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Psychiatry

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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

The self

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The philosophy of selfhood became real when my mother got dementia

My mother’s dementia shook her sense of self, and mine. We can understand ourselves only through embodied connection to others

by Noga Arikha

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Anxiety

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After many false starts, this might be the true age of anxiety

If anxiety is more common than ever, it’s also more treatable. But excessive nervousness wasn’t always taken so seriously

by Jason Schnittker

Abstract painting of a woman with geometric shapes in pastel colours, featuring a blend of blues, greens and yellows.

Psychiatry

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What a psychiatric diagnosis means – and what it doesn’t mean

With stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health, it’s vital to know the benefits and limits of a formal diagnosis

by Awais Aftab

Photo of a person outdoors smoking, silhouetted against the sky with visible smoke and surrounding greenery.

Addiction

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Mental illness and substance use: genes show a two-way street

Why are smoking, alcohol and cannabis use linked to mental illness? The answer is complex but valuable for mental health

by Jorien Treur

Two children come down a slide in a sepia-toned photo

Personality disorders

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To understand borderline personality, imagine having no history

For people with an unfairly stigmatised mental health condition, and the rest of us, it’s vital to connect past with present

by Alexander Kriss

Photo of a close-up leaf on a branch, with a grey building marked “IFANG” in the blurred background.

Death and dying

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Should assisted death be available for intractable mental illness?

As a psychiatrist I am extremely wary of even the most careful provisions of assisted dying for people with mental illness

by Marie Nicolini

Blurred photo of a nurse in green uniform pushing a hospital gurney with a patient in a yellow blanket for urgent care.

Self-harm and suicide

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What working in emergency care taught me about suicide risk

Most who die by suicide were considered to be at low or no risk. We need a new framework for understanding the dangers

by Gavin Tucker

A man seated at a white table with hands folded, wearing a watch. A pear and a salt shaker on the table, chairs in background.

Therapeutic relationships

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Are mental health patients entitled to see their medical notes?

From strep throat to cancer care, access to doctors’ notes has empowered patients. But is the same true in mental health?

by Charlotte Blease

Colourful digital illustration of neuron activity overlaid with graph lines showing brainwave patterns on a black background.

Brain interventions

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In the deepest despair, electroconvulsive therapy offers hope

In the past, ECT could be violent and brutal. But today, it’s one of the best treatments for severe depression that we have

by Wendy Burn