Perspectives and controversies

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One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions

Ahead of her time, yet largely ignored by psychiatry, Claire Weekes taught millions of readers how to overcome anxiety

by Judith Hoare

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Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal

The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone

by Alexus McLeod

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Mental disorders aren’t diseases, they’re networks of symptoms

Mental disorders are usually seen as the causes of symptoms. In the network perspective, symptoms are causes themselves

by Richard J McNally

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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

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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

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Why we shouldn’t push a positive mindset on those in poverty

Living in poverty is not caused by a faulty mindset, it’s a response to scarcity and marginalisation

by Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington