JARGON BUSTER: A - B

A

ABROSEXUAL. Refers to an individual whose sexuality is fluid and fluctuates between different sexualities. This can include changes in both sexual and romantic orientation.

ADP ADULT DISABILITY PAYMENTS is a non means tested benefit for people in Scotland who have a disability or long-term health condition

ADVANCE STATEMENT. An advance statement lets staff know how you want to be treated if you are unable to make decision for yourself.

ADVOCATE. A trained volunteer or professional, who assists a person to have their thoughts, feelings and wishes heard in meetings and where decisions are made about the person’s care.

A-GENDER Not having a gender or a “lack of” a gender. A-gender people see themselves as neither a man nor a woman, or both. They’re gender-neutral and often are described as gender-free or genderless" according to GenderGP.

ALLY (or ALLIES) Usually a straight and/or non-trans person who supports the LGBTQ+ community.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES This refers to therapies which people use as an alternative to Western Medicine such as Herbal Medicine

AMHP. APPROVED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS are specially trained professionals who assess people to see if they need to be taken into a hospital for treatment of their poor mental health. They will assess the persons capacity to understand and make informed choices. You can be detained in hospital if your own health or safety are at risk, or to protect other people. They work with carers and relatives and the individual concerned to look at the least restrictive way of supporting the person. To be assessed when detention in hospital is being considered, there Should be at least an AMHP, a doctor and where possible another trained professional. Decisions are not made by one individual but are agreed upon by those involved assessment. (See – “Section”)

APPROVED SOCIAL WORKER is an old role that has been replaced by the Approved Mental Health Professional.

ASPD ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER describes an ingrained pattern of behaviour in which individuals consistently disregard the rights of others around them and have little regard for boundaries or rules. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder may behave aggressively, recklessly, or impulsively, often with little regard for the wants and needs of others. The symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity, and consequences can include imprisonment, high risk of drug abuse, alcoholism, and a higher risk of dying young.

A-ROMANTIC A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others.

ASCH CONFORMITY STUDIES The Asch conformity experiments were a series of psychological experiments conducted by Solomon Asch in the 1950s. The experiments revealed the degree to which a person's own opinions are influenced by those of a group. Asch found that people were willing to ignore reality and give an incorrect answer in order to conform to the rest of the group.

ASEXUAL A person who doesn't feel sexual attraction.

ASYLUM the protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country as a political refugee.

ASYLUM SEEKER Refers to an individual who travels to a different state to seek Asylum

ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE A none means tested benefit for people above state retirement age who need extra care due to disability or ill health

ATTORNEY An attorney is someone that you appoint to make decisions on your behalf. They can make decisions about your welfare, money and housing.

AvPD - AVOIDANT PERSONALITY DISORDER

AWOL ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE - leaving a hospital ward for any amount of time without permission from the hospital.

B

BI-ERASURE. The erasure, either deliberate or incidental, of bisexual identities, lives, and experiences. GLAAD defines it as: "a pervasive problem in which the existence or legitimacy of bisexuality (either in general or in regard to an individual) is questioned or denied outright.”

BI-GENDER Having more than one gender, generally fluctuating between two gender identities", according to GenderGP.

BI-PHOBIA The fear or dislike of a person who identifies as (or is perceived to be) bisexual based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs, or views about bi people.

BP BIPOLAR. or bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. These include emotional highs, also known as mania or hypomania, and lows, also known as depression. Hypomania is less extreme than mania.

• BIPOLAR I DISORDER. For this to be diagnosed a person must have had at least one manic episode that may come before or after hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In some cases, mania may cause a break from reality. This is called psychosis

• BIPOLAR II DISORDER Could be diagnosed when the individual has at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode but has never had a manic episode.

• CYCLOTHYMIA. A diagnosis could be given if the person has had at least two years, (or one year in children and teenagers) of many periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms. These symptoms are less severe than major depression.

BISEXUAL (or bi) An umbrella term that describes an emotional, romantic and/or sexual orientation towards more than one gender.

BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT The Bobo Doll Experiment was a study by Albert Bandura to investigate if social behaviours can be learned by observing others in the action. According to behaviourists, learning occurs only when a behaviour results in rewards or punishment. However, Bandura didn't believe the framework of rewards and punishments adequately explained many aspects of everyday human behaviour. Bobo Dolls are large inflatable clowns shaped like a bowling ball, so they roll upward if punched or knocked down. Badura used a five-foot Bobo doll. He took a group of children who were then split into three groups, the first group see an adult modelling aggressive behaviour, the second group who see an adult model nonaggressive behaviour and a third control group who see an adult not modelling any behaviour.

BPD. BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER. Is a specific type of mood disorder that affects how the person interacts with others. It's the most considered to be the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder. In general, someone with a personality disorder will differ significantly from an average person in terms of how he or she thinks, perceives, feels, or relates to others and their situation.

BUTCH. “Butch”. is a term used in LBT culture to describe someone who expresses themselves in a typically masculine way. Please Note - There are other identities within the scope of butch, such as ‘soft butch’ and ‘stone butch’. You shouldn’t use these terms about someone unless you know they identify with them.