llness during military deployment linked to mental health problems

Army personnel who become ill during deployment are just as likely to develop mental health problems on their return to the UK, as personnel who are injured, according to new research from the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) at King’s College London, published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Psychiatry.
Dr Nicola Fear, from KCMHR at King’s and lead author of the paper, says: ‘On returning home to the UK, injured personnel receive assistance and support from the military, whereas those who come back as a result of illness enter the general medical system. We have identified a group of individuals who are possibly not receiving the help and support they need on their return from deployment.’ 

Dr Fear adds:  ‘We were really surprised by the results of the study. We found that the severity of the illness also impacts on post-deployment mental health – we found that the strongest link between illness and subsequent mental health problems was amongst those who were medically evacuated.’ 

The study sample was made up of 3,896 UK Army personnel who participated in the KCMHR military cohort study between 2007 and 2009 and deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan between 2003 and 2009. Researchers analysed data on attendance to military field hospital for UK military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, and linked the data to the self-reported mental health outcomes (from the KCMHR military cohort) for UK Army personnel who were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. 

Of this group, 6.8% (270/3896) had a record of attendance at the military field hospital for an illness during their deployment and 6.9% (261/3896) for injury. A total of 2.3% were medically evacuated back to the UK because of illness or injury. 

Personnel who were admitted to a military field hospital for illness during  deployment were 1.5 times (Adjusted OR 1.49) more likely to report having a common mental health problem post-deployment; and almost 3 times (Adjusted OR 2.79) more likely if they were medically evacuated due to illness. Common mental health problems included anxiety, depression and panic disorders. 

Injured personnel were 1.5 times (Adjusted OR 1.52) more likely to report having a common mental health problem post-deployment if they were admitted to field hospital; and 1.5 times (Adjusted OR 1.51) more likely if they were medically evacuated. Personnel who were medically evacuated due to injury were over 4 times (Adjusted OR 4.27) more likely to report probable PTSD post-deployment. In contrast, personnel who were returned to their unit after attending a military hospital for illness or injury were not at an increased risk of mental health problems post deployment. 

Dr Fear says: ‘The link between physical illness and mental health disorders is seen in civilian population. However, for Army personnel, we need to identify whether there is anything specific about their experiences of returning home due to illness which might result in subsequent mental health problems.’ 

The research was funded by the Ministry of Defence. 


For full paper: Forbes, H.J et al. ‘What are the effects of having an illness or injury whilst deployed on post deployment mental health? A population based record study of UK Army personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan’ BMC Psychiatry http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpsychiatry/
 
For further information, please contact Seil Collins, Press Officer, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, email: seil.collins@kcl.ac.uk or tel: 0207 848 5377

Breathe easy to combat anxiety: The mind tricks that can alleviate symptoms

More than 870,000 Britons suffer from anxiety, a condition that triggers unnecessary feelings of uneasiness  and worry.

Increasingly, mindfulness – a psychological therapy with roots in Buddhist meditation – is being used by the NHS to help alleviate the symptoms.

Here, in the final extract from his book The Mindful Manifesto, DR JONTY HEAVERSEDGE explains how it can help.

• Before directing your mind towards the anxiety you are experiencing, focus on your breathing – the sensation of air slowly flowing into your nostrils, streaming down the back of your throat and into your lungs. Feel the beating of your heart and imagine how it pumps oxygenated blood around your body. Continue until you’re ready to meditate.
• Now, shift your attention to your anxious thoughts. What thoughts are present in your mind right now? Are there many moving quickly or does each one remain for a while? Consider the thoughts objectively rather than reacting to them emotionally.
• There’s a myth that when you meditate, you should have a blank mind. But thoughts are  not the enemy and trying to stop them will only lead to more struggle. Treat the thoughts during meditation like having a radio on in the background – you can hear it, but your main focus is elsewhere. In mindfulness, you’re paying attention to the fact that you have a thought but you are not buying into what it is saying. Try not to judge the thought  as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Cultivate an attitude of equanimity to whatever goes through your mind. Watch your thoughts with curiosity and kindness and they will become easier to bear.
• Whenever you notice  your mind is wandering, acknowledge that it has meandered and gently bring your attention back to observing your thoughts.
• Continue working with your worries in this way for the period of time you have chosen. Working mindfully can be challenging, so it’s good to practise for short periods at first.
• You may feel dizzy when you start but that’s because you’ve suddenly stopped spinning around in circles. In the stillness of meditation, it can also seem as if you have more thoughts than usual but this is not so: it is just that you are becoming more aware of them. The more you practise, the more your mind can deal with worries in a less panicked way.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2220598/Breathing-exercises-combat-anxiety.html#ixzz2AhQ5jnKl

Prescription: two doses of affirmation per day..

Let's prepare ourselves for the weekend, shall we? Take two doses of 'affirmation' per day and see the results... that's right, let's bring that stress all the way down... and in order to help you, I put something together for you.

Repeat the affirmation below as you start to fall asleep and as soon as you wake up in the morning... the more you repeat it the more it will become 'engraved' in your subconscious. Try it and see it working after a week or so:

"Everyday in every way I am becoming happier, healthier and wealthier… I am feeling freer… lighter… more confidence in myself… CALM … and as I say this I notice myself becoming happier … calmer… more relaxed… the more I say the word CALM the more my subconscious mind will associate this word with those positive feelings I am feeling now… happiness… health… wealth… peace…relaxed body…relaxed mind… the more I repeat the word CALM the more my subconscious mind will begin to treat this new habit as a reality … time and time again… during day and night… as a result I will be able to attract and encounter circumstances that would make me calm and healthy… CALM…CALM…that is all it takes to change my life…"

Hope you enjoy it!

Best Wishes

Costa

MetaMind Therapies' Blogs now available in other languages!

Dear readers and followers,

Just to let you know that I have incorporated a Google translation tool within my blog. You will find it on the top of the page and hopefully very helpful too.

Glad to help you in everyway I can!

Thank you 

Costa

It's Friday at last...

... and let's renew our energies!

Ok, energy is all around us, it permeates all things and is our life source. It is as important as any other single body system because involves all of them (despite not being able to measure energy). Our energy levels are often affected by the busy lives that we lead. We sometimes feel tired or exhausted and can’t quite put our fingers on the reasons why...

... or we sometimes don’t have the motivation to make the changes that we desperately want: be that in our relationships, losing weight, going to the gym, changing our jobs, following our passions, or simply giving ourselves permission to stop, relax and feel rejuvenated again.

In life, we are presented with many different challenges and some of them are fun, exciting and make us feel alive! We wake in the morning with an excitement (not always.. I know... I know) and curiosity at the what the day will potentially bring us. Other challenges may feel like cumbersome obstacles in our lives, where decision making can be a somewhat difficult process! This can, in turn, stop us from embracing situations fully, making us feel sluggish and can keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns which don’t allow us to move forward.

Now, it may be how we approach these challenges that makes all the difference... How do you view your current challenges?

Why not trying new ways of breathing? Yes that's right! Some people are much more concerned with the next door neighbour who has bought a brand new car (given that he has been unemployed for 6 months) that they forget to live their own lives... they forget even how to breath (good job it is done for us!).

Breathe deeply.. yes that's right... many people usually breathe shallow breaths, from their chests and are actually somewhat oxygen deprived. So here you go: breathing using your diaphragm and abdominal muscles promotes relaxation and reduces tension.

Drink water... lot of it! Our bodies are nearly 80%  water... our bodies need it to work optimally. If we become ill somehow, water is a vital part of our recovery as well as remove unwanted and unnecessary materials by excreting them along with the water.

Develop and welcome new friendships (yes I know, we can't get on with everyone). At any moment in time, each and every one of us has the opportunity to bond with others as friends. We all need these emotional connection. It requires a give-and-take of trust to make relationships work, but it is well worth the effort. But hey! You might want to ask me "And IF that doesn't or isn't working?" Well, consider the costs and rewards of it? What are you getting out of it? Is it worth? Think about it..

Today is yesterday's tomorrow and today is tomorrow's yesterday.. think positively in the present tense and feel its effects... allow the power of your own positive thoughts spreading... helping to balance and heal you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. This balance empowers you, making you able to achieve your dreams and keeping us healthy too. Stay in the now, as the past is over and, although it is good to have dreams, fear about the future are futile. 

Like the past, it can't be undone... but what you CAN do is to forgive yourself and others, by trying to make the right choice and making a little effort to move on in life. Sometimes what seems to be good, is bad and what seems to be bad, is good... it all depends on our perception. I once told the tale to one of my clients:

Once upon a time a farmer sent his son with a horse to graze upon the mountainside... He fell asleep and when he woke the horse was gone. He came back without it and the neighbours said "Oh what bad luck" the farmer then said "Maybe"
 
The very next day the farmer sent his son back to the mountain to seek his runaway... He found the horse and seven other wild ones and took them all home and the neighbours said "Oh what good luck" and the farmer said "Maybe"
 
The very next day the farmer sent his son to the wild horses that needed to be tamed... The first one he climbed on threw him down on the ground and as a result he broke his arm and the neighbours said "Oh what bad luck" then the farmer said"Maybe"

The very next day war was declared and the army men came through the countryside looking for soldiers but they couldn't take anyone... with a broken arm! The neighbours then said "Oh what good luck" and the farmer said "Maybe"

Life is what you make of it! The power to succeed or fail is yours alone and you alone have the responsibility to shape your life and make decisions. Nothing and no one can deny you greatness once you understand this.

Finally, I would like you to consider your free will and no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but you. More powerful then all the success slogans ever written is the realization that everyone has but one boss. That boss is you.

Above all: let's thank God, keep an open mind and feel grateful for our lives: it is the most precious asset you can have at any time!

I wish all my readers and followers a good Friday and would also like to invite you to consider what I have suggested so far.

Till next time...

Mental Health Statistics - you are not alone!

Mental Health affects us all. How we think and feel about ourselves and our lives impacts on our behaviour and how we cope in tough times.

It affects our ability to make the most of the opportunities that come our way and play a full part amongst our family, workplace, community and friends. It’s also closely linked with our physical health.

Whether we call it well-being, emotional welfare or mental health, it’s key to living a fulfilling life.

 

The facts and figures around Mental Health in the UK are alarming. 

• 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year

• Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain

• Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men

• About 10% of children have a mental health problem at any one time

• Depression affects 1 in 5 older people

• Suicides rates show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women

• Self-harm statistics for the UK show one of the highest rates in Europe: 400 per 100,000 population

• Only 1 in 10 prisoners has no mental disorder

  
 For further information go to: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-statistics/

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A spiritual approach to health

Spirituality is the key to staying healthy. Are you envisaging a group of crystal-gazing New Age revellers? Well, don’t: spirituality embraces all religions and none, and has everything to do with how you approach life, stay fit and keep well. 

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/alternativemedicine/9559268/A-spiritual-approach-to-health.html 

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MetaMind Therapies covers Buxton, Ashbourne, Peak Dale, Chinley, Macclesfield and provides Hypnotherapy and Holistic Therapies.

What is Hypnotherapy?

You have the power to change your life for the better. We all live in a reality that lacks the right ‘tools’ to deal with the unknown.

The unknown is part of life. Many don't understand that life is a journey that never ends. It transcends our current reality. The more you live the more you notice you know what you don’t know...

The aim of MetaMind Therapies is to help you find the answer beyond your existing reality, starting within yourself...

MetaMinds Therapies UK is based in Buxton one of the most beautiful spots of Derbyshire. In order to help you relax and find the right balance that you need, other than Hypnotherapy, we also offer a range of Holistic Therapies such as Reiki, Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy and Crystal Therapy. By combining all these elements Meta Mind Therapies can help you to relax, empower you to grow and achieve your personal goals.

I frequently ask my clients: "If you could change anything about yourself tomorrow whilst you sleep tonight, what would it be? What would it look like? How would it feel?" 

Most of the times they are not sure. Do you know you have the power within yourself to change anything you wish – behaviours, habits, circumstances? And do you know that these changes can be achieved in an amazingly short time? Yes, the power of your subconscious mind is truly amazing! Through hypnotherapy dramatic lasting results have been achieved in amazingly brief periods. 

Hypnotherapy is literally "therapy which is undertaken while you are in a state of hypnosis". Hypnosis is a totally natural, deeply relaxed state of heightened awareness a bit like a "daydream")- known as a "trance".

During hypnotherapy, suggestions can be made to your unconscious mind- these suggestions may help to bring about the changes you are looking for. When under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed, just like that wonderful feeling when you are tired lying in your bed and you are so overcome with comfort that you wish the moment could last forever. 

The aim of hypnotherapy is to enable you to gain control over your emotions, aspects of your behaviour, or physiological processes.

 For further information go to   http://www.metamindtherapies.co.uk/hypnotherapyinbuxtonderbyshire.html

The types of therapy

Talking therapy is a broad term. It covers all the psychological therapies that involve a person talking to a therapist about their problems.

You may have heard of counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or psychotherapy. These are all different types of talking therapy, but they share some common features.  
For some problems and conditions, one type of talking treatment may be better than another. Different talking treatments also suit different people. A particular one may be best for you and your situation.
To help you decide which one would be most suitable for you, talk to your GP about the types of talking therapy on offer (let them know if you prefer a particular one). Below is a brief explanation of each talking treatment and how they can help.

Counselling

Having counselling is probably the best-known talking therapy and the one most readily available at your GP surgery.
Counselling on the NHS usually consists of 6 to 12 sessions, each an hour long. You talk in confidence to a counsellor about how you feel about yourself and your situation. The counsellor supports you and offers practical advice.
Counselling is ideal for people who are basically healthy but need help coping with a current crisis, such as:

• anger
• relationship issues
• bereavement
• redundancy
• infertility
• the onset of a serious illness

Read more about counselling.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

The aim of CBT is help you think less negatively, so that instead of feeling hopeless and depressed, you cope better with and even start to enjoy the situations you face.
In CBT, you set goals with your therapist and carry out tasks between sessions. A course typically involves between 6 and 15 sessions, which last about an hour each.
Like counselling, CBT deals with current situations more than events in your past or childhood.
There has been a lot of research done on CBT and it’s been shown to work for a variety of mental health problems. However, this doesn't mean that it's better than other therapies, but simply that others may not have been studied as much.
In particular, CBT can help:

• depression
• anxiety
• panic attacks
• phobias
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• some eating disorders, especially bulimia

CBT is available on the NHS for people with depression or any other mental health problem that it has been shown to help. There are also self-help books and computer courses which use the concepts of CBT to help you overcome common problems like depression. Read more about self-help therapies.
Find out more about cognitive behavioural therapy.

Psychotherapy

Unlike counselling and CBT, psychotherapy involves talking more about your past to help you overcome problems you’re having in the present. It tends to last longer than CBT and counselling. Sessions are an hour long and can continue for a year or more.
There are different types of psychotherapy, but they all aim to help you understand more about yourself, improve your relationships and get more out of life. Psychotherapy can be especially useful in helping people with long-term or recurring problems to find the cause of their difficulties.
There's some evidence that psychotherapy can help depression and some eating disorders.
NHS psychotherapists normally work in a hospital or clinic, where you'll see them as an outpatient. Private psychotherapists often work from home.

Family therapy

This may be offered when the whole family is in difficulty.
In family therapy, a therapist (or pair of therapists) meets the whole family. The therapist explores their views and relationships to understand the problems the family is having. It helps family members communicate better with each other.
Sessions are between 45 minutes and an hour-and-a-half long, and usually take place several weeks apart.
Family therapy is useful for any family in which a child, young person or adult (a parent or a grandparent) has a serious problem that’s affecting the rest of the family. Many types of cases are seen by family therapists, including:

• child and adolescent behavioural problems
• mental health conditions, illness and disability in the family
• separation, divorce and step-family life
• domestic violence
• drug or alcohol addiction

Couples therapy

Couples therapy can help when a relationship is in crisis (after an affair, for example). Both partners talk in confidence to a counsellor to explore what has gone wrong in the relationship and how to change things for the better. It can help couples learn more about each other's needs and communicate better.
Ideally, both partners should attend the weekly hour-long sessions, but they can still help if just one person attends.

Group therapy

In group therapy, up to around 12 people meet, together with a therapist. It’s a useful way for people who share a common problem to get support and advice from each other. It can help you realise you’re not alone in your experiences, which is itself beneficial.
Some people prefer to be part of a group or find that it suits them better than individual therapy.

source: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/types-of-therapy.aspx

Something to think about

It is said that several animals decided to found a school. They gathered around in the forest and began to choose the subjects:

The bird insisted that the flying subject was important... The fish chose swimming as part of the curriculum, on the other hand the squirrel found that going up on trees was essential, 

The rabbit wanted racing above everything else...  But suddenly they realised they had made a big mistake: they insisted that all animals should carried out all the subjects..

The rabbit was magnificent in the race, nobody ran like it, but they wanted to teach him how to fly... So he was put on a tree and told: "Fly, rabbit". So he jumped from the top, broke his legs and as a result he didn't learn to fly AND broke his legs...

The bird flew like no other, but it was forced to dig holes like the mole. It broke its beak and wings, and could not even fly anymore nor dig holes.

Sooo... what is the MORAL of the STORY: we are all different in many ways!

Each one of us has something good to offer and we cannot force others to be like us. At the same time we cannot accept to be the way the others want us to be..

We will end up causing them to suffer, and in the end they will not be what we wanted them to be nor what they were in first place...

Anxiety and depression big problems among children

Most of us think childhood to be a time associated with a fun, carefree way of life. However, most children these days are being affected by problems like anxiety and depression. Increased competition that has increased performance anxiety and stress has been held responsible for this by the doctors.

To mark the ongoing mental health week, city branches of the Indian medical Association and Indian Psychiatric Society organized a conference to discuss the most prevalent mental health issues. Anxiety and depression among children was one of these topics.

"In the last two decades, there has been a tremendous rise in psychological problems in children. This is mainly because increased parental and personal expectations because of the competitive environment. Now-a-days, a child is not satisfied by topping the class through his hard work. He has to top the state or the country to be really happy about his achievement as there is globalization of competition too," said psychiatrist Dr Kausar Abbasi, adding "Teachers and the education system have become very demanding."

Dr Nilesh Shah, professor and head of the psychiatry department of Sion Hospital, Mumbai, believes that more than depression, anxiety has become a common affliction among children. "In every class, one or two children can be found who suffer from over-anxiety.

These children get worked up about small things specially before important events like examinations or outings, keep seeking reassurances, lose temper easily and can't sleep well. Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, aroma therapy can be used to help them relax when anxiety is triggered," he said.

Some of the other types of anxiety which are not very common include school phobia, separation anxiety disorder when a child does not wish to separate from a parent for the smallest amount of time, social anxiety disorder where social situations and selective mutism where certain special circumstances or people trigger anxiety in the child, he informed.

One of the reasons that the children are suffering from such problems is the comparatively easy life they have. "The frustration tolerance and tolerance limits of children are very low these days as they are getting all they want from a very early age. Anxiety in children can also manifest through behavioral problems like bed wetting and parents should be on the watch out for them," said psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Palsodkar.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Anxiety-and-depression-big-problems-among-children/articleshow/16716332.cms

Let's respect, love and understand ourselves?

Can you counter act negative suggestions?

YES you can! Just by picking up a newspaper or turning the telly on, everyday you hear dozens of stories that could sow the seeds of fear, worry and anxiety... However, if you accept them and take them in, these destructive thoughts may cause you to lose your will to live!!

BUT you don't have to accept them, as you have within yourself the power to counteract all these destructive ideas by autosuggesting constructive messages to your subconscious mind.. 

For a moment, stop and think about what you were not thinking about which is exactly what you need to know now: close your eyes and try to go back to your childhood (if it is safe to do) and remember ALL that negativity coming from parents and relatives... and then from friends... and then from bosses and co-workers and so on and on and on...

Study the things said to you... closely examine the meaning underneath... you might discover that many of them were nothing more than a form of propaganda... AND they were following their OWN agenda... yes their own agenda! We ALL have one, it is normal! and the worse is: they are all concealed or better saying 'disguised'... So you might ask yourself "What is the purpose of it?" Well, the purpose 'was' and still 'is' to instill fear and negative conditions of worth in you!

 When you say "I can't do this" or "I am too old now" you are simply programming  your subconscious with these negative thoughts. As a result you create obstacles... you are in effect telling your subconscious mind that it cannot solve your problems... 

So on one hand you have your conscious mind saying "I can do this" on the other hand you have your subconscious saying "I can't do this".. so it becomes an impasse...

However... you can change it! 

Go somewhere quiet, sit down, take a few deep breaths... try not to think of anything but that moment... and then repeat the following:

"My subconscious knows the answer... it is responding to me now... I give thanks because I know the infinite intelligence of my subconscious knows all things and is revealling the perfect answer to me now... my real conviction is now setting free the majesty and glory of my subconscious mind. I rejoice that is so" 
                                                 
                                                    Dr Joseph Murphy, The Power of your Subconscious Mind


Soo... some of you may say "Oh this is an affirmation!" and others may also say "It is a prayer!" and the answer is... yes and yes! You are both correct. Praying is nothing more and nothing less than an act/affirmation of faith, love and respect towards you, others, nature, universe and God. 

I hope you have found this helpful. If you wish to leave your comments, you may do so on our FB page:    MetaMind Therapies UK


Thank you

The Record: Woman challenges film’s — and society’s — attitude toward obesity

When she was 12 years old, Amy Kerr was a competitive swimmer. She got injured and had to stop. But her appetite was as hearty as ever, and she started gaining weight.
She was bullied mercilessly by the other girls in her Grade 7 class, who called her names... Then she started starving herself. By Grade 11, she was in hospital with depression. Since then, she has struggled to accept her own body.

A few days ago, Kerr, now a 23-year-old student at Conestoga College, went onto her Facebook account. An ad popped up for the new movie, Pitch Perfect. She looked at it. And something snapped inside her.

The ad showed pictures of four young women who are characters in the movie, which is about competitive singing, à la the popular TV show Glee. The pictures introduce the actors by the names of their characters: Beca, Aubrey, Chloe. And “Fat Amy.”

Kerr was in different kinds of therapy for years and only learned to accept her body this year, after undergoing hypnotherapy. She got “really angry” to see the one heavier woman in the movie singled out that way.

It gives the message that “it’s OK to put a label on bigger people — because they’re not really people,” she said. She wrote to Universal Pictures and asked them to change their promotional material.

“Please, please do it for all the men and women in hospitals, at home, at work who are starving themselves and puking their guts out so that the world will think that they too, are beautiful people. Please, please do it for them,” she wrote.

Kerr says she hasn’t had an answer from Universal yet. She read the information about the movie, which explains that the character calls herself “Fat Amy” so that the others won’t say it behind her back. But that didn’t make her feel better.

Kerr’s eloquent plea to Universal contains a kernel of truth about how our affluent, educated society — so open and generous to other minorities like gay and transgendered people, aboriginals and atheists and people of all colours — still judges fat people in a harsh and arbitrary manner. It is, perhaps, the last remaining socially acceptable form of discrimination.
People who are about to go out on a blind date, who would never in a million years dream of asking about the colour of their date’s skin, will still say: “Does she take care of herself?” Which is, of course, code for: “Is she fat?”

It’s a cruel irony that in our culture, where food is plentiful and cheap, slenderness is prized. Overweight people are viewed as not having discipline or willpower. They’re cruelly punished by being shunted off to the sidelines — socially, at work, and even in the classroom. A 2008 report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University pointed out that teachers consistently hold lower expectations of overweight children. No wonder so many young women and men resort to dangerous, and sometimes deadly, eating disorders.

Wealthy, successful people in North America are almost always slim, which perpetuates the stereotype that fat people are fat because they’re weak. But more and more research is being done that shows this theory to be grossly simplistic. Overweight and obesity have complex, tangled roots in the human psyche.

It’s not just that people can’t be bothered to burn the calories they eat. Sexual abuse and lack of sleep can be contributing factors, to name just two. One study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that sexually abused children are more than twice as likely to be obese by their early 20s as their unmolested counterparts. One possible explanation is the idea that victims unconsciously build a protective wall of fat around them, in order to ward off further sexual advances.

Meanwhile, numerous studies on sleep deprivation — one of which tested 65,000 adults across Europe — show that if you don’t sleep enough, you are more likely to overeat and to gain weight. Given the shifting nature of work, the decline of the full-time nine-to-five job, and the more demanding pace of life for so many of us, this country’s rising obesity rate takes on a whole new dimension. One that the “Fat Amy” character does absolutely nothing to illuminate.

Source: therecord

Walk your stress out!

We at MetaMind Therapies need a break too, so we decided to go hill walking this weekend in Derbyshire (near Edale and Castleton). 

Enjoying the view...

 

...behind me...

                                                     

...onwards and upwards!

 
 Well what can I say... The weather was beautiful (starting to get a bit chilly now but not cold!), the sun was shinning and the whole team had a great day in the Derbyshire dales!

Most of us feel good after exercise, and it's probably not from endorphins. Physical exercise is good for our mental health and for our brains. Some of my clients say "Oh well, I don't have time to go to the gym.." or "I am too tired to do anything..." or simply "I can't be bothered..." 

I explain to them that if they are stuck in a concrete jungle all day at work, they will be amazed at how quickly a walk in a nice green park near home or work will make them feel better! Just enjoying the trees, flowers and birds - even sitting on the grass for a bit and looking at the sky.

Walking helps to manage your stress and gives you time to think, as well as time to get away from stressors. Getting out of the stressful environment, breathing the air, and feeling your body move is natural stress-relief. Other ways walking can relieve stress:

• Creates a distance between you and the stress-causing environment.
• Observe the environment around you; enjoy the trees, flowers, birds, gardens, sky, storefronts.
• Feel your body in motion and reconnect with yourself.
• Wear off stress-eating calories.
• Take time to work through problems and possible solutions as you walk.
• Talk and laugh with your walking partner to relieve the stress.
• See that there is more to life than your problems.
• Lower your blood pressure and your heart health risk, which can be increased by stress.

Wish a good week to all my readers and clients! Let's get out there for some exercise!

Costa

Poll Indicates More Trust In Dentists Than In Doctors

New poll suggests people trust their dentist more than their DR, however 26% of people still to not attend dentists appointments through fear- more therapies are now available such as hypnosis- could this be the answer to our dentist phobia issue?

source: http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/news/poll-indicates-more-trust-in-dentists-than-in-doctors-8381

Using Food Wisely for Stress Management

One of the most common ways that people will manage their stress is by eating. They might turn to food for comfort, thinking that filling up their stomachs can make their lives more manageable. But in terms of stress management, this sort of eating can often lead to more troubles than it helps. You feel guilty about eating, adding to your stress level, which then makes you eat, etc. The good news is that you can use food for stress management, so long as you use the right foods. Here are some foods and eating tips you need to add to your stress management plans.

Use Whole Grain Carbohydrates

Many people will eat simple sugars when they are under stress. The sugar boosts their mood and it helps them to feel happier. But when this sugar is used by the body, this leads to a sugar crash, often making them feel worse than they did in the beginning. Instead of riding the sugar roller coaster, you might want to look into whole grain carbohydrates. Studies have shown that eating whole grains can stabilize your blood sugar, promoting feelings of calm, but they can also boost serotonin levels, which can make you feel more relaxed. Try adding one complex carbohydrate at every meal to see how this works for you.

Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

In addition, you will want to remove all caffeine from your diet of stress management. Caffeine makes your body work too hard and to move too quickly, which increases your heart rate and causes you to feel more stressed and tense. Take some time to slowly lower your caffeine intake over the course of a few weeks. While you might be tired at first, you will find your thinking to be clearer and your body to be more relaxed in time.

Eat Less at Each Meal

When you are stressed, it’s not a good idea to add more pressure on your body. If you are eating large meals, you need to cut these down a bit in order to give your body a rest. When you eat less at each meal, you will be able to digest easily and use up as little energy as possible along the way. Try eating every four to six hours to make sure your body always has calories in it, but that you’re never eating too much or too heavily.
Stress management can begin on your plate with a few simple tips. But following a balanced diet is good advice, no matter how you’re feeling or how you want to be feeling in your life. Find ways to incorporate all of the food groups and your body will begin to release the tension. Find time to use breathing techniques with Stress Sweeper help to reduce stress on a daily basis.

Testing Your Biological (Body's) Real Age

The Biological Age Test can help you find out in moments what your biological age is and how your age is changing. For some, this might mean they are aging too rapidly. For others, good habits may show that their biological age is moving downward, making them healthier and more youthful. It’s never too late to make changes in your life either. No matter what the results, being able to track one’s biological age will help you find out whether you are heading in the right direction for health or if you need to turn around and ask for more directions.

Using a Stress Relieve Program

If you haven’t been feeling well lately or you know that you’ve been more stressed out than you think, you might want to look into the Stress Sweeper program. By simply attaching a device to your ear and hooking it up to your computer, you can begin to train your body to feel better. The program will show your body responses over time and teaches you to make the necessary changes. By watching and being aware of your stress, you can begin to take steps to slow down and to relax. Sometimes just realizing you are more stressed than is healthy – as the Stress Monitor will show you – is enough to help you learn to breathe in the midst of crazy circumstances.

Monitor Your Health at Home

With Health Snapshot, you can begin to change the way you look at your health. Instead of simply being a person who waits to get sick, you can take charge today and prevent illness in the first place by simply monitoring your health. While it might seem that you are starting out in poor health, realize that you can turn things around quickly and see positive results in just weeks. With the Health Snapshot, it only takes a few minutes to see what your body needs from you and then you can take the appropriate actions. You will see the results on your computer and make the necessary changes to your life.

source: http://www.healthreviser.com