PTSD

Each November our thoughts turn to those who fought and died to protect us and ultimately our way of life.  Just as importantly we should show our gratitude to those who are still fighting for us and our freedom, their bravery and dedication knows no bounds.

But what I really want to talk about are those who continue to suffer long after they have served their country and are struggling to lead a normal life.  They are the ones suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  It’s difficult to find any figures on the numbers currently affected, but Combat Stress Charity states that “mental ill-health affects ex-Service men and women of all ages, and right now, they are supporting over 5,400 Veterans aged from 19 to 97!” And they’ve never been busier!

But, of course, it’s not just our Veterans who can suffer from PTSD, anyone who has been involved or witnessed, a serious trauma such as a life-threatening assault, a severe accident, rape, torture or seeing someone killed is just as likely to suffer too.  And if you are victim of rape, you have a 50% more chance of developing PTSD!  According to Patient.co.uk, it is estimated that 3 in a 100 people may develop PTSD at some stage in their life.  Which I think is quite a shocking statistic!

Symptoms can often include flash-backs, nightmares, panic attacks, depression, avoidance, substance abuse, relationship issues, anger issues, OCD, and in the most serious of cases, some sufferers have even resorted to suicide.

Thankfully Solution Focused Hypnotherapists are finding that their work with clients suffering from PTSD is having such a positive effect on them.  By helping their clients to let go of past events and enable them to start moving forwards in a positive way which helps them cope so much better with life. And better still, generally, we don’t need to know what caused your PTSD in order to help you overcome it, which means that you don’t have to discuss it and you don’t have to re-live it when you come for treatment.

It's Almost Movember

I love supporting Movember, it's such a great way to draw attention to men's health and, more importantly, get men talking about their health.
Surprisingly, men have a 14% higher risk of developing cancer than women and a 37% higher risk of dying from it!  Some of the reason for the poor state of men’s health are the lack of awareness and understanding of the health issues men face.  Men don't openly discuss their health and how they’re feeling and very often there's a reluctance to take action when they don’t feel physical or mentally well.  And, of course there's still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health.

Thankfully the Movember Foundation are trying to change that by funding programs which will improve the lives of men around the world.  So hopefully we can move towards a reduced mortality from prostate, testicular cancer and men’s suicide and  men and boys understanding how to be mentally healthy and taking action when they experience mental health problems.
So whether your a girl who wants to support the men in her life by becoming a MoSista, or a man who wants to have a bit of fun and raise some money,  sign up to Movember today at  www.uk.movember.com  and start growing your Mo from the 1st November.

SAD it's Winter

Well it’s official, autumn is upon us and winter is coming.  In fact, it must be true, my heating popped on just for a few seconds in the early hours of this morning!

I actually love the autumn and winter months, fresh crisp mornings and wrapping up warm and it’s a chance to drink hot chocolate – like you need an excuse!  Although I do hate the fact that I can’t wear flip-flops anymore!

It’s at this time of year when it’s more important than ever to keep seeing the positives in everything. It’s easy to let the cold months get the better of you and this can eventually leaving you feeling depressed and often in pain as the arthritis kicks in, and if you suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) the symptoms can be even worse.

So make sure that you have plenty of things to keep you occupied this winter.  Get out for a walk when it’s dry, visit a friend when it’s wet.  Bring out your creative side and have a go at making jewellery, or cards etc.  Have a coffee morning and ask everyone to bring something – it doesn’t have to be cake, it could be healthy alternatives!

But winter isn’t all about the cold and rain, it’s really a time for celebration, festivities, family get-together s and parties.  There are plenty of positive things going on all around that can make us feel happier.

More importantly, it’s about how you choose to think.  If you decide in advance that winter is going to be dull, boring and depressing then that’s how you are going to feel.  But if you start thinking of all the joy and happiness that comes with festivals such as Christmas, then that’s how you’re going feel! It’s true isn’t it – how you feel is what you become and you can choose to enjoy the wonders of this coming winter.