Key Terms
Concise definitions for terms used throughout this guide
The following definitions are provided for quick reference. Full context for each appears in the relevant section of the guide.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
An evidence-based therapeutic model built around accepting difficult internal experiences while committing to value-aligned action, rather than requiring those experiences to disappear first. Cognitive defusion is one of its core techniques.
Anhedonia
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities previously found enjoyable. A core diagnostic marker of clinical depression, distinct from ordinary low mood.
Cognitive Defusion
A technique from ACT involving creating psychological distance from a thought — treating it as an observed mental event rather than a literal fact — without needing to eliminate or argue with it.
Identity-Based Habit
A habit framed around a stable self-characteristic ("I am someone who...") rather than a goal requiring active motivation each time, associated with greater durability than goal-based framing.
Oxytocin
A hormone released in response to physical touch and social bonding, associated with measurable cardiovascular effects including lower blood pressure and heart rate.