#desensitization

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Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

What Makes Painful Memories Stick

Painful memories linger because they signal threats to core psychological needs, making them psychologically urgent and demanding more cognitive processing.
#communication
Relationships
fromScary Mommy
1 day ago

37 Phrases To De-Escalate An Argument, According To Real Therapists

Knowing how to de-escalate arguments can help maintain healthy relationships and improve communication.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 hours ago

Psychology says people who reply to messages within seconds aren't just efficient - they've built their sense of safety around being reachable, because somewhere in their past, being slow to respond had consequences - Silicon Canals

Instant responses to messages often stem from a psychological need to mitigate perceived threats rather than mere efficiency.
Relationships
fromScary Mommy
1 day ago

37 Phrases To De-Escalate An Argument, According To Real Therapists

Knowing how to de-escalate arguments can help maintain healthy relationships and improve communication.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 hours ago

Psychology says people who reply to messages within seconds aren't just efficient - they've built their sense of safety around being reachable, because somewhere in their past, being slow to respond had consequences - Silicon Canals

Instant responses to messages often stem from a psychological need to mitigate perceived threats rather than mere efficiency.
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Why Is Eradicating Adverse Childhood Experiences Critical?

Nearly 90 percent of suicide attempts among high school students are attributable to ACEs, as are 80 percent of adult suicides, translating to 109 suicides per day.
Public health
Medicine
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Building Wisdom With BDNF-and Ketamine

BDNF is crucial for brain health, and can be boosted through healthy habits and ketamine, aiding neuroplasticity and cognitive function.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Why Breathing Matters for Emotional Regulation

Slow, smooth breathing can calm the nervous system, regulate emotions, and improve health with just five minutes of practice daily.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Handedness in Children of Traumatized Mothers

Higher maternal post-traumatic stress during pregnancy is linked to increased mixed-handedness in children.
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

7 Lessons for When Your Attempts to Control Outcomes Fail

Many situations contain irreducible uncertainty. No matter how many variables we try to control, we can't reduce uncertainty to zero. It's inherent in the messiness of life.
Productivity
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
7 hours ago

Psychology says people who mellow out as they get older aren't the ones who suffered less - they're the ones who decided, at some point and without always knowing they were deciding, that the suffering was going to make them more open rather than less, and that decision, remade daily in small ways that nobody notices, is the entire difference - Silicon Canals

Emotional responses to life's challenges can change over time, leading to greater peace and stability despite ongoing difficulties.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Can Listening Move You to Love?

High-quality listening evokes Kama Muta, a powerful emotion of feeling moved by love, fostering emotional closeness in both listeners and speakers.
#trauma
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
17 hours ago

Not everyone who avoids asking for help is proud. Some of them asked once, received it with a lecture attached, and learned that the cost of support was a small erosion of standing they could never quite earn back. - Silicon Canals

Asking for help can lead to unintended consequences that affect relationships and self-perception.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
9 hours ago

When the Body Heals: Recovery From Relational Stress

Emotional stressors can lead to chronic stress, affecting immunity and increasing autoimmune disease risk, but healing can occur after relational stress ends.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says the most important life lesson isn't learning to make better decisions - it's learning to live peacefully with the ones you can't undo - Silicon Canals

Irreversible choices shape our lives and learning to coexist with them is crucial for mental well-being.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Most people don't realize that children who grow up without affection don't struggle with love as adults. They struggle with trusting it, because it never felt safe to depend on - Silicon Canals

Emotional unavailability stems from a lack of early affection, leading to difficulties in accepting love despite an inherent capacity for it.
#empathy
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

How to Help Someone Have an Empathy Makeover

Empathy can be developed through structured reflection and practice, enhancing mental health and relationship dynamics.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

3 Signs You're Carrying Someone Else's Anxiety

Empathy can lead to emotional overload for highly empathic individuals, causing them to absorb and internalize others' emotions.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

How to Help Someone Have an Empathy Makeover

Empathy can be developed through structured reflection and practice, enhancing mental health and relationship dynamics.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

3 Signs You're Carrying Someone Else's Anxiety

Empathy can lead to emotional overload for highly empathic individuals, causing them to absorb and internalize others' emotions.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

The Impact of Detached Reactions to Tragedy

Detached responses to tragedy lower accountability and hinder empathy, while specific, caring responses promote genuine concern and action.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Start Strong But Never Finish? 4 Causes and 4 Solutions

Starting strong and quitting is common due to tedium, poor planning, and discouragement; recognizing patterns and seeking support can help overcome this.
#emotional-intelligence
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology suggests people who stay calm during conflict aren't less emotional - they learned early that the person who controls the temperature of the room controls the outcome, and they stopped reacting and started choosing - Silicon Canals

Controlling emotional responses during conflict can significantly influence the outcome of the situation.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

People who go quiet when they're hurt instead of raising their voice learned somewhere very early that their anger wasn't received as information. It was received as an inconvenience. So they stopped sending the signal and started absorbing the damage, and they've been doing it so long they sometimes mistake silence for calm - Silicon Canals

Silence during conflict often indicates deeper emotional pain rather than composure or passive aggression.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology suggests people who stay calm during conflict aren't less emotional - they learned early that the person who controls the temperature of the room controls the outcome, and they stopped reacting and started choosing - Silicon Canals

Controlling emotional responses during conflict can significantly influence the outcome of the situation.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

People who go quiet when they're hurt instead of raising their voice learned somewhere very early that their anger wasn't received as information. It was received as an inconvenience. So they stopped sending the signal and started absorbing the damage, and they've been doing it so long they sometimes mistake silence for calm - Silicon Canals

Silence during conflict often indicates deeper emotional pain rather than composure or passive aggression.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Not everyone who chooses a partner with visible problems is making bad decisions. Some of them are choosing people whose damage is louder than their own, because as long as they're fixing someone else, nobody turns the spotlight around and asks what broke them. - Silicon Canals

People often choose partners with visible problems to avoid confronting their own internal issues.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
12 hours ago

Psychology says people who feel like they've been living someone else's life aren't confused or ungrateful - they're often the ones who were so good at adapting in childhood that they never stopped adapting long enough to find out who they actually were - Silicon Canals

Adapting to others' needs in childhood can lead to feeling disconnected and lost in adulthood.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who apologize constantly without realizing it are more damaged than they appear - because they internalize blame and absorb conflict, a survival response from childhood, which never switches off even when they're safe - Silicon Canals

Excessive apologizing often stems from childhood experiences of mistreatment and can lead to chronic self-blame in adulthood.
#adhd
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How to Stop Taking Things Personally When You Have ADHD

ADHD can intensify the tendency to take things personally due to emotional processing and past experiences.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How to Stop Taking Things Personally When You Have ADHD

ADHD can intensify the tendency to take things personally due to emotional processing and past experiences.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

This Theory Explains Why Neurodivergents Are Burning Out

Neurodivergent individuals experience higher burnout rates, necessitating accommodations to balance job demands and resources.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

A Symbolic Action Technique for Managing Anger

Unmanaged anger can lead to destructive outcomes, but a new study suggests that symbolic actions may effectively manage it.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Should Therapists Conduct Thought Experiments With Patients?

Thought experiments help couples articulate desires and expectations, reducing disappointment from unrealistic mind-reading assumptions.
Mindfulness
fromMindful
5 days ago

Feeling Like a Fraud in Your Own Mindfulness Practice

Surrounding oneself with experienced meditation practitioners can raise personal expectations and feelings of inadequacy during difficult times.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

People who were labeled 'too sensitive' often became adults who read rooms before anyone speaks, and the difference between those two things is about 20 years of misunderstanding - Silicon Canals

Sensitivity can evolve from a perceived weakness into a valuable skill for understanding emotional dynamics in various situations.
#anxiety
#mental-health
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Link Between Medicine and Psychology

Mental health significantly impacts heart and brain health, necessitating integration of mental health care into traditional medical practices.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

People who go completely silent during an argument aren't giving you the silent treatment. They learned early that anything they said while emotional would be used as evidence against them later, so silence became the only statement that couldn't be misquoted. - Silicon Canals

Silence during conflict can be a strategic choice rooted in childhood experiences of emotional expression being weaponized.
Mindfulness
fromBustle
1 week ago

A Therapist Explains How To Snap Out Of "Urgency Mode"

Urgency mode leads to a constant rush through daily tasks, making life feel like a blur and negatively impacting mental health.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

When Parts Begin to Merge: Inside Integration

Integration is a complex, lived experience involving reorganization of the self, requiring safety and support systems for healing from complex trauma.
#perfectionism
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Perfectionism May Be the Root of Poor Communication

Perfectionists struggle with loneliness due to self-absorption and fear of revealing their needs, often blaming others for communication failures.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Perfectionism May Be the Root of Poor Communication

Perfectionists struggle with loneliness due to self-absorption and fear of revealing their needs, often blaming others for communication failures.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Remembering an Angel With a Traumatic Brain Injury

Laura, despite severe brain damage, radiated joy and built meaningful connections with caregivers, enriching their lives through her infectious spirit.
Psychology
fromHuffPost
3 days ago

8 Sneaky Signs You're Being Emotionally Manipulated

Emotional manipulation often manifests through subtle control, leading to confusion and anxiety in relationships.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

When the World Feels Scary, These 2 Questions Can Help

Grounding techniques effectively manage anxiety and enhance personal agency by focusing on the present and what can be controlled.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Why Behavior Change Alone Won't Fix Your Relationship

Behavioral therapy changes observable actions, while emotionally focused therapy emphasizes emotional engagement for lasting relational change.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

The Human Cost of a Listener That Never Gets It Wrong

Genuine listening fosters uncertainty and growth, while AI listening lacks the emotional depth necessary for true social connection.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Clinging to Safety: The Hidden Logic of Eating Disorders

Disordered eating can provide temporary safety from stress, but recovery requires gradual steps and compassionate support.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

The Negativity Bias Impacts Everything in Our Lives

Humans are evolutionarily predisposed to focus on negativity for survival, but this can lead to harmful cognitive patterns.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How Systemic Therapists Can Improve Sleep

Sleep issues are often relational problems, not just individual disorders, highlighting the need for systemic therapy in sleep medicine.
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

People With Bipolar and BPD Struggle in Mental Healthcare

There is a unique kind of pain in losing your mind, not just once, but over and over. Losing your perception of reality, of your emotions, of your closest relationships-both across months and multiple times a day. Knowing deep down that something is wrong but being unable to stop it.
Mental health
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology explains the reason some people grow sweeter with age while others grow bitter has nothing to do with how hard their life was - it's about whether they learned to grieve their losses or hoard them - Silicon Canals

Aging can lead to either bitterness or sweetness, depending on how one processes life's hurts and losses.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Caring for the Part of You That Wants to Die

Suicide ideation affects 15.6% of U.S. adults, with significant risk factors including mental disorders, trauma, and social circumstances.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Why We Don't Change-Even When We Know What's Wrong

Insight alone is insufficient for change; real experiences are necessary to challenge ingrained beliefs and expectations.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Stop Telling Anxious People to Be Resilient

Resilience frameworks wrongly attribute anxiety to individual weakness rather than systemic issues, leading to harmful consequences for those affected.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Your Most Horrifying Thoughts May Not Mean What You Think

Intrusive sexual thoughts are a common form of OCD, often misidentified and not indicative of actual desire.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Outsmarting Depression: A 6-Step Roadmap to Personal Renewal

Depressive symptoms, often dismissed as everyday blues, can escalate quickly and disrupt life, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing mental health issues.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Still Waiting to Hear "You Were Right"?

The desire for validation stems from past neglect and devaluation, creating a painful emotional wound that seeks recognition and worth.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Day I Realized My Son Wasn't Defiant, He Was Ashamed

Understanding a child's emotional state is crucial; shame can manifest as feelings of worthlessness, impacting behavior and communication.
Psychology
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

I'm seeing more people in therapy struggling with war-related anxiety. Here's what helps | Ahona Guha

Global events have led to widespread feelings of doom and a sense of globalized trauma affecting societal perceptions of safety and predictability.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

What to Do When You Hit Life's Low Point

External crises trigger deep self-reflection, especially during midlife, leading to questions about fulfillment and the meaning of life.
#dissociation
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

When Dissociation Changes the Rules of Therapy

Therapists face common fears and challenges when treating dissociation, requiring a collaborative approach rather than control.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

5 Signs That Dissociation May Be Present in Therapy

Dissociation manifests subtly in therapy through emotional shifts, parts language, and disconnection as adaptive survival mechanisms rather than pathology.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

When Dissociation Changes the Rules of Therapy

Therapists face common fears and challenges when treating dissociation, requiring a collaborative approach rather than control.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

5 Signs That Dissociation May Be Present in Therapy

Dissociation manifests subtly in therapy through emotional shifts, parts language, and disconnection as adaptive survival mechanisms rather than pathology.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

An IFS Therapy Program for PTSD: A Proof-of-Concept Study

The IFS therapy-based PARTS program is a promising cost-effective treatment for PTSD and related mental health issues.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

When Trauma Still Hurts: Memory Rescripting

Memory rescripting, a trauma-focused technique developed in the 1990s, enabled successful treatment of agoraphobia in a patient who refused traditional exposure therapy despite being an ideal CBT candidate.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

When Anxiety Is Really Fear in Disguise

What people call anxiety is often the brain's fear system activating to protect us, sometimes overreacting when no immediate danger exists.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

When Therapists Say They Don't Treat Dissociation

Dissociation exists on a spectrum beyond DID and commonly appears in trauma therapy, requiring all clinicians to understand its subtle manifestations to provide effective trauma-informed care.
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

What Happens When We Are Triggered

Someone says something to us, and we are suddenly struck with a sinking feeling in our stomach. Someone does something, and instantly we become enraged or alarmed. Someone comes at us with a certain attitude, and we go to pieces. We hear mention of a person, place, or thing that is associated with an unresolved issue or a past trauma, and we immediately feel ourselves seize up with sadness, anger, fear, or shame.
Mindfulness
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Denial of Brain: How Therapy Can Struggle With Neuroscience

Therapists exhibit brain denial rooted in mind-body dualism and mortality anxiety, while others misuse neuroscience for marketing, leaving patients without evidence-based brain-informed care.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Obsessive-Compulsive's Misguided Quest for More Proof

Obsessive individuals seek certainty in choices, but life offers no definitive answers; reassessing decisions and improving relationships provides freedom.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

A New Model for Treating Trauma

Present-focused TEAM CBT can rapidly change emotions and resolve longstanding complex trauma, sometimes completing an entire course of therapy in a single session.
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