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Disorders and difficulties

Two women painting together at a table. The one in the foreground is older, wears glasses and is focused on her brushstroke.

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

A person cooks mushrooms in a pan on a stove with pasta in a colander and various ingredients spread on the kitchen counter.

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

Two people sit at a table with coffee cups, near a window overlooking a rainy scene with parked cars and trees in the background.

Worry and rumination

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Rehashing your problems with friends can turn into a bad habit

Although ‘co-rumination’ bolsters relationships in some ways, it also distracts from other, better coping methods

by Shayla Love

A double exposure image of a person using a smartphone overlaid with a bustling city street scene with cars and tall buildings.

Technology and media

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What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal

‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too

by Angela Chen

Shattered glass fragments scattered on a grey surface with a blurred background. Some pieces are mid-air, capturing the moment of a glass object crashing and breaking. The image portrays motion and impact.

Grief

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Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass

The five stages describe a grief that’s knowable and controlled. An accident in my kitchen helped me find a truer metaphor

by Joshua Thomas

Two office workers, one standing and reviewing papers, the other seated and smoking, in a 1970s-style office with a telephone and stacks of paperwork.

Personality disorders

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Popular views of narcissism are distorted and too pessimistic

As therapists, we’ve treated people with narcissistic personality disorder. We have a more hopeful story to tell about them

by Giancarlo Dimaggio & Igor Weinberg

Painting of a heron perched on a branch against a gold background. The bird is depicted in fine detail with white feathers and a green beak, while the branch is rendered in dark, bold strokes. Traditional Asian calligraphy with red seals is present in the lower right corner.

Difficult emotions

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What to do when you’re feeling upset about being disliked

It’s an unavoidable part of life. Here are some tried and tested ways to get more comfortable with someone not liking you

by Ahona Guha

A woman with long blonde hair and a striped blue and yellow jumper takes a selfie, smiling broadly. Behind her, a living room is visible with a large potted plant, a grey couch, and wall shelves with small plants and decor items. A clock is fixed on the wall in the background.

Emotions

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What makes ‘toxic positivity’ different from a healthy attitude

Influencers and self-help gurus are preaching a form of positive psychology that risks doing more harm than good

by Lucas Dixon

Three people wearing bathing suits and felt hats sit on a wooden bench in a sauna. The sauna is filled with steam, making the ambience hazy. The woman on the left is holding a bundle of twigs, likely for traditional sauna rituals. The mood appears relaxed and warm within the wooden interior.

The body and physical health

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You are your body: here’s how to feel more at home in it

Just because you live in a body, doesn’t mean you feel at one with it. Embodiment psychology can help you reconnect

by Elna Schütz

Person spreading strawberry jam on a piece of toast with a spoon in a kitchen setting, with a microwave and wooden countertop in the background.

Eating disorders

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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

A woman sits at a cafe at night with a beer and a cigarette

Addiction

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You can want things you don’t like and like things you don’t want

The distinct neurochemistry of wanting and liking is helping to make sense of addiction – and more everyday behaviours

by Shayla Love

a frightened child whose face is partially obscured peers down from by a play area structure

Trauma and PTSD

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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