I keep coming back to this thought: OCD doesn’t just live in someone’s head. It seeps out into daily life, and most of all, into relationships. The constant checking, the nagging need for reassurance, the way routines and rituals quietly run the show. It doesn’t just affect you, it affects the people around you.

Money has a quiet way of weaving itself into the fabric of our relationships. It’s there in the decisions we make together, in the moments we celebrate, and in the tensions that sometimes rise to the surface. We might think we’re talking about numbers, but more often we’re talking about safety, choice, fairness, and how much we feel seen or valued.

It can sit in the background for months, even years, until something stirs it up — a disagreement over a purchase, a different vision for the future, the subtle comparison to friends or family. And suddenly, the conversation isn’t about the cost of something at all; it’s about what it means, and how those meanings can either bring us closer or push us apart.

What Is the Mental Load, Really?

It’s a term we hear more and more — mental load. It gets mentioned in conversations about gender roles, parenting, emotional labour, even workplace stress. But what does it actually mean? The mental load refers to the ongoing, invisible, and often unacknowledged mental effort of managing life. Not just doing the tasks, but remembering, planning, anticipating, tracking, worrying, and organising all the moving parts. It’s the background thinking that keeps everyone else functioning, even when no one sees it.

While the decision to separate is undeniably complex and deeply personal for adults, there's a critical perspective often overlooked: the children. In the whirlwind of selling or moving houses, legal proceedings, emotional turmoil, and logistical changes, a fundamental question frequently goes unasked: "Is this what you want?"

In recent years, many individuals and families have faced growing financial strain. Rising housing prices, increased grocery bills, soaring energy costs — it’s no wonder the cost of living crisis has become one of the defining challenges of our time. But while much of the focus is understandably on bank accounts and budgets, there's another crucial piece of the puzzle we must not overlook: the impact on our mental health.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that often sparks passionate discussion — not only among clinicians, but in wider society. Over the years, many voices have shaped how we think about ADHD. One of the most well-known is Dr Gabor Maté, a physician and bestselling author, whose views sometimes contrast with the broader scientific literature. So, what exactly are these differences — and why do they matter?