N° 97
Generalised anxiety: worry about family
“If she’s ten minutes late, I’ve already imagined the worst.”
When worry about the people you love never switches off, it may be generalised anxiety disorder. It is common, and therapy helps.
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 5 of 6
N° 98
School refusal
“Every school morning, a stomach ache. Fridays, she’s fine.”
When a child is too distressed to go to school, the stomach aches are real and anxiety is often underneath. A planned, gradual return can help.
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N° 99
Workplace bullying and office politics
“My boss takes the credit. The team laughs at his jokes.”
When credit is taken, mistakes are mocked and the dread starts on Saturday night, bullying at work can wear down mental health.
Read
N° 100
Unemployment and mental health
“Masters done. Third BCS. Still no job.”
Years of job-seeking and exam cycles can wear down sleep, mood and hope. Unemployment is not an illness, but the depression it brings can be treated.
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N° 101
Money worries and debt
“The EMI is due on the fifth. The salary comes on the tenth.”
Debt and money worries are closely linked with anxiety and depression. How couples can talk about it, and when the strain needs care.
Read
N° 102
Night shifts and sleep
“I work New York hours from Mirpur.”
Night work pulls sleep against the body clock. How shift work affects mood and sleep, and what can help when the day is your night.
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N° 103
Burnout in doctors
“I tell my patients to rest. I haven’t in a year.”
Exhaustion, numbness and a sense of getting nowhere: burnout is common among doctors in Bangladesh, and both people and hospitals can change it.
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N° 104
Always on: work messages after hours
“My boss’s WhatsApps come at midnight.”
When work messages arrive at midnight, the mind never clocks off. Why switching off matters for mental health, and how to draw a line.
Read
N° 105
Imposter feelings
“Any day now, they’ll find out I don’t belong here.”
The fear of being found out despite every sign of success. Imposter feelings are common, often travel with anxiety, and can be worked on.
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N° 106
Perfectionism
“Ninety-eight isn’t a hundred.”
High standards help, until fear of mistakes takes over. How perfectionism links with anxiety and depression in young people, and how CBT can help.
Read
N° 107
Test anxiety in adults
“I know the answers. In the viva board, they vanish.”
When fear in an exam or interview wipes the mind blank. Test anxiety in adults, why it happens, and the therapies with the most support.
Read
N° 108
Performance anxiety in sport
“In the nets I hit everything. In a match, I freeze.”
Some athletes play freely in practice and freeze when it counts. What competitive anxiety is, how common mental health symptoms are in sport, and what helps.
Read
N° 109
Secondary trauma in journalists
“I look at the photos so the readers don’t have to.”
Journalists who sort images of violence and disaster every night can carry them home. The strain is real, and it can be treated.
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N° 110
Online harassment of journalists
“Every time I publish, my inbox fills with threats.”
Threats and abuse after every story can wear down even a seasoned reporter. Anxiety and trauma symptoms are common, and they are treatable.
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N° 111
News anxiety and doomscrolling
“One more headline, and then I’ll sleep.”
Scrolling through bad news late at night can feed worry and steal sleep. Here is what research shows, and what helps.
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N° 112
Creative block
“Six weeks to the Boi Mela. The page is still blank.”
When the words stop coming, it may be an ordinary pause, or a sign of depression or anxiety. How to tell, and what helps.
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N° 113
Pressure after success
“The first song went viral. Everyone’s waiting for the second.”
Sudden success can bring stage fright, self-doubt and a fear of never matching it. Performance anxiety is common, and therapy can help.
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N° 114
Fear of missing out (FOMO)
“Everyone’s in Sajek this weekend. Except me.”
The anxious sense that everyone else is having a better time, fed by stories and feeds. What it is, and when it becomes a problem.
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N° 115
Smartphone overuse in adults
“I pick up my phone to check the time and lose an hour.”
Phone habits that eat into sleep, work and family time are common in adults too. What may be behind them, and what helps.
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N° 116
Screens and young children
“He won’t eat a bite without cartoons.”
When a toddler will only eat in front of a screen, the whole family feels it. What the guidelines say, and how to make changes gently.
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N° 117
Compulsive buying
“The parcels come while everyone’s at work.”
Buying that brings a moment of relief, then guilt, debt and secrecy. Compulsive buying is recognised by doctors, and therapy can help.
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N° 118
Compulsive sexual behaviour
“Every night I promise it’s the last time.”
When sexual urges or pornography feel out of control and cause distress, it is a recognised condition. Confidential treatment can help.
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N° 119
Relationship OCD
“I love him. But what if I don’t?”
Endless doubt about whether you love your partner, or whether they are right for you, can be a form of OCD. Checking makes it louder.
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N° 120
Hoarding disorder
“Abba has kept every newspaper since 1998.”
When letting go of things causes real distress and rooms fill until they cannot be used. It often grows in later life, and patient help works best.
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