depression and anxiety
Depression-inducing acne
Adolescence is the most fragile juncture of a person’s life. It is like a roller coaster ride of developing physical, social and emotional changes, alongside with the rapidly changing sentiments and feelings. This is also the stage where people usually developsread more
Depression: brief depression therapy and hypnosis
Brief depression therapy Whether it is clinical depression, major depressive illness or post natal depression, mild, severe, with or without suicidal idealisation, an individual has the ability to break up their depression if they want to. ...read more
Do you have premenstrual syndrome?
If you do, you may be deficient in magnesium , zin and essential fatty acidsPremenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a disorder characterized by a set of hormonal changes that trigger disruptive symptoms in a significant number of women for up to two...read more
Eating disorders and body image
Eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction were once the domain of an obscure branch of psychiatry. But in recent decades, our culture has bombarded people with images of an ideal physique that is increasingly out of reach for the average person. According to eating dis...read more
Exam anxiety
The first step is to distinguish between two types of anxiety. If your anxiety is a direct result of lack of preparation, consider it a normal, rational reaction. However, if you are adequately prepared but still panic and/or overreact, your reaction is not rational. Whil...read more
Fear of animals
Fear of domestic animals such as cats and dogs is the most common, and inconvenient, category - with rats and mice quite high on the hate list. Most others we can avoid by not attending zoos, circuses, animal parks or sanctuaries. Visiting terrors Fear of domestic animals ...read more
Fear of being closed in
Claustrophobia is usually described as a fear of enclosed places. A more accurate description might be 'a fear of not having an easy escape route' because for anyone who experiences this phobia this is the predominating feature - you feel a need to be able to get out or get ...read more
Fear of flying
Fear of flying is a common psychological problem among travellers; recent estimates suggest that between 10-40% of all travellers experience some kind of phobia. Many factors can be associated with this condition, all of which need careful consideration and help. While facto...read more
Fear of flying is a phobia
In order to deal with fear of flying effectively you acknowledge to yourself that it is not just a matter of your 'nerves', of developing determination or will-power, or of 'pulling yourself together'.Fear of flying is a phobia. It may be a quite mild phobia...read more
Fear of public speaking
Public speaking, making presentations, giving a talk, making a speech, platform skills, etc. - however it's described it can be a terrifying experience for many, if not most, people.The term can be used to describe any situation where you are delivering more than a few sente...read more
Fear: how does it work ?
The reptile brain Fear occurs when you feel to be in danger. It is a natural response to a perceived threat and serves to keep you alive. The most primitive part of the human brain is known as the 'reptile brain' and is responsible for the fight-or-flight ...read more
Fears and phobias
The difference between a fear and a phobia is the intensity of the emotional reaction attached to it. As an illustration, a strong dislike of dogs or other animals is a fear, when one experiences discomfort around them resulting in avoidance...read more
Feeling anxious ?
What is anxiety? Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of fear or imminent disaster and is a normal emotional response to danger. What will make one person anxious may not create the same response in someone else. Things like breaking up, concern about exams or a fight with a...read more
Foods that boost your mood
Eating a diet that is healthy and varied is no doubt the best way to help you boost your mood through food. To help achieve a healthy diet, make sure you include foods from each of these groups: Carbohydrates Eating carbohydrate foods with a lower ...read more
Four questions about depression
How is depression treated? Most people with depression get better when they get treatment. Once identified, depression almost always can be treated either by therapy, medicine called antidepressants, or both. Some people with milder forms of depression do w...read more
General information about compulsions and obsessions
From time to time we can all succumb to a compulsion or two and some of us may become obsessed with something for a short while, that's just human nature. But in some, these issues become more serious and start to take over ones life and then there may be a problem. When thi...read more
General information about depression
The word 'depression' is used to describe everyday feelings of low mood which can affect us all from time to time. Feeling sad or fed up is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult; those feelings will usually pass.If you a...read more
Getting better from your depression
The idea of “recovery” is not a new concept, people have always got better from depression, but it is only recently that the mental health field has started paying attention to how people with conditions such as depression recover. On 16th December 2004 the Scott...read more
Getting support for your problems
Counselling Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees you in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty you are having or distress you may be experiencing. No one can properly be 'sent' for counselling, as you have to want to be a part of it. Counsellin...read more
Grief, the universal reaction to loss
'Grief' is the word we use to describe the feelings and reactions that we have when we lose someone we care about or something we value. Grief affects everyone: it is the universal reaction to loss. It is painful and stressful, but also natural, normal and n...read more
Healing herbs
Aloe vera Often used externally for healing wounds, burns etc., but can be used internally as an intestinal cleaner and healer. Astragalus This is a Chinese herb which stimulates the immune system and increases the activity of white blood cells. It also helps prevent cold...read more
Homesickness, what might help?
What is homesickness? Most people will have felt homesick at some time in their lives, perhaps when they were younger, and it is easy to forget just how overwhelming it can be. Beginning life at university naturally generates both excitement and anxiety about the move, acad...read more
How does a depression affect someone?
An estimated 1 in 5 of the population of Scotland will experience depression at some point in their lives and the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that depression will soon be the second biggest cause of illness world-wide. In 2004-5, 321,000 people in Scotland consu...read more
How effective is light therapy for SAD ?
Several qualitative reviews have concluded that light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD, with response rates of 60% to 90% in controlled studies (Eastman et al 1998; Lamberg, 1998; Partonen & Lonnqvist, 1996; Tam et al, 1996).It has been found th...read more
How to cope with phobias?
What are phobias? A phobia is an excessive or unreasonable fear of an object, place or situation. Simple phobias are fears of specific things such as insects, infections, flying. Agoraphobia is a fear of being in places where one feels "trapped" or unable to get h...read more
