I am often the first person with whom my patients share significant and intimate thoughts and memories; I never take that privileged position for granted nor the opportunity to help someone to feel better about themselves and discover a more fulfilling life. One of my colleague once described me as natural psychologist; I guess she was alluding to the fact that I feel at ease being a therapist, I can empathise with people’s distress and discomfort but don’t feel overwhelmed by it, I can understand their problem and know how to help, it has always just felt like what I should be doing.
Antenatal Depression (AND) is a type of Depression that effect 7-20% of women during pregnancy. It is the strongest risk factor for Postnatal Depression (PND) but is talked about far less, despite the fact that research suggests treating it will not only protect against PND and Parenting Stress but also Depression that continues long after the birth of your baby. Symptoms are often missed because pregnancy is so physically & emotionally challenging, so knowing what to look for will ensure you get the help you need, as soon as you […]...
Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks are often confused and the terms used interchangeably so in this blog I am going to explain the difference and help you to self-diagnose so you can get the help you need. A Panic Attack is a discrete episode of anxiety, the onset of which is sudden and the duration short usually between 3-5 minutes. Symptoms are severe, intense and overwhelming and include breathlessness, heart palpitations, dizziness and nausea. The intensity of this experience is born out by the fact that 20-44% of people […]...
Bipolar Disorder (previously known as Manic Depression) is a mental health disorder that affects your mood with sufferers having extreme swings between periods of depression and mania. During periods of depressions sufferers will experience lethargy, overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, sadness and sometimes thoughts of suicide. During periods of mania, sufferers will feel ‘wired’ and behave impulsively and frenetically. They will experience boundless amounts of energy, a flurry of new ideas and ambition and will not want to sleep or eat. The mood swings experienced in Bipolar Disorder differ from normal […]...
This blog is for when you realise that using your phone to keep your life ticking over has become a way of escaping from it. Here are 5 steps to regain the balance. 1. Start by working out how much time you are spending on your phone each day, keep a simple log of when and how long you spend checking, searching, browsing. Maybe you’ll be surprised/shocked at how much time your phone sucks up, if you are, you can use this as motivation to make a change. 2. Once […]...
