Dopamine and Addiction: when stimulation becomes a refuge
Gambling, stimulants, shopping, pornography, gaming and social media can offer a quick spark. What does dopamine actually do, and how can we find more ways to feel engaged and alive?
Blog
Psychology, men and the work of living well.
Articles on emotional life, relationships, trauma, identity, behaviour, career, wellbeing and the psychology of change.
When the inner critic drives addiction
When an old voice demands perfection and rejects parts of us, an addictive behaviour can offer a brief holiday from its pain. Understanding that childhood pattern can open another path to freedom.
Why do we have addictions?
A substance, activity or habit can offer real relief, freedom or connection. Understanding what it does for us helps us care for the pain beneath it and build other ways forward.
The Inner Critic: An Old Protector in an Adult Life
Why the critical voice can shape our lives, how it learned to protect us in childhood, and what helps it grow into an adult guide.
Why do we have emotions?
A guide to the seven needs and the emotions that help us notice and respond to them.
Identity, mental health and the expectation that we can meet our needs
How beliefs about capability, belonging and choice shape the way men approach life's needs.
Trauma, identity and the behaviours that once helped us cope
How unresolved memories can shape identity and behaviour, and what repair can involve.