Heal

Dealing with psychological challenges and sustaining body and mind in the face of adversity
Two people seated at an outdoor café with red tables and chairs, talking in front of a large window.
COUPLES AND FAMILY THERAPY

What does it mean to have relationship ambivalence?

When a relationship provokes both strong positive and negative feelings in you, it can take a toll – here’s what’s going on

by Francesca Righetti

An elderly person walking with a cane in a dimly lit hallway, light from a room accentuates their silhouette.
BRAIN INJURY AND DEMENTIA
4

Terminal lucidity: when dying dementia patients regain awareness

The reports span centuries and cultures. If they’re real, memory and identity might be far more recoverable than we thought

by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

Guides

View all
Two people sitting at a café table by a window under hanging lights, looking outside at a cityscape.
OCD
2

How to deal with relationship OCD

Repetitive thought spirals about a partner could be a sign of ROCD. But there are ways to reclaim your peace and intimacy

by Marisa T Mazza

Black and white photo of an elderly person brushing teeth with a black and white cat on their shoulder.
BRAIN INJURY AND DEMENTIA

How to talk to someone who has dementia

Dementia makes communication more challenging, but these practices and tips can help you stay connected through the changes

by Nathaniel Chin & Caoilfhinn Rauwerdink

Popular

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

A muscular man’s back and shoulders in a gym setting with long hair tied back.
BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER

Why some men seek refuge in ever bigger muscles

Diagnoses of muscle dysmorphia or ‘bigorexia’ are rising. A psychoanalytic lens offers an explanation – and a healthier path

by Tom Wooldridge

Painting of four stylised figures in a boat with decorative patterns, surrounded by fish motifs and a red background.
LONELINESS

Being lonely taught me how to be me

When I moved to a new city where I had no friends, Olivia Laing’s book helped me find my own rhythm and enjoy time alone

by Anandi Mishra

An elderly person walking with a cane in a dimly lit hallway, light from a room accentuates their silhouette.
BRAIN INJURY AND DEMENTIA
4

Terminal lucidity: when dying dementia patients regain awareness

The reports span centuries and cultures. If they’re real, memory and identity might be far more recoverable than we thought

by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

A person climbing a colourful indoor rock wall with various holds and ropes visible.
ADHD

Climbing gives me a break from my brain

When I took up indoor climbing, I didn’t anticipate the special appeal it held for someone with ADHD

by Alizeh Kohari

A painting of a woman in a gown sitting pensively by a loom with an orange tree in the background.
DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

Impatience is an emotion, not a trait

Watching Penelope’s heroic wait in The Odyssey made me lament my impatience. But maybe I’ve been thinking about it wrong

by Amy Arthur

Two people seated at an outdoor café with red tables and chairs, talking in front of a large window.
COUPLES AND FAMILY THERAPY

What does it mean to have relationship ambivalence?

When a relationship provokes both strong positive and negative feelings in you, it can take a toll – here’s what’s going on

by Francesca Righetti

Ancient rock painting showing humanoid figures with arms outstretched on a weathered stone surface.
PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY

What ancient art tells us about modern psychedelic medicine

Millennia-old rock paintings reflect a wisdom about healing that should inform today’s evolving psychedelic treatments

by William McCarthy

Popular

View all
Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

A muscular man’s back and shoulders in a gym setting with long hair tied back.
BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER

Why some men seek refuge in ever bigger muscles

Diagnoses of muscle dysmorphia or ‘bigorexia’ are rising. A psychoanalytic lens offers an explanation – and a healthier path

by Tom Wooldridge

Painting of four stylised figures in a boat with decorative patterns, surrounded by fish motifs and a red background.
LONELINESS

Being lonely taught me how to be me

When I moved to a new city where I had no friends, Olivia Laing’s book helped me find my own rhythm and enjoy time alone

by Anandi Mishra

An elderly person walking with a cane in a dimly lit hallway, light from a room accentuates their silhouette.
BRAIN INJURY AND DEMENTIA
4

Terminal lucidity: when dying dementia patients regain awareness

The reports span centuries and cultures. If they’re real, memory and identity might be far more recoverable than we thought

by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

Notes to self

View all
A person climbing a colourful indoor rock wall with various holds and ropes visible.
ADHD

Climbing gives me a break from my brain

by Alizeh Kohari

Painting of four stylised figures in a boat with decorative patterns, surrounded by fish motifs and a red background.
LONELINESS

Being lonely taught me how to be me

by Anandi Mishra

Videos

View all
Illustration of a decorative pedestal topped with a blue starry shape on a white background.
SEXUAL PROBLEMS

Viagra has its upsides, sure. But has it changed sex for the better?

Video by BBC Ideas, The Open University

Photo of a man and woman with glasses examining a handheld device in an art-filled room with brick wall and paintings.
ANXIETY

You’re sure that society is spiralling and we’re all doomed. Now what?

Abstract painting of a person’s face in profile with a soft, blurred effect and neutral tones.
ADDICTION

Tracing the making and unmaking of four friends’ rockstar dreams

Silhouette of a person behind textured glass with a blurred background of sky and trees at sunset, photograph.
GRIEF

Say yes to regret

After my husband died, I fell into a dark ruminative spiral. The way back would begin at 2pm tomorrow

by Sandra Lamb

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

A muscular man’s back and shoulders in a gym setting with long hair tied back.
BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER

Why some men seek refuge in ever bigger muscles

Diagnoses of muscle dysmorphia or ‘bigorexia’ are rising. A psychoanalytic lens offers an explanation – and a healthier path

by Tom Wooldridge

Ancient rock painting showing humanoid figures with arms outstretched on a weathered stone surface.
PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY

What ancient art tells us about modern psychedelic medicine

Millennia-old rock paintings reflect a wisdom about healing that should inform today’s evolving psychedelic treatments

by William McCarthy

A dimly lit prison corridor with closed cell doors on both sides viewed through metal bars.
LAW AND MENTAL HEALTH
3

When the world stopped moving

I wanted to outrun my thoughts. But in the stillness of prison, I had no choice but to face myself

by Devin A Giordano

Painting of a man wearing a black coat and white ruffled cravat against a dark background.
GENDER INCONGRUENCE
1

I am that I am

Ego death obliterated my gender identity, but then I stumbled upon the Public Universal Friend

by Silas Joan Savard

Black and white photo of a hand on a letter from the State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

Ghosts of summers past

The trauma of foster care left gaps in my memory. Could I piece together a past I couldn’t recall?

by Lisa Marie Basile

Image of a porcupine, potato, pencil and penguin on a white background.
SLEEP PROBLEMS

I cognitively shuffle myself to sleep

The usual advice didn’t help my sleep problems, but then I tried an exercise that kickstarts the sleep-onset control system

by Amy Arthur

Vintage photo of a man in a hat and a woman in a dress standing outside, with a cloudy sky in the background.
LONELINESS

How needing others became a source of shame for Americans

Self-reliance is a strange ideal because feeling lonely and sociability are both inescapable parts of being human

by Susan J Matt

Charcoal drawing of a group of people huddled together, showing expressions of sorrow and comfort in monochrome.
GRIEF

Seeing grief for what it is

Faced with the pain of grief, it’s tempting to reach for words of comfort, but Yiyun Li showed me how little they offer

by Pia Rios

Illustration of an elderly man’s face, with pink and purple silhouettes in the background.
TRAUMA AND PTSD
1

The roots of goodness

Ervin Staub survived the Holocaust as a child. As a psychologist, he spent a lifetime asking how cruelty takes hold – and whether kindness can, too

by Michael Bond

A man lifting a tyre in a gym, showing effort. Fitness equipment and exercise balls are visible in the background.
ADDICTION

For some exercisers, a healthy habit spins out of control

When is a typically celebrated practice – working out – more like an addiction? Researchers have found some patterns

by Ashrene Rathilal

Photo of a woman with a mug gazing out a window, seated on a pink chair near a lake with trees in the background.
MENTAL HEALTH
1

How to navigate your menopause

From coping with hot flushes to understanding brain fog, there’s plenty you can do to help yourself through menopause

by Caroline Gurvich & Rachel Furey

Animated scene of a man and woman with exaggerated limbs in front of a dark, abstract background.
SOCIAL ANXIETY

This anthology of everyday awkwardness is a cringy good time

Directed by Nata Metlukh

A damaged photograph showing a blur of vivid colours and textures, featuring a partially visible figure of a child on the left side.
GRIEF
8

The uncanny feeling that a dead person is still close by

The sense that a dead person is still with us is both eerie and common: can we find a naturalistic explanation for it?

by Alicja Nowacka

Photo of a smartphone displaying an augmented reality app showing a textured object over a hand on the screen.
FEAR AND PHOBIA

Why augmenting reality to make it ickier could help germaphobes

Video by University of the Netherlands