All posts tagged: Compulsive

3 Reasons Behind Compulsive Financial Giving

3 Reasons Behind Compulsive Financial Giving

Published by Jenni Sidey

Most people have met or known a compulsive giver in their lifetime. They always pick up the bill without hesitation, often send unsolicited gifts when someone’s in a tight spot, or even quietly bankroll group plans so no one has to miss out. On the surface, it reads as kindness and an unusually robust sense of generosity. Up close, however, it often reveals itself to be part of a complex and obsessive pattern that reinforces their identity and repairs invisible childhood wounds. Here are the psychological roots of compulsive financial giving, the toll it takes, and what it means for the friendships built around it. 1. Compulsive Giving as Emotion Regulation (Not Just a Love Language) Gift-giving features in pop psychology most often as one of the “love languages.” And insofar as it brings the person and the receiver happiness, it feels wrong to nit-pick the habit. For some people, however, money is a salve they might use compulsively to ease an internal discomfort. This discomfort can take many forms: guilt about having more, worry …

Meta’s own research found parental supervision doesn’t really help curb teens’ compulsive social media use

Meta’s own research found parental supervision doesn’t really help curb teens’ compulsive social media use

Published by skeptic

An internal research study at Meta dubbed “Project MYST” created in partnership with the University of Chicago, found that parental supervision and controls — such as time limits and restricted access — had little impact on kids’ compulsive use of social media. The study also found that kids who experienced stressful life events were more likely to lack the ability to moderate their social media use appropriately. This was one of the notable claims revealed during testimony at the social media addiction trial that began last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff in the lawsuit is identified by her initials “KGM” or her first name, “Kaley.” She, along with her mother and others joining the case, is accusing social media companies of creating “addictive and dangerous” products that led the young users to suffer anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and more. The case is now one of several landmark trials that will take place this year, which accuse social media companies of harming children. The results of these …

The Hidden Costs of Compulsive Caring

The Hidden Costs of Compulsive Caring

Published by Jenni Sidey

Caring is usually seen as an unquestioned virtue. We admire the devoted partner, the endlessly patient friend, and the person who is always available in a crisis. But in adult relationships, caring can sometimes become more than a loving response to another person’s needs; it can become a relational pattern, a central way of organizing intimacy, identity, and self-worth. When this happens, it becomes a psychological role. Caring as a Way of Belonging For many people, chronic caretaking begins early in life. In families where emotional needs were inconsistent, overwhelming, or poorly contained, some children learn—often without conscious awareness—that being attuned to others is the way to stay connected. They become the child who: Soothes a distressed parent. Mediates conflict. Suppresses their own needs to keep relationships stable. Over time, caring becomes a strategy for attachment. For example: If I take care of you, you won’t leave. If I am needed, I am safe. If I am useful, I belong. By adulthood, this strategy may be so familiar that it feels like a personality rather …