Tag: MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being, encompassing the ability to handle stress, relate to others, make decisions, and navigate the challenges of life. It influences how individuals think, feel, and act, contributing to the overall balance and quality of their lives. Mental health is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

 Friendship differs from a romantic relationship

Let’s look at how friendship differs from a romantic relationship, both in the mind and in the brain. 🧠 Neuroscience Perspective 1. Shared biological systems Both friendship and romantic love activate the brain’s reward circuitry — especially areas like: Ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (dopamine reward system) Prefrontal cortex (decision-making, empathy, perspective-taking) Amygdala (emotional recognition and response) Oxytocin and vasopressin pathways (bonding and trust) The difference lies in intensity and neural… Read More  Friendship differs from a romantic relationship

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Friendship

Friendship, in its broadest sense, is a voluntary, reciprocal relationship based on trust, affection, shared interests, and mutual support. When we consider friendship between a man and a woman, both neuroscience and psychology provide insights into its nature, dynamics, and unique aspects. Let’s break it down carefully. 1. Psychological Perspective Core elements of friendship: Trust and… Read More Friendship

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🧠 Healing After Abuse: Psychological and Neuroscientific Support for Recovery

Leaving an abusive relationship — whether emotional, physical, or psychological — is not simply a matter of walking away. The trauma it leaves behind can echo through your body, brain, and emotions long after the abuse has ended.A skilled psychologist or court psychologist can play an essential role in helping you rebuild your sense of safety, identity,… Read More 🧠 Healing After Abuse: Psychological and Neuroscientific Support for Recovery

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🌿 One Year of Growth: The Neuroscience of Becoming Yourself Again

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

One year can change everything. Over the past twelve months, I’ve learned more about myself than in a lifetime. I’ve discovered strength I didn’t know I had — not the kind that hides behind a smile, but the quiet resilience that grows from truth, healing, and self-compassion. For years, I was the crutch for others,… Read More 🌿 One Year of Growth: The Neuroscience of Becoming Yourself Again

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“One year of your life can make so much difference.”

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

🧠 The Neuroscience and Psychology of One Year of Growth “One year of your life can make so much difference.”When you consciously choose healing, your brain’s neuroplasticity — its ability to rewire — begins to reshape how you think, feel, and relate. Every moment of self-reflection builds new neural connections for insight and self-compassion. 1. Self-Awareness: Seeing Yourself from… Read More “One year of your life can make so much difference.”

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🧠 1. The neuroscience of denial: fear and self-protection

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

Denial is not just psychological — it’s neurobiological.When the brain encounters something threatening to identity, reputation, or emotional safety, the amygdala (fear center) and anterior cingulate cortex (conflict detector) activate.This triggers avoidance circuits — the brain unconsciously blocks awareness or reshapes reality to reduce emotional pain. In other words: “If I don’t admit it, I don’t have to feel it.” The brain… Read More 🧠 1. The neuroscience of denial: fear and self-protection

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🧠 1. What happens in the brain (neuroscience perspective)

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

Antipsychotic medication (used for conditions like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or severe bipolar disorder) works by regulating dopamine and sometimes serotonin activity in key brain circuits — especially those involving: The prefrontal cortex (thinking, planning, judgment) The limbic system (emotion and fear regulation) The striatum (motivation and reward) When you’ve been on these medications for years, your brain adapts to their presence: Receptors adjust (for example,… Read More 🧠 1. What happens in the brain (neuroscience perspective)

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“The Look That Never Lied: The Psychology of Hatred and Survival”

You can see the pattern in every picture — birthdays, holidays, celebrations.The smiles around you are bright, the music is playing, yet beside you is that same expression: a cold, hostile glare that never softens.Even on his own birthday, surrounded by friends, the cake lit and the room full of warmth, his eyes stayed fixed… Read More “The Look That Never Lied: The Psychology of Hatred and Survival”

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“The Psychology of Projection: When the Real Controller Says ‘They’re Trying to Control You’”

You heard it over and over:“They’re trying to control you.”Your family. Your friends. Anyone who cared about you —he cast them all as the enemy. But in truth, it was never them.It was him. Psychologically, this is a classic tactic of projection — one of the most common defense mechanisms in controlling or narcissistic personalities.Projection happens when a person… Read More “The Psychology of Projection: When the Real Controller Says ‘They’re Trying to Control You’”

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“After Control: The Neuroscience of Finally Living as You Choose”

For years, you went everywhere alone.Weddings, dinners, birthdays, the Camino de Santiago —always the one who showed up, smiled, and stood alone.But he never came — not to celebrate, not to walk beside you.You attended masonic dinners, family events, special moments — mostly  without him. For three decades, the pattern never changed.The only things you… Read More “After Control: The Neuroscience of Finally Living as You Choose”

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