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…]

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.

[Read more…]

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…]

Stop selling! I wish to decide for myself.

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An interesting piece by Tim, our resident guest writer taking a look at NLP.

I seem to be tripping over folk in Psychology Today at the moment. I blame Bob, because he’s highlighting articles that are worthy of our attention through his Twitter account. He showed me this piece, How To Deal With Nerves Before A Presentation and I almost like it.

“Will you never stop criticising?” I hear you yell at me!

And the answer is that I will, but in my own time. It’s just like your decision to read this piece. I’m just a smidgen critical this time, though, not angry. [Read more…]

How To Deal With Brown Envelope Anxiety

In our second piece supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, we welcome Shahid Miah (Director of DPP Business & Tax) who over the years,  has acted for a number of high-profile individuals, is recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners successfully defending company directors and professionals charged with serious fraud.

Brown Envelope Anxiety is a colloquial term used to describe the fear that can be induced when you receive communications from the likes of HMRC, which are of course, almost always in a brown envelope. Now, more than ever, is the best time of the year to bring attention to this condition, as around this period is typically the time that individuals are more likely to receive a brown envelope from HMRC through their letterbox. [Read more…]

Looking After Your Mental Health While Running A Business

As a business owner, I know only too well how important it is to keep an eye on one’s mental health. To support Mental Health Awareness Week, David, a Franchise Recruitment Manager from Rainbow International, shares some of his insights – demonstrating his passion to help potential business owners decide whether this route is right for them and helping match up potential franchisees with their dream opportunities.

I work with several business owners in franchise recruitment and I notice one common thing – they are all very tough, and very strong-willed individuals. Stereotypically, most tend not to entertain the assumption that they might be suffering from mental health issues under that hard exterior. However, running a business and the stresses that come with it, can be very trying at times. Owning a business is noted as one of the most rewarding jobs there is, but it doesn’t come without its challenges.

[Read more…]

The Downsides of Social Media: What are they and how can they be avoided?

We welcome Jesse Frank, an advocate for children’s online safety and digital parenting whose personal mission is to help and increase awareness for us to become better digital citizens. Jesse is also a creative content manager at KidGuard and here shares his knowledge to help parents create a healthy digital family environment.

Since the use of social media has increased exponentially among adults, so too has the use of social media grown among teenagers. So much so, in fact, that the number of teenage users has surpassed the number of adult users. Hence, parents are worried about what their children might be seeing online, especially since they often spend inordinate amounts of time on their computer and/or smartphone. [Read more…]