Routine
A repeating frame for the day that relieves decision-making and provides predictability.
How it shows up
In periods of distress, routine is often the first thing to fall apart — and that itself makes things worse. Insomnia, depression and grief all feed on a shapeless day.
What we do with it in therapy
We start with two points, not a whole timetable: a fixed waking time and one meal at the same hour. The rest usually leans on those by itself.
See also
Psychodynamic therapy
An approach that looks for the origin of present difficulties in early relationships and in what remained unconscious.
Emotional blackmail
A pattern in which someone uses guilt, fear or obligation to get you to do what they want.
The amygdala
The part of the brain that quickly assesses danger and triggers a response before thinking kicks in.
