Julia Crane

counselling associates

01934 257037
enquiries@counsellingwestonsupermare.co.uk

Emotional pain: why do we have it?

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Given the option, most of us would generally prefer not to feel pain. That is the way it is meant to be.

When we are functioning well, we experience a flow of emotion within a tolerable range and we feel balanced, well, socially engaged, and able to cope. We have systems in place to maintain such a state, which is optimal for our survival and functioning. Spending too much time in a hyper- or hypoaroused state (outside of this “Window of Tolerance”) is detrimental to our physical and mental health, and can even result in death.

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Therapy vs the Quick Fix

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Depression and anxiety are the most common forms of mental distress in the UK. Because these conditions impact so much on the lives of sufferers and their families, it is understandable that many people seek a quick fix that will get them back to normal as quickly as possible. Antidepressants seem to offer this possibility; however, recent research shows that antidepressants may not be as effective as previously thought, especially in cases of mild depression. The Royal College of Psychiatry estimates that between 50% and 65% of people treated with an antidepressant for depression will benefit. Furthermore, according to a Canadian researcher, Dr Paul Andrews, individuals who take antidepressants can be nearly twice as susceptible to future episodes of major depression than those who don’t.

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Books on Prescription

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People in England with mild to moderate mental health concerns, including panic attacks, anxiety and depression, are to be prescribed self-help books which they can borrow from their local library. The Books on Prescription scheme, developed by the Reading Agency charity, is being rolled out across GPs’ surgeries and libraries in England in May.

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Is your mind doing overtime? Here’s how to turn the volume down.

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If you struggle with anxiety and/or depression, you are probably finding it difficult to get out of your head. You analyse relationships, replay the events of the day and beat yourself up about what you could have or should have done differently, you worry about the future and endlessly churn over various scenarios…Sound familiar?

Maybe at some level you know that all this thinking is a futile activity, but you just don’t know how to stop! Mindfulness meditation helps you to find the “off” switch and get some relief from the endless inner dialogue.

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Postnatal depression in men?

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This morning I had the misfortune of stumbling upon an article in the Guardian, entitled “Postnatally depressed dads? – Give me a break”. The purpose of the article, written by Barbara Ellen, was, I think, to criticise the use of the term “PND” to describe the symptoms some men experience after the birth of a child. However, she was also particularly dismissive of men who experience depression postnatally, using terms such as “Pissed off, knackered and yearning to be carefree again” and “exhausting narcissists”  and “men incapable of hiding their sulky self-absorption”.

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