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.
This series explores human behaviour, relationships, and emotional resilience through the work of Alfred Adler—one of the first psychologists to focus not just on what is “wrong” with people, but on how they can grow, connect, and find meaning. Each piece stands alone, but together they tell a deeper story: 1. The Neurotic Constitution —… Read More Understanding Human Behaviour: An Adlerian Series
In 1912, Alfred Adler published The Neurotic Constitution, introducing a powerful idea: That many unhealthy behaviours are not random—but rooted in a deep sense of inferiority. Adler believed that when a person feels fundamentally “less than”—not good enough, not important enough, not secure enough—they don’t simply sit with that feeling. Instead, they try to compensate… Read More From Inferiority to Control: What Adler Can Teach Us About Harmful Relationship Dynamics
Kindness costs nothing. No money.No status.No special privilege. And yet, for some people, it seems to be the hardest thing in the world to offer. That truth can be difficult to understand—especially if you are someone who gives kindness naturally. If you are someone who considers others, who chooses your words carefully, who would rather… Read More Kindness Costs Nothing — Yet Some People Still Refuse to Give It
Recently, someone said something to me that stopped me in my tracks: “Despite his best attempts, he hasn’t managed to kill your soul.” Another person told me, “You still have a large, soft heart… you’re still open to love.” To most people, these might sound like simple observations.To me, they felt like music. Because after everything… Read More They Didn’t Kill My Soul
Psychologists sometimes refer to a subtle but deeply impactful experience as ambiguous deprivation.It’s not about something dramatic that happened to you.It’s about what didn’t. It’s the quiet absence of what should have been there: And because nothing obvious was “taken,” it can be incredibly hard to name. The Loss You Can’t Point To Unlike clear trauma, ambiguous… Read More Ambiguous Deprivation: The Invisible Loss That Shapes Us
“After years around constant health scares, one thing became very clear:” “Living for years in a family where every symptom is a crisis changes you… but maybe not in the way people think.” A headache isn’t just a headache.It’s a brain tumour.Indigestion isn’t diet… it’s something serious.A mole isn’t a mole… it’s skin cancer. When… Read More Let’s call it what it is.
Here are the early warning signs, the ones that tend to appear before anything obvious or extreme. These are rooted in the same nervous system patterns we just talked about. 1. Subtle lack of empathy (easy to miss) At the beginning they can seem: But watch closely when something small happens, like you’re upset or uncomfortable. You might… Read More Early warning signs
1. Their stress system just discharged Before the outburst, their brain is often in a high-alert state: When they lash out (verbally, emotionally, or physically), it can act like a release valve. So their body goes from:high stress → discharge → relief That relief can look like: 2. Your distress regulates their nervous system This is one of… Read More Why an abusive person can seem calm right after harming you
From a neuroscience perspective, the difference is often not that one person has a “bad brain” and another has a “good brain.”It is more about how certain brain systems work together — especially the systems for: 1. The brain of someone who may become abusive Research shows some abusive or violent people can have: Overactive threat system… Read More How certain brain systems work together
Discover the difference between love and survival. This article explores emotional abuse, healing after divorce, and how to rebuild self-worth and inner beauty.… Read More Staying Wasn’t Love—It Was Survival
Linda C J Turner | Trauma Therapist & Emotional Healing Specialist 