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Are you paying the dopamine tax? The hidden cost of emotional spending

From treating ourselves after a difficult day to chasing the excitement of something new, shopping can offer an instant lift. But are we buying the things we want, or seeking the dopamine boost shopping brings?

Sally Saunders

16 October 202615 October 2026

Are you paying the dopamine tax? The hidden cost of emotional spending

Mental health

Dopamine, doomscrolling and disconnection: The hidden mental-health cost of your phone

Shorter attention spans, rising anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and an endless need for “the next hit” — experts say our smartphones are quietly reshaping our mental health in ways we’re only just beginning to understand. We check our phones hundreds of times a day. We scroll, tap, refresh and reply almost automatically. But beneath these everyday […]

Sally Saunders

15 May 202615 May 2026

Dopamine, doomscrolling and disconnection: The hidden mental-health cost of your phone

Emotional wellbeing

Could you have a dopamine deficit?

For a long time we’ve been focusing on dopamine detoxes, but do we need more, not less, of the d-word? And could a dopamine deficit be the real culprit behind treatment-resistant depression, asks Emma Green Dopamine has come into the spotlight in recent years, and it’s not always been for good reasons. Our over reliance […]

Psychologies

18 August 202529 August 2025

‘The shame was never ours to bear’: how Ruth Ellis’s execution scarred generations of her family

For decades, the execution of Ruth Ellis cast a long shadow over her family, shaping childhoods, relationships and a legacy of trauma. Now, after securing a historic posthumous pardon for her grandmother, Laura Enston tells us how she is reclaiming a story that was once a source of shame.

‘Help — I can’t stop thinking about my married coworker!’: How to stop a workplace crush from becoming an affair

You can’t always control who you’re attracted to, but you can control what happens next. A therapist explains why workplace crushes develop, what they might reveal about your needs, and how to stop attraction from crossing a line.

What happens when the person who murdered your loved one is on death row? The psychology of grief, justice and closure

When someone is murdered, the grief can be devastating. But for families whose loved one’s killer spends decades on death row, the wait for justice can bring its own psychological challenges. Chartered psychologist Dr Ravi Gill explains how repeated delays, anticipatory grief and the hope of an execution can affect the bereavement process – and why closure is rarely straightforward.