Understanding 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.

13 studies in Trauma and loss · Show every study

Conceptual paper artwork: Paper window grid with one warm amber square slightly apart.

N° 02

Acute stress reaction

“Since that night, I can’t seem to land.”

Shock in the days after something terrible is a normal human response. Help in those days still matters.

Conceptual paper artwork: Rain-warped blank newsprint with a clean untouched rectangle at its centre.

N° 03

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.

Conceptual paper artwork: Polished ivory floor tile with a hairline seam concealed beneath its surface.

N° 04

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.

Conceptual paper artwork: Untouched porcelain cup; fading slate rings widen like the last notes of a song.

N° 05

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.

Conceptual paper artwork: Two small rickshaw-canopy panels fold apart above slate lake circle, joined by one stitch.

N° 06

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.

Conceptual paper artwork: School notebook beneath blank message-panel tiles, edges stop before broad clean margin.

N° 07

Bullying and cyberbullying

“They made a group chat about me. Everyone’s in it.”

Bullying, at school or online, harms mental health, sometimes for years. Children deserve to be believed and protected.

Paper artwork: a folded kantha on an empty wooden chair by a rainy window

N° 08

Grief after miscarriage

“We hadn’t even told Ammu yet.”

Miscarriage is common and its grief is real, for both partners. Anxiety and post-traumatic stress can follow, and support helps.

Paper artwork: a brass bowl and marigold garlands on a rooftop ledge at dusk, city lights beyond

N° 09

Divorce and separation

“Talak is one word. The family has a thousand more.”

The end of a marriage is a loss, a move and a public story at once. Most people recover; some need help with the weight of it.

Paper artwork: an old wooden almirah with its doors ajar on a patterned tile floor in a high-ceilinged room

N° 10

Family conflict after a parent's death

“Abba’s flat. Four siblings. Nobody speaks now.”

A parent’s death can split siblings over property and old wounds. The grief underneath often needs as much attention as the dispute.

Paper artwork: a camera and microphone left on an empty newsroom desk

N° 11

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.

Paper artwork: a press pass and laptop on a crumpled sheet, red threads crossing the screen

N° 12

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.

Paper artwork: A Sunamganj haor courtyard in monsoon, flood mark on a house wall and a wooden boat beside the rising water

N° 13

Climate anxiety and floods

“Every monsoon, the water comes closer to Nanu’s house.”

Worry about floods and a warming world is a sane response to a real threat. When it starts to take over sleep and study, support can help.