Neurodiversity
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Living without mental imagery may shield against trauma’s impact
Discovering that I’m aphantasic helped me understand my response to being assaulted and why I wasn’t debilitated by PTSD
by J B Smith
Death and dying
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It’s not foolish to foster hope in the face of illness and death
As a great loss loomed, I feared straying too far from the hard truth. But I learned to distinguish denial from hope
by Christiana Boules
Sadness and sorrow
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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
Civic life
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Bureaucracy and other civic bullshit can be good for us
No one enjoys waiting in stuffy buildings or on congested roadways, but there’s an upside to our fellowship of frustration
by Joel Cox
Bipolar disorder
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Our internal clocks could be key for preserving mental health
Circadian rhythms often seem ‘out of time’ in bipolar disorder. Scientists are exploring what goes wrong and how to help
by Jacob Crouse
Emotion regulation
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If feelings for an ex are troubling you, try ‘opposite action’
Acting on misguided feelings of love only fuels the emotional fire. Learn to let the fire burn out with these DBT-based tips
by Kiki Fehling
Parenting and families
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Radical love: how my trans child changed my identity as a mother
My child grew into a new version of himself – as all children do – and I wondered about my new role. Anger helped me grasp it
by Patricia Martin
Memory and nostalgia
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It’s not just youth’s happy memories that have a special weight
Mixed in with the highly memorable rites of growing up are more troubling highlights. But these, too, can have enduring value
by Çağlayan Özdemir, Michelle D Leichtman & David B Pillemer
Nature and the environment
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Rewilding attachment theory by recognising Earth as a caregiver
We are raised by people, but we are also raised by the Earth – here’s what that means for our emotional development
by Vanessa Chakour
Grief
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Why do so many of us blame ourselves after a loved one’s death?
After losing my father, I felt the guilt and regret that burden many other bereaved people – and found a way to carry them
by Delaney Rebernik
Brain injury and dementia
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Dementia is not a death. For some, it marks a new beginning
Advocates are reframing the syndrome as a different way of being – one in which potential for growth and connection endures
by Isabel Sutton
Eating disorders
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Learning to cook taught me that self-care isn’t selfish
In healing my relationship with food and cooking, I saw how caring for myself was the first step toward caring for others
by Céline Leboeuf