What does being nonbinary mean? Non-binary is a term for people who do not identify as male or female. They fall outside the binary genders seen as the norm in many societies. Some feel partially related to both. Others experience their gender as something outside these categories. The meaning of nonbinary varies from person to … Read more
Close your eyes and imagine you are walking on a beach. Do you see the waves? Do you hear the roar of the sea? Do you feel the sand under your feet? Many people can conjure up images in their minds, hear sounds or feel the sensation of warmth and wind. But not everyone can … Read more
What is transgender? Transgender (often abbreviated to trans) is a term for people whose gender identity does not match the sex assigned to them at birth. This can mean that someone identifies as a gender other than their birth sex, or as a gender outside the binary classification of male and female. Transgender people may … Read more
What makes you who you are? Why do people differ so much in their behavior, feelings and thoughts? According to Sigmund Freud, personality formation begins in early childhood and proceeds through a series of psychosexual stages. Freud argued that children face inner conflicts and urges at different stages of development. How these conflicts are resolved, … Read more
Why do people sometimes make irrational choices? Why do you feel guilty when you’ve done something wrong, even if no one catches you? Why do you sometimes have to fight against your own desires? According to Freud, this is because of a constant battle inside us: a battle between desires, reality and morality. In 1923, … Read more
The history of psychiatry is a fascinating story of progress, setbacks and changes in the way we understand and treat mental health. From the earliest ideas about mental illness to modern treatments, psychiatry has come a long way. In this timeline, we discover the key moments that have shaped the development of the field. Early … Read more
What is autistic burnout? Autistic burnout is a state of extreme exhaustion common among people with autism. It is not an official medical term, but is increasingly recognized by researchers, caregivers and people with autism themselves. Such burnout results from prolonged stress and the pressure to adapt to an environment that does not suit them … Read more
When life is unpleasant or upsetting, people often use fantasy as a way to escape reality. Fantasy is one of the defense mechanisms or coping mechanisms the brain can use to escape reality. What is a defense mechanism? When you have difficult emotions or impulses you often look for ways to deal with these unwanted … Read more
What is emotional incest? In emotional incest, a child is used by an adult for emotional gratification. When a parent goes to his or her child for emotional support or treats him or her more like a spouse than a child, psychologists call it emotional incest. The child is forced to support the adult by … Read more
What are pronouns? Pronouns or pronouns are words that can be used in place of a noun. The best-known example of pronouns are personal pronouns, which can refer to the person or persons speaking (first person), the person or persons spoken to (second person), or other persons or things (third person). In many Indo-European languages … Read more
