Blog Entries

South African Motherhood and the Plight of Depression

jrlamb2001@googlemail.com — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Depression is a serious illness that can arise seemingly out of nowhere or shortly after giving birth. When left untreated, depression can continue on for years and even develop into a more serious form of the disease that will only be alleviated through continuing treatments such as therapy and medication. Currently, there has been an increase in the death rate of new mothers in South Africa who researchers believe may have b [...]

Top 10 Mistakes Men Make That Fuel Their Anxiety and Panic

ry3rivera@gmail.com — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

When it comes to dealing with anxiety and panic, men notoriously struggle. In a society where males are supposed to “man up” and take life “like a man,” most men that suffer from anxiety and panic make dozens of different mistakes that only serve to fuel their stresses further. In order to reduce panic attacks and cure anxiety is to avoid mistakes that cause the problems to progress further. Here is a list of the top ten mistakes that men make when it comes to their own p [...]

Are We an Angry Nation?

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Over the past few months The Mental Health Foundation has been researching whether or not we are becoming a nation of angry people, and what support there is for those who feel that they cannot control this primal emotion.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, almost a third said that they knew someone who struggled with anger, and in a similar Government survey more than three fifths said they felt people were getting angrier.

What is quite worrying is that there really is very l [...]

Anxiety is in your genes

editor@uticopa.com — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

I don't believe it - anxiety is in your genes!

It's what we've always thought. There's a gene to explain our anxiety attacks. Researchers have now found that certain variations in a mood-altering gene actively influence whether or not we take an anxious or sunny view of the world.

Psychologists from the University of Essex came up with the results after showing 97 volunteers pictures depicting positive and negative images. The participants were shown pairs o [...]

How do I know if I have depression?

editor@uticopa.com — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:18:49 +0100

A new series begins today on the subject of Depression. Find out all you need to know by following our exclusive articles, each tackling one aspect.

Much has been written in the media lately about the increasing incidence of depression – surely a sign of the stresses and strains of modern life. But, how do we know if we actually have it?

One of the biggest challenges facing mental health specialists in addressing depression is accurately diagnosing it in the first [...]

Bullying can happen at any age

editor@uticopa.com — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Bullying can be a problem at any stage of your life. For the hapless victim it causes serious distress and can affect mental health for decades to come.

The mindsets of the people doing the bullying are often similar, whatever their ages. It's when the ancient ‘tribal' instinct of terrorising a perceived ‘enemy' comes into play. And who is the supposed enemy? It's anyone who is seen to be different in some way from the rest of the peer group. [...]

Is prolonged grief a psychological disorder?

editor@uticopa.com — Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

In today's world of rush, rush, rush, there's often no time to say goodbye to a loved one when they die. Yet, our priorities must change. Dying is a part of life. It can't be avoided, however much we wish it, and must be accepted and dealt with.

Let's say it's been two years since your father died and your mom still won't go out socially or stop talking about wanting to join him. Similarly, perhaps you can't shake a sense of meaninglessness into your life as the anniversa [...]

Could Your Symptoms Be Depression?

editor@uticopa.com — Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Do these symptoms sound familiar to you? Fatigue. Insomnia. Loss of appetite. Aches and pains. Most of us with these symptoms usually assume we're suffering from an ailment that's physical. Sometimes we're right. But, how often do we realise that what is really wrong is depression?

Even in good times, there are millions of new cases of depression every year. Yet many of those people - more than a third, according to a recent report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad [...]

Could climate change be bad for our mental health?

editor@uticopa.com — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Historically, British people have always ignored the effects of our poor, wet weather. The heavy rain has always been there, so most carry on regardless. However, as the world shifts towards global climate change, water-related problems are arguably the most imminent and most personal. As Britain's temperature rises and weather patterns become more extreme, will our health be compromised by a lack of clean water and diseases spread by polluted floodwater?

And what of our mental [...]

Post-natal depression: a legacy from literature

editor@uticopa.com — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

When Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote that disturbing 19th-century novella called 'The Yellow Wallpaper', she could hardly have known that it would later become a classic of feminist fiction. Even less could she have realised that at its heart was a pioneering portrait of the trauma of postnatal depression.

As the book is being reissued by Virago this year, it is interesting to note that, unlike her heroine, the author herself managed to break free from the oppressive shackles [...]

Alternative to Prescription Drugs

editor@uticopa.com — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The Get Well Scheme was an experimental scheme run out of two centres in Northern Ireland that enabled GP's to refer patients to complimentary therapists with the NHS picking up the tab. The aim was to show that not only can those who have come to rely on long term prescription drug use to manage their conditions reduce their dependency through these therapies, but that the scheme could even save the NHS money.

The use of prescription drugs to manage conditions can be costly and r [...]

Beam me up, Scottie.......

editor@uticopa.com — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In days gone by, mental ‘disturbances' were considered something you should ‘snap out of' - a mere emotional phase that you should grow out of, like adolescence. Decades later and mental illness is an actual, recorded disease, warranting much-needed medical intervention. Well, yes, but how do we know we actually have it - especially in those crucial, early stages?

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's would be critical in order to stop and reverse cell death before it [...]

How to stop acting on impulse?

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Christmas is almost upon us. We are bombarded on all sides by lures and enticing goods on display, coupled with increasing demands for more, more, and more from our families. But, this is not the time to be weak. Some people, particularly men, will resort to things like gambling to feed their craving for money. Others, particularly women, will treat shopping as an addiction rather than a necessity.

Let's start with gambling. How to treat it?

Some new researc [...]

Xmas is a-comin' - but don't worry!

editor@uticopa.com — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

If you can't afford all the things your family wants, you just need to be strong and tell them enough's enough.

As far as your mental health is concerned, being stressed can actually be good for you, but you've got to find the right balance. There's no point in spending more and more in an effort to please everyone and end up making yourself too ill to enjoy it.

There are good and bad types of stress. The bad kind is chronic and uncontrollable, like the tension ca [...]

How much is a soldier with mental health issues worth?

editor@uticopa.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It's now official. Mentally-scarred veterans are being medically discharged from the British army with...wait for it....a golden handshake of £3000! Is that all they're worth? Soldiers whose lives have been shattered by the traumas of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq are being paid as little as £3000 as compensation for all they've suffered after their medical discharge.

What price bravery? What price to sacrifice your own mental health in pursuit of figh [...]

Youth crime - watch for early signs

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

When random surveys are taken of what worries people the most, the issue that keeps rising to the top of the pile is hooliganism and knife-wielding young people. When you look at police case-studies of the perpetrators of such youth crime, the same family scenario constantly surfaces: neglect, a missing parent or two, a family background lacking in essential ‘tough love' guidelines etc. etc. All of these things, if left unaddressed, can leave children with burgeoning m [...]

Improve your mental health - get a pet!

editor@uticopa.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It's proven! Mental health therapists have discovered that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) increases social interaction and decreases aggression in people with mental disorders. So much so, that sufferers who interact with animals on a regular basis often no longer need medication at all. It's those patients with poor communication skills who are most likely to benefit from participating in AAT programmes, since they find it easier to communicate with others in the presence of animals.

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 [...]