N° 25
Sexual dysfunction
“We don’t talk about that part.”
Sexual problems are common, often have medical causes, and are treated in confidence.
ReadUnderstanding yourself
What is said, and what is underneath.
Studies of the sentences people offer long before they can name what is happening. Starting points for reading, never a diagnosis.
127 studies · Page 2 of 6
N° 26
Drug and alcohol addiction
“I can stop whenever I want.”
Addiction is a health condition, not a moral failure. Treatment works best when it starts with respect.
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N° 27
Personality disorder
“People always leave me in the end.”
Intense emotions, stormy relationships, and the fear of being left. Specific therapies reduce symptoms.
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N° 28
Trauma
“It happened years ago. It shouldn’t matter now.”
The past is over. What it taught the body about danger may not be. Trauma-focused therapy can help it learn again.
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N° 29
Childhood trauma
“My childhood was normal. Mostly.”
What happened early can echo in adult health, moods and relationships. Understanding it is the beginning of changing it.
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N° 30
Grief and prolonged grief
“I still set out his cup.”
For most people grief softens with time. For some it stays stuck, and help is there.
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N° 31
Anger
“I’m not an angry person. Usually.”
Anger is a normal emotion. When it explodes, hurts people or frightens a family, it can be understood and managed.
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N° 32
Stress
“I’ll relax once this is over.”
Stress is how the body meets pressure. When the pressure never stops, it starts to cost health. There are tested ways to cope.
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N° 33
Family and parenting
“We’ve tried everything with him.”
When a family is stuck in the same fights, help for the whole family, and for parents, is often part of the answer.
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N° 34
Couples and marriage
“We used to talk for hours.”
Before marriage, during it, or when it is under strain: counselling can help couples talk about what matters.
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N° 35
Gender identity
“I’ve felt this way since I was small.”
Gender incongruence is not a mental disorder, WHO says. The distress, family conflict and isolation that often come with it deserve care.
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N° 36
High-functioning depression
“Everyone thinks I’m doing brilliantly.”
The results are excellent. The man delivering them is exhausted, and nobody can tell.
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N° 37
Depression in creative people
“I haven’t painted since the exhibition.”
Creative block is common. When the silence comes with flat mood, poor sleep and dread, it may be depression, and that is treatable.
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N° 38
Persistent depressive disorder
“I’ve never been a happy person.”
Low mood that has lasted so long it feels like personality. It is a recognised condition, and it responds to treatment.
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N° 39
Menopause and mood
“I don’t recognise myself lately.”
The years around menopause can bring low mood, anxiety and broken sleep. Women deserve to have it taken seriously.
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N° 40
Suicidal thoughts
“Everyone would be better off without me.”
This thought is a symptom, not the truth. It can be talked about, and it can pass. Help is there today.
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N° 41
Performance anxiety
“Lights, camera, action, and my mind goes blank.”
Under the lights, on the stage, in front of the lens. Performance anxiety is common, even among the most accomplished artists, and it can be treated.
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N° 42
Caregiver stress
“I’m fine. Abba needs me more.”
Caring for an ill parent, partner or child is love in its hardest form. Carers need care too.
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N° 43
Retirement and identity
“For thirty-four years I knew who I was on Monday.”
Retirement is a gift that can feel like a loss. Purpose, routine and mood can be rebuilt.
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N° 44
Depression with physical illness
“The surgery went well. I didn’t.”
Depression is common alongside diabetes, heart disease and other long illnesses, and it can be treated alongside them.
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N° 45
Breakups and heartbreak
“We used to share fuchka at the lake every Friday.”
Heartbreak is real pain. Most people heal with time and friends; when it turns into depression or obsession, treatment helps.
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N° 46
Jet lag, brain fog and travel anxiety
“I woke up and didn’t know which city I was in.”
Constant travel scrambles the body clock. When the fog does not lift between trips and the hotel rooms start to feel lonely, it is worth more than a strong coffee.
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N° 47
OCD: washing and contamination
“I wash until my hands bleed, and they still feel dirty.”
Fear of germs, dirt or disease that no amount of washing can settle. A common form of OCD, and a treatable one.
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N° 48
OCD: intrusive thoughts
“What if I hurt someone? I would never. So why do I think it?”
Unwanted thoughts about harm, sex or religion that horrify the person having them. They are OCD, not desire, and they can be treated.
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