How to be resilient
Life is unpredictable. Brace yourself with a suite of coping mechanisms, internal and external, then deploy them flexibly
by Selda Koydemir
Trauma and PTSD
How to heal through life writing
Learning to write about trauma helps you to process the painful experience, and gives you the life skills to overcome it
by Uddipana Goswami
How to deal with bullying from your past
The effects of being bullied can linger for decades, but it’s never too late to heal and reclaim your place in the world
by Stacee Reicherzer
More than survival
I suffered from PTSD for 10 years without knowing it. Psychodynamic therapy set me free
by Lucia Osborne-Crowley
Trees don’t rush to heal from trauma and neither should we
Trees teach us that healing from trauma involves balancing short-term protection with the slower process of adaptation
by Beronda Montgomery
Maladaptive daydreaming made me feel trapped in my own mind
Extended daydreams were a much-needed escape, but turned into a compulsion that crowded out my waking activities
by Zainab Al-Hassani
What the distinctive brains of resilient people can teach us
Resilient people have brains that are distinct in their structure and function, providing clues for how to build resilience
by Laura Moreno-López
Trauma unmakes the world of the self. Can stories repair it?
Trauma needn’t be medicalised or replaced with reckless optimism. It can be a catalyst for better stories about ourselves
by Anna Gotlib
How to calm your nightmares
Whether bad dreams stir you awake occasionally or routinely, these pre- and post-nightmare strategies can help alleviate them
by Katy Jakle
A broad definition of trauma is useful; an open-ended one isn’t
Trauma encompasses a variety of experiences and manifests in many ways. But there are risks to stretching the concept too far
by Ahona Guha
In the cinema, my father’s unspeakable childhood finally surfaced
Not too distant and not to close: how rituals help us process trauma, and why watching Anna Karenina helped heal my father
by Christiana Spens
The shadows cast by childhood abuse and neglect are not the same
Unravelling the pathways from different forms of childhood maltreatment to mental illness could lead to better treatments
by Anne Alkema & Marco Boks
Psychosis can be a personal hell. It can also inspire growth
From a new sense of purpose to improved relationships, there are hopeful signs of post-traumatic growth after psychosis
by Gerald Jordan, Robyn Thomas & Veenu Gupta
The important link between eating disorders and past trauma
For someone who’s endured trauma, an eating disorder might be one of the aftereffects. That should inform their recovery
by Giulia Suro
Why psychological research on child sex offenders is important
‘I am not one of those guys.’ The cognitive distortions of child sex offenders need to be better understood and treated
by Meetali Devgun
History teachers are no longer just educators but trauma specialists
History teachers practise on the frontlines of trauma and memory, always at risk of triggering violence and pain
by Nena Močnik