“The guide to a freer, healthier and happier life”. (ELLE) Addicted to our screens, to the Internet, compulsive players, emotionally dependent, hooked on tobacco, on alcohol, on food, on sex … We are all, to very varying degrees, dependent on something which may cause problems if it gets out of control. Could you be affected? The answer is in this book! It will help you to keep or – if…
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a novel psychotherapeutic approach to the treatment of, amongst other things, phobias, addictions and depression. The method was developed in the USA at the end of the 1980s, by psychologist Francine Shapiro, and it was first used to treat post-traumatic syndromes. For victims of rape, accidents, bereavement or conflict, it’s now the best documented method in the English-speaking world, and the most…
Anne-France Huret, a psychologist who specialises in family and couple therapy, has some words of advice on making the transition from emotional dependence on the object of your affections (the intense “us” experienced at the start) to emotional independence; the “me / myself / I” which is more fulfilling in the long term. It’s a process with several stages, but working on your self-esteem is the most important of these….
Once regarded as vulgar and lurid adornments fit only for sailors, criminals and rock stars, tattoos have become increasingly socially acceptable in recent years. Body art is a practice stretching back more than 5000 years, having religious and tribal roots. Here in the 21st century it’s become almost mainstream, attracting growing numbers of passionate enthusiasts, including many trendsetting celebrities. Inevitably, this has led to controversy, with some psychoanalysts suggesting the…
According to Anne-France Huret, a psychologist specialising in couple and family therapy, the process of building yourself up again after a break-up has several stages. Here’s the advice of our psychologist about coping successfully with everything from the emotional shock to putting yourself back together. The emotional shock We experience every separation, however foreseeable it may have been, as a shock because it turns our daily lives upside down. This…
One of the most common forms of OCD is classed with the obsessive-phobic disorders. We’re talking about an obsession with cleanliness and hygiene, sometimes called mysophobia or germophobia. People suffering from this condition find that it affects their private and social lives. After all, how can you live a normal life when you’re constantly afraid of being contaminated by germs or infected by microbes? When you avoid public places, and…
In this post we’re talking about addiction to soap operas. The French have a word for it – “sériephilie”, or “sériphile addict” to borrow a phrase from sociologist Clément Combes. The very idea of soap addiction makes some people smile. So who’s hidden behind the label? A person who loses control of their consumption of television series, to the point where their social life is affected. And we have to…
This example of addiction may cause a few smiles. Dedicated runners are among the first to laugh at themselves, describing their regular outings as a drug fix. Behind all this joking, though, maybe there’s a basis of truth? The paradox here is that running is supposed to improve our physical condition, making us well and healthy. Once again, it’s doing it repeatedly that can take us over the line. To…
Guest Writer, Donna Gregory—yoga teacher and holistic therapist at Donna Crystal Holistics Addictions are easy to develop but a tremendous struggle to overcome. People typically do not realize they are becoming addicted until after the addiction has already secured a strong grip on their lives. Trying to beat the addiction causes a high level of stress. Willpower alone may not be enough, and sometimes, attempts to quit can lead the…
Can an addiction to pessimism be detrimental to our health? Is a negative outlook holding us back from a happier, healthier state of being? Modern research tends to suggest that the way we view the world; ourselves, our future, work, family etc., can have a huge effect on how we experience it. So how can a pessimistic outlook affect us, and what can we do to turn that frown upside…