Perinatal Mental Health

We are pleased to be sharing the first part in a series by Anne Marie McKinley on the theme of maternal mental health. Anne Marie is a Midwife and Birth Trauma Specialist at Afterthoughts NI who, over the coming weeks, will be introducing us to maternal mental health and its related aspects.

For every year of births, the estimate long term cost to society of Perinatal Mental Health in the UK is 8.1 billion pounds (Bauer, 2014). 1 This estimate is based on the costs of mental health care of women through pregnancy and beyond, and it follows the trajectory of the cost of health-related ‘quality of life losses’ over the lifetime of mothers and their children’. [Read more…]

To Everything (Turn! Turn! Turn!)

A heartfelt piece from one of our in-house counsellors here at Anglia Counselling, Penni Osborn, as she approaches the next decade of her life!

Oh no, the ‘big five-oh’! As my fiftieth birthday looms, I’ve found renewed wonder in the beauty of the Suffolk countryside as it makes its annual transition from summer into autumn. With views of freshly ploughed earth against a background of brooding skies and the rich crimsons, coppers and golds of the trees, autumn brings with it the opportunity to consider the changing seasons and, for me, the changes I have seen in this world, those I’ve witnessed in the lives of others, and those that I’ve personally experienced over the last five decades.

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Remove Mental Stress by Practising Yoga

We welcome yoga teacher, Manmohan Singh, who takes us through some of the poses that can help alleviate mental stress which also have many other benefits when practiced. Manmohan organises 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, the Himalayas and trekking in India.

Every soul wants to feel like they have wings attached to their mind, and not just the shoulders. The reason is the airy vibe which allows people to taste the freedom and move wherever their heart takes them. On the other hand, a chaotic mind is a little devil which pulls us back from experiencing the feeling of ‘letting go’. So, the only solution to live an unforgettable life is to clear unwanted stress from our mind and make space for life-long cherished memories. [Read more…]

Guilt: The Great Demoniser

Another wonderful piece by Tim, our resident guest author. This time we are looking at guilt; something many of us live with or have lived with for years.

I’ve been thinking a lot about guilt.

I don’t mean real guilt; guilt that is the guilt caused by a foul act such as a hurting another person or creature or committing a crime. I mean the guilt that we have had forced upon us by society, by, in prior days, religion, by those who seek to control us.

Guilt makes us secretive, drives us in on ourselves, can cause a multitude of unpleasantness for us and for those around us. #guilt Click To Tweet
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Can you take time off work for Mental Health?

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At this time, many of us will be thinking about Shaun Winstanley and his family. Sadly, Shaun ended his life days after being told he had lost an appeal to get his job back at Tesco Express where he’d been an employee for 17 years. He’d ‘broken the rules’ by chasing a shoplifter and leaving his ‘station’. Prior to this, on another occasion, Shaun was held at gunpoint during a robbery and was disciplined for missing three shifts following the robbery. At a time when public spirit has never been needed more, this recent example seems to demonstrate the lack of support and care toward those in the workplace. What’s going wrong, do you think? DPP Law, a solicitors in Liverpool with offices up and down the UK, takes us though the subject of taking time off work.

Mental health has been moving increasingly towards the forefront of public consciousness throughout the last few years. However, there is still a degree of taboo – and, often, a feeling of guilt – surrounding the concept of taking a sick day to protect our mental wellbeing.

So what are the facts? Can an employee legally take a day off for the benefit of their mental health? [Read more…]

Of Toxicity and Toxic Behaviour

A wonderful piece by Tim, our resident guest author, looking at toxicity. This is an area I come across regularly; clients in relationships that are affected by narcissistic behaviours. Hence, why we launched NAAW (Narcissist Avoidance Action Week) in January 2018.

Oh Bob Brotchie, what are we going to do with you? You’ve found a rich vein of material on Psychology Today, and a large number of the articles you show us on your Twitter feed are off kilter like this one, New Findings on Toxic Masculinity and, as so often, I’ve left the author a comment.

Why? [Read more…]

7 Games with Incredible Benefits to Improve Brain Function

Our latest guest author is Hugh Fennell, a psychologist and blogger who writes on various topics including health and self-development. Here Hugh briefly takes us through seven games that can help to improve our brain function whilst having some fun and relaxation. Which are your favourites?

When we think of a game, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the term ‘fun’. However, there are many more benefits from playing games than just having a good time. Games can help improve how our brain functions, processing speed, and boost memory. A study by the University of London found that playing some types of video games can help our brain to process things faster and to think strategically. Gaming is a mental exercise, and like any other workout, it can improve our quality of life. Let’s take a look at 7 games with incredible benefits. [Read more…]

A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste

An engaging piece from Tim, our resident guest author. When I first read this, for me it brought up the ‘conditional’ kiss – the “Right, I’ve kissed you, now kiss me.” attitude that is prevalent. What thoughts and emotions does this bring to the fore – for you?

I love that line. I love the song. I had no idea it came from the musical of Whistle Down the Wind, a movie I felt was dreadful. I love this version by Meat Loaf.

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Over 20,000 Antidepressants Issued to Under 12s: What can we do to protect our children?

Over the years, many parents have approached me asking for advice, or asking me to meet with their young one as they are concerned about their mental health. So, this is a very welcome piece from Shamir Patel who is a registered pharmacist with extensive experience in running independent high street pharmacies across the north west of England. Shamir also established Chemist 4 U way back in 2001, which is now one of the largest digital pharmacies in the UK.

Mental health is a prevalent problem in society. We recently carried out a study into antidepressants, from which we found that as many as 28% of the population identify as having a mental health condition. That’s huge.

The State of Mental Health in the UK

The disorders suffered by respondents included body dysmorphia, SAD, bipolar and many more besides, but the two main conditions identified were depression and anxiety. 68% of UK based respondents, with mental health conditions, suffered from depression and a further 59% also said they had anxiety. While all this was entirely shocking and arguably devastating to see, perhaps the most surprising element of our study was what was uncovered when researching into the ages of those struggling with their mental health. [Read more…]