Difficult emotions

Disorders and difficulties Therapies and practical advice Perspectives and controversies

Photo of a woman viewed from behind looking at a large black abstract painting in a minimalist gallery setting.

Difficult emotions

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Feeling nothing can be as devastating as feeling too much

Emotional ‘emptiness’ is a damaging, underexplored phenomenon. Better understanding it could help steer people to fulfilment

by Christopher J Hopwood

A woman in sunlight with eyes closed, wearing a pink top sitting by a shadowy wall and green plant.

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

Illustration of a person pushing a boulder on a wooden boat that is tipping over from the weight, in wavy blue waters against a pale background.

Forgiveness

guide

How to forgive (even if they’re unrepentant)

Feeling ill will toward someone who harmed you is natural but draining. You can let it go, whether you reconcile or not

by Richard S Balkin

Illustration of a young woman with a bob haircut, red skin and two different coloured eyes. She holds her hands up to her cheeks.

Mental health

film

Fixating on her body, a woman grapples with strange distortions of the self

Directed by Chenghua Yang

Painting of a woman reclining on a red chair against a red background wearing a black dress and holding a white cloth.

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

Photo of six people sitting on a bench in a waiting area appearing bored or pensive.

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

Person with closed eyes enjoying music through headphones, dressed warmly in a black coat, with one arm raised in a dancing motion.

Difficult emotions

guide

How to enjoy your problems

Accepting your problems is one thing. To enjoy them? Well, that’s pretty much enlightenment. Here’s how to get there

by Chelsea Harvey Garner

An elderly woman stands in a dark room with bamboo-like plants in the background, illuminated by soft, mystical light from above.

Love

film

A grandmother grapples with the fallout of her husband’s double life

Directed by Gabriella Aguirre

Photo of a black sign with yellow text reading ‘Way out’ and a left-pointing arrow, mounted on a white brick wall.

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

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

Painting of a serene river with a distant shoreline covered in trees and houses, small white boat on the right, signed “H. Angrand - 86.”

Worry and rumination

guide

How to feel less stressed

Everyone handles stress differently. The ‘4Ds’ approach is about helping you find the coping strategies that work for you

by Warren Mansell & Louise Mansell