Traumatic experiences can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. Sometimes we may not be entirely aware of a traumatic event's impact on the mind and body. A person's symptoms of trauma may creep up out of nowhere and can induce psychological, physiological, and emotional responses that can be incredibly frightening and confusing when they ...

There is a common misconception about therapy. Most people believe that it’s the last resort; something they turn to once they hit rock bottom.  Certainly, if you’re a successful individual, there’s no way you should need therapy, right? However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Being successful can never make you immune to any of the multi...

It should come as no surprise that many people who have problems with addiction also have problems with anger. They are often interlinked, with statistics clearly demonstrating a correlation between substance abuse disorders and violent crime. For example, one study showed that up to three-quarters of those who begin addiction treatment have previously engaged ...

For a long time now, the importance of sleep has been well understood. It is, after all, the foundation of a healthy body and mind. But while we’re aware that 7-8 hours of shut-eye is needed for us to function well, there’s another less widely known form of downtime that is essential for our health and well-being. Before wireless internet and smartphones, our ...

We all get shy from time to time - often, these feelings can lead us to act or behave in a particular way. Perhaps you find yourself blushing around someone you’ve had a secret crush on for a while, or maybe you have an essential work presentation and dread having to talk in front of a large crowd. Shyness Many of us struggle with shyness occasionally. And...

Cognitive dissonance and gaslighting can co-occur. But, what do such terms mean, and does one buffer the other? When confronted with contradictory thoughts, behaviours, and ideas, it's easy to dip into a state of cognitive dissonance (When Cognitive Dissonance Leads To Gaslighting Ourselves, Scarlett Jess Perrodin,16 December 2021). There is a fine line between...

Many of us struggle to accept the traumas from our past or come to terms with challenging life events that trigger sorrow, pain, and heartache. Difficult experiences can be tempting to avoid but much harder to accept or forget. Thus many of us adopt specific coping skills that help to soften the blow or numb the edges of a painful experience. Acceptance Some...

Many people might be surprised to learn how beneficial some trauma responses are, despite how unpleasant the associated symptoms can sometimes be. Dissociation is one such response, a defense mechanism that helps a person to survive or get through a crisis or traumatic event. This response can sometimes happen during significant stress or when whatever is happe...

Nowadays, the term "gaslighting" is becoming increasingly popular along with "breadcrumbing," "ghosting," and "the ick." Although prevalent in today's social media culture, the term gaslighting has a deep-rooted history that stems back to the 1940s when the film "gaslight" hit mainstream media and continued to have an influence centuries later. What does gaslig...

Going through a breakup is a traumatic experience that can flip our entire world upside down. Ask any psychologist or mental health professional, and they'll tell you that breakups are a form of grief. But unlike the typical grief experience, it seems we are better prepared to help our loved ones' through heartbreak than the death of a loved one.  However,...

If you have ever experienced intense, overwhelming anxiety in the presence of mild body symptoms (or at the thought of contracting a severe medical illness or disease), in that case, you may have health anxiety. Stigma There has been much stigma about health anxiety over the years, with sufferers of this condition often being the butt of many health-anxiety-rel...

Despite a lack of awareness around process addictions, certain types of behaviours can be just as addictive as substances, such as drugs and alcohol. Process addiction, sometimes referred to as behavioural addiction, is a mental health condition that can severely affect a person's physical, emotional and mental health. What is a process addiction? A process ...