Difficult emotions
Emotion regulation
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The psychology of impatience could make waiting more tolerable
New studies on the experience of impatience suggest there’s more to it than simply how long you’ve been left hanging
by Matt Huston
Trauma and PTSD
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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
Memoir
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What I learned about coping and resilience from asteroid Bennu
After hitting an emotional low, I found myself identifying with an asteroid that looks deceptively solid on the outside
by Elizabeth Landau
Memory and nostalgia
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You can feel nostalgia for things that you haven’t yet lost
Nostalgia is a longing for the past, but psychologists are coming to realise it can focus on the future too
by Shayla Love
Trauma and PTSD
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Many refugees carry a distinct type of trauma: ‘moral injury’
Trauma is usually fear-based, but refugees are also burdened by witnessing moral violations and their own ethical dilemmas
by Angela Nickerson & Philippa Specker
Personality disorders
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People with BPD need compassion yet even clinicians stigmatise them
Both clinicians and laypeople misunderstand and stigmatise borderline personality disorder. Those who have it deserve better
by Sara Rose Masland & Hannah E A Peeples
Worry and rumination
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Stuck in a loop of worrying thoughts? Here’s how to stop it
Dwelling on your difficulties might feel like problem-solving, but it can be pernicious. There are tools to stop the habit
by Megan L Rogers
Emotion regulation
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Heartbreak is more than a metaphor. Are you at risk?
Heartbreak is more than a metaphor, but not everyone is at risk. Why does it kill some and spare others?
by Sian Harding
Laughter and comedy
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A sense of humour – even a dark one – is a moral virtue
A sense of humour is a moral virtue that can help people flourish, even in dire conditions that are conducive to unhappiness
by Mark Alfano & Mandi Astola
Grief
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There is consolation in a philosophical approach to grief
Grief feels bad, but that doesn’t mean we’d be better without it. By highlighting what we value, it can help us adapt to loss
by Michael Cholbi
Emotions
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What makes hate a unique emotion – and why that matters
How does hating someone compare with anger, contempt or disgust? A clearer picture of what makes it unique is emerging
by Cristhian A Martínez
Trauma and PTSD
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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