How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
Heal
Dealing with psychological challenges and sustaining body and mind in the face of adversity
Guides
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How to understand and cope with mood swings
Sudden mood changes can be unsettling, but getting to know them will help you regain balance and, if needed, find support
by Zindel Segal & Norman Farb
Instead of wrestling with self-defeating thoughts, try this
When your own thoughts discourage and undermine you, it’s easy to get tangled. A change of strategy could get you past it
by Joe Oliver & Kristy Potter
Popular
What if your worry problem is really a planning problem?
Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety
by Paul B Sharp
Instead of wrestling with self-defeating thoughts, try this
When your own thoughts discourage and undermine you, it’s easy to get tangled. A change of strategy could get you past it
by Joe Oliver & Kristy Potter
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently
They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them
by Klára Hanáková
How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
The shame felt in addiction often isn’t toxic – it’s healing
The push to take shame out of recovery is well-meaning. But it overlooks the power this emotion has to motivate change
by Owen Flanagan
In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?
A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress
by Nicholas Van Dam
Popular
View allWhat if your worry problem is really a planning problem?
Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety
by Paul B Sharp
Instead of wrestling with self-defeating thoughts, try this
When your own thoughts discourage and undermine you, it’s easy to get tangled. A change of strategy could get you past it
by Joe Oliver & Kristy Potter
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently
They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them
by Klára Hanáková
Videos
View all
Lonely in London, a filmmaker sets out to make a new friend
Sent to boarding school, a boy conjures up a friend to soothe his distress
How small creatures helped James connect with the human-scale world
Why Darius is testing mind and body to run 100 miles in the cold
Fixating on her body, a woman grapples with strange distortions of the self
What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like? Inside one firefighter’s journey
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
The shame felt in addiction often isn’t toxic – it’s healing
The push to take shame out of recovery is well-meaning. But it overlooks the power this emotion has to motivate change
by Owen Flanagan
What if your worry problem is really a planning problem?
Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety
by Paul B Sharp
In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?
A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress
by Nicholas Van Dam
The loss remains, so why does intense grief usually fade?
Grief’s ‘double vision’ beholds both the bereaved and dead. Recognising this duality helps explain our ability to move on
by Berislav Marušić
Think someone should see a therapist? Here’s how to bring it up
Your suggestion could be invaluable, and it doesn’t need to be perfect. These steps will help you get a caring message across
by Kathryn Gordon
Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning
As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men
by Tom Wooldridge
How to support someone with depression
Being there for someone can be challenging. A clinical psychologist shares what to say and do to help them feel less alone
by Emma Cotterill
If you think you are ‘just not a math person’ then think again
Understanding how mathematics anxiety takes root points to ways to overcome it, opening up new opportunities and pastimes
by Nathan T T Lau & H Moriah Sokolowski
Feeling nothing can be as devastating as feeling too much
Emotional ‘emptiness’ is a damaging, underexplored phenomenon. Better understanding it could help steer people to fulfilment
by Christopher J Hopwood
Late autism diagnosis: it’s a relief, but who’s behind the mask?
By the time an adult learns they’re autistic, they have often been covering up for years. A period of self-discovery awaits
by Leonie Mercedes
If you hear voices, here are some empowering ways to respond
Hearing voices isn’t always a problem – but if they’re stressful or frightening, it is possible to regain a sense of control
by Mark Hayward
What a psychiatric diagnosis means – and what it doesn’t mean
With stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health, it’s vital to know the benefits and limits of a formal diagnosis
by Awais Aftab
Avoiding sadness can backfire, here’s how to turn towards it
Everyone has stretches of sadness. Shifting how you think about and relate to sad feelings could help you through these times
by Beth Kurland
How to sleep when you’re a perfectionist
As a high achiever, your problem-solving skills can backfire at night. You need a different way to beat insomnia
by Nick Wignall
How to recover from burnout
Feeling worn down, checked out, or bitter about work? The answer is not to ‘just work harder’. Try these steps instead
by Debbie Sorensen