on unsplash 

Don't let me, let go a Poem by Telle Wild Rose 2025 ©

Theme song: thebandred "shadows" 

these thoughts consume me,

threaten to overtake me.

they force my hand,

ill try to hold on if i can.

cut everyone off, no one loves you,

honeyed lies they whisper, sound so sweet too.

just let go, release, 

no one will care, be free.

isolate, dungeon,

down here no friends, just demons, a legion.

i cant save me,

i cant save them either you see.

too weak to fight

something is not right,

darkenss take ahold,

i must do all of what im told 

i smile and pretend, 

no one suspects this is my end.

this is where i die, and the evil takes over,

quickly now, run for cover.

shadows choke the scream,

pain killed a dying dream.

blind and deaf,

a small taste of the shadow of death.

help me, im drowing,

please, the torment is too much, im dying.

bleed the red, go on,

break the skin, we've already won.

hate, a kind of passion,

we see you still havent learned your lesson.

wait, stop, dont go,

were just getting started with the show.

falling, fading fast,

is it over? how long will this last?

calling all saints for help, a sister to keep,

the dragon has arrived, he keeps me in his heap. 

a useless treasure,

no value to measure.

how did i ever dare for dreams?

a better life? everything and yet nothing, is as it seems.

Scripture: Psalm 23:4 ESV / 43 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Encouragement: if you're feeling alone, unloved, rejected or the enemy is lying to you about it all, just Know God has loved you with an everlasting love, that no evil can overtake you, HE is always near.