This Emotional Life

Part 1 of 3: the role that relationships play in emotional health. It details the cognitive and neurological processes of everyday interactions, features comments from celebrities and shares the real-life stories of a boy adopted from a Russian orphanage, parents of newborn twins, a couple in marriage counseling, a bullied teenager and two women grappling with workplace stress.

Part 2 of 3. An examination of the negative emotions of anger, fear, anxiety and despair, including why we have them and how they can spiral out of control. Case studies include a woman whose temper is threatening her relationships; a college student with a fear of flying; a clinically depressed teenager; veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conclusion. A look at happiness, what it is and how to attain it, featuring the stories of people facing major events in their lives, including a cancer diagnosis and the death of a child. Also: why people often are wrong about will bring them happiness; what research has to say about activities and qualities that foster happiness; the role that friends, family and the wider community play in one's happiness.