Therapies and practical advice
Emotion regulation
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The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul
Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described
by István Darabán
Psychoanalysis and the unconscious
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Dark feelings will haunt us until they are expressed in words
Continued mental growth requires dealing with alexithymia, or the inability to express emotions through words or images
by Tom Wooldridge
Stigma and taboo
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Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress
The ‘chemical imbalance’ trope is appealing but dehumanising, and has heightened stigma towards people with mental illness
by Joseph E Davis
History and philosophy of mental health
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For Donald Winnicott, the psyche is not inside us but between us
For Donald Winnicott, your psyche isn’t just in your head – it emerges from your relationships with others and the world
by James Barnes
Stories and literature
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Reading books is not just a pleasure: it helps our minds to heal
Through my own struggles and in teaching bibliotherapy to students, I know that books can help to heal minds and hearts
by Peter Leyland
Depression
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Why life is faster but depression is lower in bigger cities
Large cities might seem detrimental to mental health but a comparison of depression rates suggests bigger is better
by Andrew Stier
Cognitive and behavioural therapies
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The philosophical roots of CBT help explain its limitations
Not all psychological problems are thinking problems. Trying to solve them purely cognitively, with CBT, won’t help us mature
by Bradley Murray
Pain
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Solving chronic pain via the kitchen, not the medicine cabinet
While medicine still struggles with the mystery of chronic pain, simple dietary changes can bring much-needed relief
by Rowena Field
Ageing
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Rather than fearing getting old, here’s how to embrace it
Whether you are 20 or 90, each moment of life presents an opportunity to focus on what really matters to you
by Berit Lewis
Anxiety
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It’s not always good to let it all out: the perils of over-sighing
‘Take a deep breath,’ we’re often told when emotions surge. But what if sighing isn’t always helpful?
by Elke Vlemincx
Drugs and psychedelics
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Psychedelics show religion isn’t the only route to spirituality
Secular people can have profound psychedelic experiences. What does that say about spirituality and the naturalistic worldview?
by Chris Letheby
Emerging therapies
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The reason little noises drive you mad is about more than sounds
Fascinating research into ‘misophonia’ – an intolerance to specific sounds – is revealing an important role for context
by Nathaniel Scharping