The Mental Health & Behavioral Treatment Glossary is a plain-language A–Z guide to the terms you may encounter in outpatient mental health and substance use care. Each entry defines a term clearly, explains how it works, and links to relevant DeSoto Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health (DMHBH) services for people in DeSoto and Charlotte County, Florida.
Use this glossary to understand a diagnosis, a therapy, or a level of care before your first appointment. To explore treatment directly, visit our intensive outpatient program, outpatient psychiatric services, conditions we treat, and co-occurring care pages, or contact our team. The information here is educational and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified provider.
Showing 17 terms
Detoxification (detox) is the supervised process of safely clearing alcohol or drugs from the body while managing withdrawal symptoms. Medical detox uses clinical monitoring and, when needed, medication to keep a person stable and comfortable as their body adjusts to being substance-free.
View termDialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps people regulate intense emotions, tolerate distress, and improve relationships. It combines individual therapy with skills training across four areas—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—to reduce harmful, impulsive behaviors.
View termDissociation is a mental process in which a person feels disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, surroundings, or sense of identity. It can range from brief, everyday spacing out to more persistent experiences often linked to stress or trauma.
View termDual diagnosis, also called co-occurring disorders, is when a person has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time. The two conditions can influence each other, so the most effective care treats them together rather than separately.
View termAn intensive outpatient program (IOP) is a structured form of mental health and addiction treatment that provides several hours of therapy a few days each week—typically 9 or more hours over 3 to 5 days—while you continue living at home. An IOP offers more support than weekly therapy but less than inpatient or residential care.
View termInvoluntary commitment is a legal process that allows a person to be held for emergency psychiatric evaluation and stabilization—without their consent—when a mental health or substance use condition makes them a danger to themselves or others, or unable to care for their basic needs.
View termMedication management is the ongoing process in which a qualified prescriber evaluates your symptoms, prescribes psychiatric medication when appropriate, monitors how it works, manages side effects, and adjusts the dose or medication over a series of follow-up visits to support your mental health.
View termMedication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based approach that combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapy to treat substance use disorders, most often opioid use disorder. The medication eases cravings and withdrawal so a person can focus on recovery.
View termA mental health screening is a brief, standardized questionnaire—such as the PHQ-9 for depression or GAD-7 for anxiety—used to quickly flag possible mental health concerns and signal whether a fuller evaluation may be helpful. A screening is a first step, not a diagnosis.
View termA partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a structured, day-treatment level of mental health and addiction care that provides several hours of therapy most days of the week—typically five to six hours a day, five days a week—while you return home each evening.
View termA psychiatric evaluation is a structured clinical assessment in which a mental health provider gathers your personal and medical history, reviews your symptoms, performs a mental status exam, and uses that information to reach a diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan.
View termSomatic therapy is a body-based approach to mental health treatment that uses physical awareness—such as noticing sensations, breath, and movement—to help people process and release stored trauma and stress. Rather than focusing only on thoughts, it works with the connection between the body and the nervous system to support healing.
View termSuicidal ideation refers to thinking about, considering, or planning suicide. It ranges from passive thoughts—such as wishing you were no longer alive—to active thoughts that involve intent or a plan. All suicidal thoughts deserve compassionate, prompt attention.
View termOur team can help you understand the right level of care for you or a loved one.