Thought Pieces & Videos

Easter is often viewed as a time of renewal, reflection, and connection. While many look forward to the comfort of family gatherings, long walks in the sunshine, and seasonal treats, for those living with eating disorders, the holiday can bring unique challenges. Although some embrace the celebration of food and drink, Easter may also feel complicated, overwhelming, and at times, isolating.  If you find yourself struggling with Easter traditions, know that your experience is valid—and you're not alone. Many people, regardless of their relationship with food, can feel uneasy or anxious around social events and holiday eating. 

There are a number of recommended self-help resources available that can help you better understand ADHD and offer tools to manage it. Many self-serve apps have been reported to be very helpful for task organisation and time management, as well as other resources widely cited as being positive at helping alleviate stress when tasks pile up or life feels overwhelming. Here, we gather our Clinician's most often recommended resources.

You may have received a diagnosis of ADHD but perhaps now feel left unsure of what to do next. There are many ways you can manage your ADHD, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Ongoing treatment after being diagnosed can involve any combination of medication, psychological therapy, the use of self-help resources, seeking relevant accommodations in workplaces/ educational settings or in some cases, making no changes at all. But how do you know what to do, and even just what options are available?

Whilst there is thankfully a notable increase now in the understanding of menopause, and it’s impact on women as they age, there remains limits on the understanding of perimenopause - the months or years that precede the menopause, but which still has dramatic impact on women’s physical, mental and cognitive health.

Anger can be an uncomfortable and all-consuming emotion. Understandably, many of us try to avoid feeling it or desperately try to stop it when it inevitably does arise. Anger can make us do or say things that are out of character and may even lead us to question our moral compass. Due to its intensity and possible difficulty to control, psychological help is commonly sought out to help understand why it is happening and how to manage it. Where your anger isn’t harming anyone else, is it necessarily a bad thing? What if, when harnessed in the right way, it can actually be the driver of positive change?

Anger is a very normal emotion and part of the multicolour spectrum of the human experience. However, things can become troubling when anger feels uncontrollable, unreasonable, or disproportionate to the situation in which it arises. People fear the hurt they may cause others, and the relationships that might be impacted by their outbursts, or actions.

Opening up to someone - be it friend, partner, colleague or family member - about mental health challenges can feel hugely challenging. Perhaps you’re nervous that they’ll think less of you, treat you differently, or maybe even take afront at the conversation. However, in most cases, this openness and vulnerability can lead to some of the most meaningful connections, and a new closeness. But how to have that conversation? What should you say?

We all wish for a long, healthy and happy life, and we often take positive steps to promote this; through physical exercise, working on healthy dietary habits, and involving activities and practices that have a positive impact on our emotional and mental health into our day to day. There is also, however, the matter of our cognitive health - here, we look at things we can all do, at any age, to keep our cognition and memory stronger for longer.

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a huge challenge - emotionally, physically, energetically and - sometimes - financially. Old Age Specialist Psychiatrist Dr Ruth Cairns talks us through the help that is available, as well as gives her advice on practical aspects carers might consider.