Difficult emotions

Disorders and difficulties Therapies and practical advice Perspectives and controversies

LatestPopular

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

Death and dying

idea

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

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

idea

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

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

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

Civic life

idea

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

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

Emotion regulation

idea

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

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

Memory and nostalgia

idea

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

Man relaxing on a striped lounge chair with hands behind his head, outside on a lawn, flanked by other coloured chairs and an opened beer bottle nearby.

Grief

idea

Why do so many of us blame ourselves after a loved one’s death?

After losing my father, I felt the guilt and regret that burden many other bereaved people – and found a way to carry them

by Delaney Rebernik

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