Posted by: Uticopa in trauma, therapy on
Dec 17, 2008
Doctors and researchers alike are the first to admit that the brain is the last bastion of uncharted body territory. However, by degrees, more and more is being learned and procedures developed to ‘chart' the brain, learn which areas control which physical activity, and to heal areas which have become damaged.
It is well-known that stroke is notoriously difficult to treat. Haemorrhagic strokes account for around thirty per cent of the 150,000 strokes in the UK each year. Stroke is Britain's third biggest killer, after heart disease and cancer, and causes more disability than any other disease. It costs the economy about £7 billion a year, including NHS bills and lost productivity.
Up until now, the only option has been conventional surgery, which has a variable success rate. Half of such surgery patients currently die within a month and just one in twenty patients will recover, to varying degrees. Moreover, depending on the precise site of the injury or embolism, the resulting physical effects can be different from patient to patient.
Posted by: Uticopa in eating disorders on
Dec 15, 2008
Adam Bremelow, the health correspondent for BBC, have said in this morning's news program on Radio 4 that the new research from Oxford has given a ‘Pretty promising prospect for a wide array of people suffering from eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, binge eating.'
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of a therapy that challenges people's behaviour by getting them to reassess their thoughts and assumptions. The treatment usually takes the form of approximately 20 regular brief sessions 15-20 min long.
Over the last few years the UK government has been trying to promote CBT in a range of initiatives and CBT has been a recommended as 1st approach for treating Bulimia.
This new research has shown that the new modified approach for CBT is also extremely effective with treating binge eating.
Posted by: Uticopa in therapy, death on
Dec 12, 2008
Society is a continuous cycle, our pavements peopled by all age groups. From babies to the elderly, we are all moving through that ever-changing kaleidoscope called life. But, as we grow older, our mindsets change. In youth we understand that people die, but that is something so far off in the future, we need not worry about it. As we climb the generational ladder, we are so busy chasing that elusive career goal, we have not the time nor desire to focus on what is looming ever closer: our own inevitable demise.
But look closely into the eyes of some who have successfully reached and overcome the biblical three score and ten and you see a certain fear and haunted look deep within the soul. Death is staring them in the face and they do not know how to deal with it.
The important thing is to unburden all those fears lurking deep within your brain. No-one needs to deal with these issues alone, and there are many ways to help. That is when the role of a therapist or guide is so desperately needed.
Posted by: Uticopa in trauma, depression on
Dec 10, 2008
Physiologically speaking, the brain as the most important part of our lives. Yes, the heart is the ticking clock that keeps our organs functioning, but the brain is the controller without which the body is thrown into a directionless trauma bereft of instructions, devoid of organisation, floundering in uncharted seas.
So, consider the two case-studies below when, as so often happens, that unexpected trauma of injury to the brain occurs.
Case study 1.
Posted by: Uticopa in therapy, talking cure on
Dec 06, 2008
Someone once said that the therapist's job is to put himself out of work! It's probably true of all the caring professions: the better you are, the more self-sufficient your patient, thereby lessening the need for further treatment.
One example is the role of family therapists. Newcomers to the whole process of therapy sometimes expect the therapist to take on the role of ‘mother hen'. It is often a subconscious desire on the part of people with deprived childhood experiences to search for someone to take on this role. However, it is not the therapist's job to replace or restore one's parents; rather, it is to provide a non-judgemental, encouraging and safe environment alongside the modelling of good parenting techniques. If the therapist actually took on a ‘mothering' role, she would effectively be negating the ability of the client to be self-sufficient. That would go against everyone's wishes. Clients need to become more confident in their own abilities, not dependent on the therapist's nurturing skills.
I now realise I need help, but how do I choose the right therapist?
Experience has proven time and time again that what is important is the relationship between the client and therapist, and the therapist's skills, knowledge and experience with your individual complaint. There is absolutely no point in reaching for your local Yellow Pages. There are 3 main avenues you can try:
Posted by: Uticopa in Alzheimers on
Dec 05, 2008
A new claim by campaigners is gaining momentum in the media. They say that thousands of Alzheimer's patients could be suffering more than they should be. Why? In this age of more and more Britains living longer, combined with fewer of working age paying those vital N.I. contributions, has contributed to an NHS regime no longer able to afford vital services. So, cost-cutting measures are the order of the day - and it seems that dementia services are having to bear the brunt.
Campaigners say that one in three health trusts have actually been reduced, as have vital services such as district nurses and day centres. A survey published by the Alzheimer's Society is scathing. It found that two in five trusts actually fail to provide any services at all. So, what can be done?
The society's data records show as many as 700,000 people currently suffering from dementia in Britain with the number predicted to rise to one million within the next eighteen years.
Posted by: Uticopa in hearing voices on
Dec 01, 2008
It is time that society at large recognises that hearing voices in the head is a human variation rather than a symptom of illness. As a step in the right direction, mental health professionals are urged to attend the first international congress of its kind, specifically organised to develop awareness of this variation.
The First International Hearing Voices Congress is to be held in Maastricht in Holland from 17 - 18th September 2009. It is planned that it should be both inclusive and participative, bringing people together from around the world - in fact, all who are concerned with hearing voices - in order to exchange ideas and information.
The Congress is being held to develop groundbreaking work in the field in order to empower and help sufferers in their recovery. It is hoped to change the way society as a whole perceives the experience of hearing voices. In this way, the social stigma and many misunderstandings about hearing voices can be reduced.
Posted by: Uticopa in Untagged on
Nov 25, 2008
At the age of thirty-five I was working at a residential home in Liverpool. Although I had worked there for several years, I had begun to feel that my life was like ground hog day. Every day seemed the same: no change, same old routine. My life was just so boring. I knew, deep down, that something was missing from my life but I didn’t know exactly what it was. Problems started to get worse.
Eventually I gave up my job and tried a different career in the hope that things might improve. But all I could get was a job working in a supermarket stacking shelves and unloading lorries. It soon became clear that this was no better. Some senior staff thought that I was over-qualified for the job I was doing and should be doing something else.
It was when I began to work nights that I felt strange. The dull and boring feelings set in again but this time with a vengeance. I was beginning to feel worse. I was being bullied by senior male staff and getting bad dreams in the day; these were recurrent and very real. They seemed always to involve people from my past, particularly two men who had raped me as a teenager. Over the months the dreams got worse and I was beginning to get suicidal ideas. I contemplated killing myself by cutting my wrists.
Posted by: Uticopa in therapy, self help, depression on
Nov 25, 2008
Rising unemployment, negative-equity, house repossessions...is it any wonder many of us are feeling depressed and unable to cope? According to Mind, the mental health charity, as many as one person in five can expect to suffer from a mental health problem during their lives. With today's global financial meltdown, this figure can be expected to rise still further. So, what can be done?
First, you need to assess whether you are merely down in the dumps or actually suffering the classic signs of full-blown depression. Certainly, if you've been feeling blue for longer than a few weeks, you should contact your GP. If you feel that you would like to talk to a therapist who can help, you may want to consider contacting registered specialists through our site.
There are things you can do to improve your outlook on life: see below for everyday ways to help and remember, you're not alone. As many as nine per cent of the population suffer from mild to moderate depression at any one time.
Posted by: Uticopa in therapy, talking cure on
Nov 11, 2008
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of the storm is a golden sky.
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone
Rogers and Hammerstein
As the Liverpool anthem says ‘..hold your head up high..and you'll never walk alone.' That's as true today as when Rogers and Hammerstein first penned it. But what if you are so depressed that you need professional help?
Talk therapy is everyday language for psychotherapy. No matter what you call it, it is here to stay. It's a way for people with a mental disorder to understand their illness, and then deal with the stress, unhealthy thoughts and behaviour that so often go with it.
