Blog Entries - October 2009

Don't be depressed: learn from your Asian neighbours

editor@uticopa.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

What's the main difference between Western societies and those from the East? Many might cite such things as skin colour, dress codes, dietary habits etc. However, there is something much more important which those of us born and brought up in the West should take heed of - especially if we want to avoid the stress of mental disorders. It is how we, as a society, deal with each other.

Western societies are generally termed ‘individualistic', which means they encourage peop [...]

Bereavement - how to deal with it

test3@uticopa.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Childhood memories: sibling bonds run deep and the trauma of losing a loved one can last a lifetime.

I lost my brother last year, aged 61. He had been diagnosed with terminal myeloma - a devastating cancer of the bone marrow - but by the time I discovered his illness, he was already in a coma. I was therefore denied the spiritual healing of a final conversation with him. Many bizarre symptoms have followed this event. Even though I now live in another country, far away fr [...]

Teach your grandmother how to use the internet

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Don't take no for an answer. It's vital. Older people can boost their brain activity by performing simple online searches, according to a study that suggests the web could be used in the fight against mental decline.

Researchers in California have discovered that internet searches are more effective than reading at improving brain function. It seems that ‘Googling' is particularly beneficial because it involves a number of simultaneous mental processes, including memory - of th [...]

A Dementia-sufferer tells it like it is

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In her prime, Dorothy Johnson was quite a woman. Not only was she an international bridge player, an active social organiser, she was entrepreneurial in the way she thought.

But, what happens when someone like this, who was known for her intelligence, suddenly develops dementia? Is there something of that original sharpness of mind that can somehow overcome the crisis of the mind?

When, at 59, Dorothy started to show symptoms of dementia and simultaneously to provide i [...]

What is a ‘good death'?

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Wasn't it a past US president who said ‘there are two sure things in life: death and taxes'? He was absolutely right, and he wasn't alone. Poets, professors, priests, and the ordinary man in the street have always talked about what unites us all: in a word, death.

But, what makes a ‘good death'? Is there such a thing? And how can each of us come to terms with the inevitability of what is facing us?

Education and preparedness is the route. It's on [...]