mental instability
Mind's precarious state
Mental instability describes a state where someone's psychological functioning is unreliable or unpredictable—mood swings, erratic behavior, difficulty coping with ordinary stresses.
The term is informal and imprecise, often applied loosely to anyone behaving irrationally: His mental instability made him a liability at work.
Clinical contexts prefer specific diagnoses over this catch-all phrase.
- delusionsFirmly held false beliefs
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- racing thoughtsRapid uncontrollable mental activity
- on edgeTense and anxious
- impulsivityActing without considering consequences
hallucinations · isolation · confusion · depression · aggression · intrusive thoughts · dark thoughts · self-harm · disorientation · mood swings · paranoia · mistrust · memory loss · losing grip · nervous breakdown · falling apart · irritability · substance abuse
- criminal defensesinsanity plea, insanity defense, legal insanity, diminished capacity, irresistible impulse
- Victorian Hysteriafemale hysteria, hysteric, madwoman, neurasthenia, nervous disorder
mental instabilityemotional stability
Resilient, even-keeled temperament
sanity · equanimity · emotional balance · level-headedness · composure
mental instabilitymental health
Emotional and cognitive well-being
psychological health · mental wellness · psychological well-being · mental fitness · cognitive health
mental instabilitymental health
Emotional and cognitive well-being
sound mind · sanity · mental wellness · psychological health · stability
mental, mentally, mentality, instability, unstable, stable, stability, stabilize, stabilizer