L'anglais en consultation de santé mentale : anxiété, insomnie, stress et humeur basse

L'anglais en consultation de santé mentale : anxiété, insomnie, stress et humeur basse

Parler de son sommeil, de son humeur, ou dire que l'on se sent nerveux sans raison claire est difficile dans n'importe quelle langue, et le vocabulaire anglais de la santé mentale contient des nuances fines (feeling down vs. depressed, anxious vs. nervous). Un petit choix de mot peut changer ce que le clinicien comprend. Cet article ne porte pas sur l'autodiagnostic — il s'agit de décrire ce que vous ressentez avec assez de clarté pour qu'un professionnel puisse partir de là où vous en êtes.

Cet article enseigne la communication en anglais dans des situations de santé. Il ne s'agit ni d'un diagnostic ni d'un avis de traitement médical.

Si vous avez des pensées d'automutilation ou de suicide, ou si vous ne vous sentez pas en sécurité, contactez immédiatement les services d'urgence locaux ou une ligne d'écoute en cas de crise. Aux États-Unis, vous pouvez appeler ou envoyer un SMS au 988. En France, vous pouvez appeler le 3114. Dans d'autres pays, recherchez « ligne de crise + nom de votre pays » pour trouver les ressources locales.

Vocabulaire de base

Term Meaning Example
feeling down low mood I've been feeling down for a few weeks.
anxious nervous, worried I've been feeling anxious for no clear reason.
stressed out under heavy pressure I've been really stressed out at work.
overwhelmed unable to cope I feel overwhelmed most days.
irritable easily annoyed I've been more irritable than usual.
trouble sleeping difficulty sleeping I've been having trouble sleeping.
insomnia persistent sleeplessness My doctor said it sounds like insomnia.
panic attack sudden episode of panic I think I had a panic attack last week.
racing thoughts uncontrolled, fast thoughts At night my thoughts start racing.
low energy / fatigue tired, drained I have low energy even after sleeping.
appetite changes eating more or less than usual I've had appetite changes — eating less.
concentration ability to focus My concentration has been off.

Phrases incontournables

Ces tournures sont naturelles, sans exagération ni étiquetage, et les cliniciens ont l'habitude de les entendre.

  1. "I've been feeling down for the past [weeks / months]."
  2. "I've been feeling more anxious than usual."
  3. "I've been having trouble sleeping."
  4. "I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep."
  5. "I'm under a lot of stress right now."
  6. "I've been feeling overwhelmed at work / with school."
  7. "I'm having a hard time concentrating."
  8. "I don't have much energy these days."
  9. "I'm not enjoying things I usually enjoy."
  10. "I think I had a panic attack — my heart was racing and I couldn't catch my breath."
  11. "I'd like to talk to someone about this."
  12. "Could you help me figure out what's going on?"
  13. "I'm not sure how to describe it, but something feels off."

Tournures maladroites vs. naturelles

Awkward Natural Why
I am very depressed. I've been feeling down lately. "Depressed" is a diagnostic word — leave that to the clinician. "Feeling down" is descriptive.
My heart is sick. I've been feeling really low / anxious / not myself. A literal "sick heart" is confusing — describe the feeling instead.
I cannot sleep totally. I've been having trouble sleeping. "Totally" doesn't fit here. "Trouble sleeping" is a fixed phrase.
Every day I crazy. I've been feeling overwhelmed every day. "Crazy" can sound dismissive; "overwhelmed" is neutral.
I have stress. I'm under a lot of stress. / I'm stressed out. "Have stress" isn't a natural collocation.
My head is too full. My mind has been racing. / I can't shut my brain off. A literal translation sounds off; "mind racing" is natural.
I lose interest all things. I'm not enjoying things I usually enjoy. A literal phrasing isn't idiomatic; "not enjoying things" is common.

Dialogue en situation : parler à un médecin généraliste du sommeil et de l'humeur

Doctor: What brings you in today?

You: I've been having trouble sleeping for about six weeks, and I've been feeling more down than usual. I thought I should talk to someone about it.

Doctor: Tell me more about the sleep — is it falling asleep, staying asleep, or both?

You: Mostly staying asleep. I fall asleep okay, but I wake up around 3 a.m. and can't go back to sleep. My mind starts racing.

Doctor: And how about your mood and energy during the day?

You: Low energy. I'm not enjoying things I usually enjoy, and I get irritable easily. Concentration at work has been off.

Doctor: Any thoughts of harming yourself, or thoughts that life isn't worth living?

You: No, nothing like that. I just feel really worn out and stuck.

Doctor: Thanks for telling me. We can look at a few things together — sleep habits, stress, and whether talking to a counselor or trying medication would help.

You: Could you tell me a bit about each option, so I can decide what feels right?

Modèles de phrases interchangeables

Remplacez [BLANK] par votre situation.

  1. "I've been feeling [BLANK] for the past [BLANK]."
    • feeling down for the past two months
    • feeling anxious for the past three weeks
  2. "I've been having trouble [BLANK]."
    • sleeping
    • concentrating
    • getting out of bed in the morning
  3. "I'm under a lot of stress because of [BLANK]."
    • my job
    • school deadlines
    • a family situation
  4. "I'd like help with [BLANK]."
    • my sleep
    • the anxiety
    • figuring out what's going on
  5. "I'm not comfortable with [BLANK]; could we try something else?"
    • taking medication right away
    • waiting and seeing
  6. "Could you explain [BLANK] in simple words?"
    • what this medication does
    • the side effects
    • what therapy looks like

Entraînement rapide

Dites chacune des phrases suivantes en anglais naturel.

  1. Dites au médecin que vous avez des troubles du sommeil depuis environ deux mois.
  2. Dites que vous vous sentez plus anxieux que d'habitude, sans raison claire.
  3. Expliquez que le stress au travail devient trop lourd.
  4. Dites que vous aimeriez en parler à quelqu'un.
  5. Demandez au médecin d'expliquer un médicament en mots simples.

Exemples de réponses

  1. I've been having trouble sleeping for about two months.
  2. I've been feeling more anxious than usual for no clear reason.
  3. I'm feeling overwhelmed by stress at work.
  4. I'd like to talk to someone about this.
  5. Could you explain this medication in simple words?

Fiche de synthèse prête à copier

Remplissez-la avant la consultation. Les rendez-vous de santé mentale peuvent être courts ; tout écrire à l'avance rend les choses beaucoup plus claires.

Mental-health visit summary
- Main reason for the visit: __________
- How long it's been going on: __________ (weeks / months)
- Mood (most days): low / okay / good / mixed
- Energy level: low / normal / high
- Sleep: trouble falling asleep / waking up at night / waking up too early / oversleeping
- Appetite: less than usual / more than usual / unchanged
- Concentration: poor / okay / fine
- Stress sources: work / school / family / health / finances / other: __________
- Anxiety / panic episodes: yes / no — how often: __________
- Things I used to enjoy and don't right now: __________
- Any thoughts of harming myself: yes / no  (if yes, see crisis-line note above)
- What I'd like from this visit: just talk / explore therapy / discuss medication / referral
- Current medications: __________
- Drug allergies: __________

Lectures complémentaires

Rappel : Cet article enseigne la communication en anglais dans des situations de santé. Il ne s'agit ni d'un diagnostic ni d'un avis de traitement médical. Si vous avez des pensées d'automutilation ou si vous ne vous sentez pas en sécurité, contactez immédiatement les services d'urgence locaux ou une ligne d'écoute en cas de crise — la plupart des pays disposent d'une ligne gratuite 24 h/24.