Metro

Four years ago, I let a man into my home for what was meant to be consensual casual sex. What actually happened was very far from that. Almost as soon as he crossed the threshold, he slapped me across the face, causing me to fall backwards into my bedroom wall. In the next instant, his hands were around my neck and I immediately knew I was in trouble.

My ex is now my best friend My ex is now my best friend When you love someone, it’s horrible to realise that your feelings don’t match the way they feel for you. Jordan and I had been together for just over six months when I knew. The candle-lit dinners, night-long hugs and constant banter were incredible, but when I returned to my native Italy for the summer, saying goodbye wasn’t the heart-wrenching agony I had anticipated. Being apart didn’t feel the way I had expected either. I didn’t mi

Had to put up with an annoying sibling/partner/housemate in lockdown? Spare a thought for the people who have been living with spirits in their house. With the nation being at home more than ever before, some people have noticed they’re not the only ones occupying their four walls. Sam Bennetts is an individual who has experienced new activity in her house during lockdown. She lives in Feltham with her husband and youngest children. The mum-of-seven has been working with spirits her entire l

Picture an apple in your head. Most of us would assume that everyone is able to generate these mental images from a very young age. But, for some people, these visual thoughts don’t take place. Aphantasia is a condition where individuals just cannot picture images in their heads – even familiar places, family members or colours. Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, explains: ‘While most of us may be able to think of something that happe

What Comes Next: More physical affection and smaller circles – how friendships will change as a result of coronavirus What Comes Next: More physical affection and smaller circles – how friendships will change as a result of coronavirus The pandemic has made a lot of people appreciate their nearest and dearest – not just family members but friends, too. Throughout our lives, friends help us develop as individuals, offer emotional support and provide us with much-needed entertainment. ‘Friends

The arguments in Rowling’s essay are sinister. They paint transgender women as a threat, and depict transgender men as confused, naïve victims of a harmful ideology. And within all of this calmly delivered misinformation and fear-mongering, there is the central thread that many trans men should be dissuaded from transitioning. Some of the reasons she gives are all too familiar to me.

Parents have a lot of plates to spin – what with their jobs, children, housework and social lives. But the coronavirus pandemic has left parents juggling work and children at the same time – with mums, in particular, picking up a lot of childcare and homeschooling duties, while they are trying to work themselves. Naturally, this is having a knock-on effect on women’s careers. A recent survey found that more than half of working mums believe increased childcare responsibilities during the coro

What Comes Next: House prices might fall for millennials and Generation Z but long-term financial difficulties are coming What Comes Next: House prices might fall for millennials and Generation Z but long-term financial difficulties are coming Economically speaking, young people have had it tough over the past few years – what with university tuition fees tripling, house prices soaring and the cost of travel continuing to rise. Then a pandemic came along. Over recent months, experts have spe

If you believe in the gospel according to American high school movies, you’ll know that prom night is the most important one of your life. Forget marriage or giving birth – you can do those things more than once – you’re only ever going to get one party to celebrate leaving school.

Lockdown has been challenging, from not being able to see family members to limitations on the everyday day things that make us happy. But while there are many downsides, there is one positive to come out of lockdown. For many of us, lockdown has been the first prolonged period in our adults lives that we haven’t felt like we are ‘missing out’ – simply because we are all, globally, facing the same restrictions. Fear of missing out – more commonly referred to as FOMO – doesn’t really have a pl

Starting a new job can be incredibly overwhelming. There’s a new clan of colleagues to get to know, a different boss to work with and the role itself to get to grips with. But coronavirus lockdown has resulted in a very different experience for those starting new jobs. Not only are new starters socially isolated from their entire team, but they’re also having to navigate a new role with nobody around. Hannah Hart started her new position as tech writer in early May – when the UK was in its s

You came out of nowhere, but you’d probably argue that wasn’t the case. I was minding my own business trying to win over my Twitter crush with the prospect of one day making a cherry bakewell that didn’t taste like chewing gum – and there you were, texting me a photo of pancakes. Since when do you eat pancakes?

A few weeks ago, my 97-year-old granddad tested positive for coronavirus. After spending a few days in Barnet hospital, being treated by the incredible NHS team, he beat the virus and walked out with his stick in hand and a smile on his face. But ask him about it now – two weeks on – and he won’t remember a thing. My grandad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (a type of dementia) back in 2012 and since then my family have watched the disease slowly take the man we once knew away from us. It’s ha

Lockdown has given the nation a lot more time on their hands – which is both a blessing and a curse. While some people are using the extra hours to learn a new skill, start a new hobby or declutter their houses, others have been using the time to reflect on their own lives. In some cases, this overthinking (coupled with the loneliness of lockdown) has led to people delving into past relationships and assessing what went wrong. Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The

Nature being good for us is nothing new. For years, studies have shown the positive impact nature has on our mental wellbeing – so much so that doctors have even started prescribing it to patients living with anxiety and depression. But now – with the nation limited to just one session of outdoor exercise a day – many have come to realise just how important nature is for their mental health. From listening to the birds to feeling the sun on skin, people are realising how much happiness can be

Feel like you’re not doing enough or are upset for no reason? It’s likely you’re experiencing ‘lockdown guilt’ – a phenomenon that’s feeding off the nation’s high-running emotions and insecurities. Many of our ‘lockdown resolutions’ – be it starting a new hobby, decluttering the house, reading more – simply haven’t happened. But because we’ve had more time than ever, we’re left feeling guilty about it. Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of My Online Therapy, explains t

Ask any Pakistani child and they’ll tell you ‘Are you going to be a doctor?’ is the most common question they’ll hear growing up.

It started with a pain in my chest three weeks ago. An infection – I told myself – and after three calls to 111, I’d been told to go to hospital. The tense atmosphere and deserted car park as I arrived sparked fear in me. Had I contracted coronavirus? My concern wasn’t for me. It was for the people I could have infected with deadly disease despite living alone and having minimal contact with others for weeks. My other worry was – if this was it for me, had I been a good person? My obsessive co

During this distressing time, it’s easy to get bogged down with headlines – so it’s important to hold onto the little things that make us happy. Whether it’s baking, knitting, cycling or simply making a great cup of tea – anything that has the ability to bring a smile to our faces should be celebrated. So if you’re looking for ways to stay optimistic – we’ve asked people to share the little things they are doing to stay positive during the pandemic. Here’s what they had to say… Lottie says:

New social distancing measures have changed the way drivers traditionally deliver parcels – and it’s resulted in an unexpected new trend. For their own and customer safety, drivers are now being asked to take photos to prove a parcel has been delivered – instead of obtaining a signature. Of course – with it being a relatively new measure – most recipients have no idea what’s going on as they open the door to their package. The result? Some incredible photos of residents caught off-guard on th

We’ve heard a lot about people discovering new things about their partners in quarantine – but what about the couples who are living apart at the moment? There are a number of reasons why a couple might not be spending lockdown together. This could be down to limited space, if one of them is a key worker, if one is in the high-risk coronavirus category – or they simply don’t want to put an intense strain on a happy and healthy relationship. Lockdown presents its own difficulties for separated

Lockdown has changed everyday life as we know it – most notably, it has taken away our autonomy and freedom. And this can have a knock-on effect on our sense of self. Things which have helped to shape who we are – like seeing friends and family, going to work, getting beauty treatments, engaging in hobbies, going to the gym – have been stripped away from us. It makes sense, then, that the removal of these key elements can make us question who we are and has led to many experiencing a ‘crisis’

Zoom and other video call apps have saved us over the past few weeks, allowing us to interact with friends and family while staying safe in our homes. We’ve been raving non-stop about the ability to keep us connected with our nearest and dearest at this difficult time – which poses one simple question… ….why on earth are we staring at ourselves during the calls? It doesn’t make sense. The whole point of a video call is that it’s an opportunity to see friends and family – not to constantly che

Feeling claustrophobic during quarantine? Spare a thought for those living in spaces not much bigger than your living room. No we’re not just talking about people who live in regular houses or flats, but those who are part of the ‘tiny-house movement’ – an architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in a teeny home. Many of those living in these tiny houses have chosen to do so for a simpler and happier life. But now, with the UK forced to stay inside their four walls for t

With the nation confined to their homes for the foreseeable future, lockdown seems like the perfect time to tackle some home improvement projects. For many, this will involve getting around to things they never really had the patience to do before – such as decluttering. Of course, when it comes to all things tidying, Marie Kondo springs to mind – but there are a number of other decluttering influencers who have been making a name for themselves on Instagram, each captivating followers with th

Lonely, anxious and scared – all three feelings are running high across the UK as we enter our fourth day of official lockdown, but these emotions are being felt even moreso by desperate Brits stranded on the other side of the world. People around the world are trying to get back to Britain following global coronavirus lockdowns. But a considerable number of people are currently stuck the furthest away, in New Zealand. With the country now on a Level 4 lockdown, many of these stranded individu

Wedding season is almost upon us, which means – for many couples – months (or years, in some cases) of planning will finally come to a head. Well, that would normally be the case, of course, but this year coronavirus is disrupting nuptials all over the globe. New measures around social distancing and isolation for the elderly and vulnerable has meant that couples getting married have been forced to revise their guest list. Not only that, but the Church of England has now advised that weddings

I was educated at a typical Jewish faith school. I sang Jewish prayers, learnt Hebrew and celebrated Jewish festivals. But what made it unique, and still does to this day, is that three quarters of the students are practicing Muslims. Being a Jew in Birmingham can be a lonely affair. Less than 2,000 Brummies identify as such. For this reason, King David Primary provides a dedicated space for young Jews to learn about their heritage. But the gradually shrinking community means the school relies

Being cooped up inside for days on end can have a detrimental effect on our mental health. So what on earth are we supposed to do when we are being advised to stay inside for the next few weeks, and potentially months? Feelings of cabin fever, along with constant news updates, are likely to promote anxiety and stress. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised that coronavirus is having an impact on our mental health and has published its own guidelines on how to deal with it (mos

‘You don’t eat pizza like someone who has OCD’, a date said to me last summer. I laughed awkwardly. He was right to note that my margherita was a mess. I had to tell him the truth. ‘It doesn’t work like that’, I said. One day, I thought, he might find out about the 40,000-plus pictures on my phone, ranging from dead animals to bemused strangers. I should explain. My OCD began 15 years ago. The trigger was nothing unusual: childhood bullies. At the time, I started thinking magically. A watche