Mental health
fromPsychology Today
8 hours agoThe Burden of Being 'The Reasonable One'
Being labeled "reasonable" often masks chronic emotional labor, self-silencing, and uneven expectations that harm mental well-being, especially for women.
High-achieving professionals are among the least likely groups to seek psychological or emotional support, despite facing elevated levels of stress, burnout, and health risk. Research consistently shows that individuals in high-responsibility roles delay help-seeking longer than the general population, often waiting until symptoms begin to affect health, relationships, or job performance. By the time support feels unavoidable, the personal and professional cost is often far greater than it needed to be.
At the core of violence lies emotional rupture, not only when harm is inflicted intentionally, but also when life is interrupted by forces beyond one's control. Forced displacement is one such rupture. It does not simply change location; it reshapes identity, possibility, and the nervous system itself. For those who leave home under threat, hunger, or despair, exile is not a chapter that closes. It becomes a psychological terrain carried within the body and mind.
I used to love coming home from vacation. The way the plane would swoop over London's skyscrapers and the River Thames before landing at Heathrow. Returning to my favorite places, people, and my job. Until one day, I burst into tears on a flight home from Italy. When I turned 30, I thought I had it all with a great career in London managing communications for TV networks.
Nearly all corporate workers face mental health challenges at work. And in 2025, unprecedented, lightning-fast developments in AI, unending widespread layoffs and broader political turmoil roiled workers' emotional well-being. Many workers have been left burned out, anxious, and filled with dread. But it's not all bad-in some corners of the workforce, each seismic disruption this year brought with it discourse around the problem, as well as some leaders and workers staying committed to safeguarding mental health in the face of constant change.
Anxiety ... we can't live with it, but we also can't live without it since there's no delete button for emotions. For families managing food allergies, anxiety can feel especially intense because it's tied to real risks. Yet, research shows that while food allergy anxiety is common, it's how we respond to it-not its presence-that most affects family functioning and quality of life.
Much of what we know about the psychological impact of a D&C (a dilation and curettage procedure to remove tissue from the inside of the uterus) comes from research that tracks symptoms- depression, anxiety, and post- traumatic stress-after pregnancy loss (Lok & Neugebauer, 2007; Farren et al., 2016). These findings matter. They confirm that this experience can be emotionally destabilizing.
Australia's social media age restrictions, which came into effect on December 10, 2025, prohibit young people under the age of 16 from creating or holding accounts on major social media platforms (Australia eSafety Commissioner, 2025). Many American teens and young adults I speak with applaud this reform. They understand the pressure and harm of early and excessive exposure to social media. This legislation reflects the growing awareness that social media can include addictive designs, cyberbullying or abuse, and exposure to illegal and explicit content.
Nguyen, 34, was part of April's historic 11-minute flight, whose crew included pop star Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, and journalist and wife of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez. The flight was heavily criticized for its environmental impact and critics questioned its purpose and use of resources.
Research into the trends of COVID-19 hospitalizations has revealed disproportionate levels of hospitalizations among Black and Hispanic populations (Pham et al., 2023). Recent studies have found similar disparities in children, with Black and Hispanic children being more likely to be hospitalized (Anglin et al., 2025). Notably, rates of previous trauma are higher in these populations (Pumariega et al., 2022), and being hospitalized can lead to additional trauma and negative psychological outcomes for children and their families (Meentken et al., 2021).
In today's world, there are a lot of people who like to intensely criticize others while rarely taking responsibility for their own behavior. They often have traits of Cluster B ( narcissistic, antisocial, borderline, and histrionic) personality disorders, which tend to be "dramatic, emotional, or erratic" 1 and have strong associations with "domineeringness, vindictiveness, and intrusiveness." 2 If you have to deal with such a person, either occasionally or every day, there is a simple way to minimize the impact of their negative words on you.
The first thing the interviewer asked me was, "Why the name Running on Empty? Where did that come from?" To be honest, I was somewhat unprepared for this question, and I stumbled a bit. The only answer I could think of at first was: "Because that's what childhood emotional neglect makes you feel." It made such intuitive sense to me that I had never even thought about how to explain it.
Shadowloss describes the grief we carry in our day-to-day lives that we often don't share with others. It reminds us that the physical death of a loved one is not the only kind of loss. We may experience grief when we lose a job, a relationship, or a way of life; when we experience a health challenge; or when we must give up on a dream.
When Anthony Owens lost his first child Arthur shortly before birth, he noticed that women in grief support groups were talkers while men were doers - so, with Féileacáin Fathers, he focused on helping fellow dads remember their babies through physical challenges Losing a loved one is always a traumatic experience, but when a parent loses a child, the grief can be immeasurable, regardless of the circumstances or how long they were on this earth for.
Families serve as the connective glue for many people, providing a sense of belonging and acceptance while forming a framework for relationships throughout their lifespan. Despite their potential to nurture security and intimacy, however, some families fall short, and certain interaction patterns can be harmful-not just at yearly family get-togethers, but on a personal level as well. Toxic family dynamics-from belittling to exerting power and control to manipulation-have been well-established by research as damaging and destructive.
Last week, someone asked me, "Did you always want to be a mom?" My instinct was to say yes - but then I paused. Sitting on the floor with my 15-month-old daughter, I realized I'd never actually asked myself that question before. I'd always imagined what kind of mother I'd be, but not whether I wanted to become one. Motherhood, I would soon learn, has a way of undoing everything you think you know about yourself.
"While they're very good at solving problems in a rational way, they can be less well practised at processing feelings. And due to the nature of their jobs, there are a lot of intense and difficult situations they'll be dealing with every day. Using the art therapy method helps people to communicate with colleagues in a very different way and to share feelings that might otherwise be difficult to express."
"If a new vaping product or soft drink hits the market and 1 in 20 consumers report suicidal thoughts, public outrage would be swift. Investigations would follow, regulations would tighten, and headlines would be flooded with concern for public health. But when political stress yields similar numbers, the reaction is far more muted; politics doesn't seem to register in the same way," says Smith.
In July of 2024, Butler had surgery in Redding to remove the blockage in his urethra. But the pain and discomfort continued through the summer. In September, he was admitted for three days to the emergency room in nearby Weaverville with a severe urinary tract infection. Frost said that during this time she tried to call her dad's urologist several times to reschedule a follow-up appointment he missed while in the hospital, but she could only reach an answering machine.
No visit home for the holidays is complete without at least a few annoying or insensitive comments from your extended family. Often, your family means well when they inquire - yet again! - about your relationship status, your body, your baby plans or what is (or isn't) on your plate or in your glass. Or perhaps they're oblivious to how inappropriate these remarks can be. But that doesn't change the fact that it's exhausting to deal with these same comments year after year.
I am someone who believes it is never too late to change. I think you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks, as long as the old dog is open-minded and willing to learn. As long as the old dog is willing to admit when it was wrong, and work to become a better dog. OK yes, I am the old dog. And the trick I am trying to learn, even though I am decrepit?
A much-loved Christmas story tells about the journey of the Magi-the three Wise Men who came seeking the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" they ask. "For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." The essence of the tale is their unshakable faith in a worldly sign-a star in the sky-which the Magi trusted would guide them to the savior of the world.