Anger is a normal emotion that we experience when we perceive that something has gone wrong in our life. That perception may be right or wrong, and that’s precisely what makes anger such a tricky emotion to manage. We get angry when we perceive that our rights have been violated, our boundaries have been crossed, …
Cyclothymia is derived from the Greek “kyklos”, meaning “cycle” and “thymos”, meaning “mood”. A person with cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder experiences frequent mood cycles or mood swings. While it’s normal for people to experience mood swings from time to time, those shifts in the mood don’t typically interfere with day-to-day activities. When mood swings become …
You’ve been in a good relationship for a while. The honeymoon phase is over, and the relationship has started to stabilize. While you may feel safe and secure with your partner, you may still face ups and downs in your relationship. During the downs, you’re likely to have doubts about the relationship. After all, the …
Humans are social species, and forming social connections is our basic need. In ancestral times, humans survived by hunting and gathering in bands. During those times, loneliness could’ve easily meant death. This is why when people lose a meaningful social connection, it can feel like death. The pain of loneliness experienced by losing a loved …
Nyctophobia is an intense and irrational fear of the dark. It’s normal to have some fear of the dark because you can’t see what you’re dealing with. You don’t know what lies in the unknown regions of darkness. You don’t have control over the dark. However, people who have nyctophobia have an extreme fear of …
Humans are social and hierarchical species. They can’t stop comparing themselves with others to know where they lie on the social hierarchy. When they make an upward social comparison, i.e., when they encounter someone who’s ‘above’ them or better than them in some vital way, they feel inferior. You’ll always find someone better than you …
Emotional numbness means shutting down one’s emotions, usually in response to extreme physical or emotional pain. It’s a defense mechanism of the mind that tries to protect us from further pain. Emotional numbness can be seen as a form of dissociation– a response to trauma. When people experience a traumatic event, they may dissociate from: …
The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is a Self-Report (SR) test that measures your level of social anxiety. This social anxiety test helps you determine whether or not you have social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia). Social anxiety refers to the anxiety that a person feels in social situations. At its core, it’s the …
The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) is a depression self-test that measures your current depression level. It was originally developed by W.W. Zung to test the level of depression in patients diagnosed with depression. The Zung self-rating depression scale assesses the various psychological as well as somatic symptoms associated with depression. It measures common characteristics …
The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) is an emotional intelligence assessment that measures your general emotional intelligence level. Emotional Intelligence is key to self-understanding and understanding the people in your life. Emotional Intelligence is a broad term that encompasses a set of personal and interpersonal skills. According to Daniel Goleman, author of the widely …