Toxic Me: Recognizing and Overcoming Toxicity in Oneself
Toxic behavior can have a profound impact on our relationships, work environments, and overall well-being. Recognizing, understanding and addressing one’s own toxic behaviors is essential for personal growth and healthy interactions. This essay, based on my own experience of trial-and-error as well as unwavering commitment to sustainable healing, explores the ways in which I […]
“You Are Imagining Things!”: Understanding Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a insidiously manipulative tactic in which a person or group attempts to sow doubt in another person’s mind, involves persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, ultimately causing the victim to doubt their own reality and to question their memory, perception, sanity, with the goal of gain power and control over the victim, […]
Am I a Gaslighter? Recognizing and Healing Manipulative Behaviors: A Self-Reflective Guide
I have never been a gaslighter myself, but I have known more gaslighters – and manipulators, for that matter – than regular people had known normal humans. (Conversely, I have encountered very few, if any at all, healthy individuals during the first two or two-and-a-half decades of my life.) This essay, the first among […]
Understanding Toxic Families: Root Causes, Characteristics, and Healing Strategies
Family is often considered a safe sanctuary, a place of unconditional love, support and growth. However, not all families provide such a nurturing environment: some can be toxic, leading to long-lasting negative effects on individuals born and raised in them. Toxic families, characterized by dysfunctional relationships and harmful behaviors, can profoundly impact the mental […]
Gaslighting in the Workplace: Recognizing and Coping with Psychological Manipulation, with a Focus on European Professionals
Gaslighting, a term originally derived from the 1938 play Gas Light and its subsequent cinema adaptation from 1944, in which a husband manipulates his wife into thinking she is losing her sanity. Likewise, gaslighting designates a form of psychological manipulation involving a person or a group causing someone to question their perception of […]
5 Benefits of Regularly Drinking Coffee Alone in a Wholesome Café
The simple act of drinking coffee alone in a wholesome café can be profoundly enriching. This ritual might be cherished by many people around the world as it offers more than just the pleasure of a good cup of coffee: the experience in itself provides a range of benefits which touch on physical health, […]
8 Benefits of Visiting Museums Alone
Museums serve as sanctuaries of culture, history, and knowledge, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with the past and present in profound ways. Visiting museums is often seen as a leisurely activity that can be enjoyed in the company of friends, family, or a significant other While many people visit museums in groups or […]
Understanding Toxic Humans: Characteristics, Recognition, and Healing
In our daily interactions, we often encounter individuals whose behavior and attitudes drain our energy, leave us feeling unsettled, or cause emotional harm. These individuals are commonly referred to as “toxic humans”. Toxic humans are a significant phenomenon which can deeply impact interpersonal relationships, mental health, and overall well-being. For European readers, understanding the […]
“All the World’s a Stage!” 5 Major Benefits of Going Alone to the Theater
The theater is a timeless art form that has captivated audiences for centuries, a place of storytelling, community gathering, and artistic expression. While it is frequently enjoyed as a social activity, in the company of friends, family, or partners, going alone to the theater offers unique and profound benefits which are more often than […]
Painful Yet Familiar: Recognizing, Understanding, and Healing from Toxic Romantic Relationships and Friendships
Toxic personal relationships, whether friendships or more casual interactions, can profoundly affect one’s mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. These relationships are characterized by behaviors and dynamics that are damaging, manipulative, and harmful to one or both parties involved thus inherently degrading the individuals involved. Understanding the features and root causes of such toxic […]