Real pain or no real pain… that is the question
October 21, 2006 at 12:34 am | In Entertainment | Leave a Comment
Theories that surround the notion of pain differ in the medical world. Some doctors argue that pain could be a disorder of sensory processing whilst some others contest the idea that pain is all ‘in the mind’.
The World Health Organisation defines pain as an ‘unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage’.
Pain is a message sent along the nerves to tell the brain that something is damaging the body. When one pinches one’s finger in the door, it is painful because our brain says so. What happens on a biological level is that damage-detecting sensory neurons send a message to the spinal cord, and our brain interprets it as (1) body damage (2) something needs to be done. The brain then sends a message to the muscles that triggers a behavioural response, such as pulling one’s finger out of the way.
Pain is said to have both physical and emotional components and may vary according to individuals’ genetic and environmental predisposition to pain. Psychological factors are also important and one’s response to pain can be triggered by past experiences and expectations for the future. For example, experiencing a painful injection in the past will trigger a negative emotional response (= fear) towards future injections, leading to an anticipation of the pain. And one WILL feel the pain.
The video below describes this principle of pain anticipation. Although an entertainment video, Darren Brown’s show demonstrates that pain CAN be ‘all in the mind’. If you believe that someone is about to insert needles in your arms, you are very likely to feel the pain, even though the needles are actually not inserted in your arms.
Similarly, analgesia or anaesthesia can be targeted during childbirth or surgical operations by using psychological techniques such as concentration, distraction, auto-suggestion and clinical hypnosis.
Alors… real pain or no real pain?
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
Vous avez dit Therapies Nouvelles ? (version audio)
October 19, 2006 at 11:47 pm | In French posts | Leave a Comment
Dans un souci de faire de ce blog professionnel un espace toujours plus chaleureux et anime, je me suis decidee aujourd’hui a 1. Ecrire ce billet en francais 2. Inserer un fichier audio discutant des therapies complementaires et alternatives, dites therapies nouvelles.
Ce fichier audio reprend un article ecrit par The Focus Clinic et publie dans un numero du magazine gratuit ICI LONDRES, disponible a Londres et a Paris.
Ceci est ma premiere insertion audio aussi n’hesitez pas a me laisser un commentaire si jamais vous n’arrivez pas a acceder a l’audio ci dessus.
Bonsoir a tous!
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
Closed
October 12, 2006 at 1:09 pm | In Openings | Leave a Comment
The Focus Clinic will exceptionnally be closed from 13-16 October 2006. For urgent queries only, please contact our reception who will forward your message to us.
Appointments will resume as normal on Tuesday, 17th October 2006.
Thank you and have a good weekend.
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
Depression: Suicide (Part II)
October 12, 2006 at 12:33 pm | In Mental disorders | Leave a Comment
There are different types and level of depression, from unipolar to bipolar depression; from mild to severe depression. The first clinical symptoms, however, may be similar: amongst those symptoms, a persistent ‘low’ mood, with unhealthy negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, guilt; tiredness; loss of energy; insomnia; feelings of worthlessness; changes to appetite, leading to loss or gain of weight; difficulty in thinking or concentrating; and lost of interest or pleasure in things.
According to a report from Samaritans, ‘the lifetime risk of suicide for people suffering from severe depression may be as high as 6%. This compares with a risk of 1.3% in the general population. For those with bipolar, suicide risks are high, at 15 times that of the general population’ (Source: Samaritans).
When life seems so unfair, and the future does not look bright any more, depressed people may at some point decide to ‘put an end to their sufferings’ by taking their own lives. If you know someone who talks about it, do not underestimate this statement and seek professional assistance immediately. Most people who committed suicide previously gave verbal ‘warnings’ or definite signs of their intentions and it is important to take those ‘warnings’ seriously.
Attempted suicide amongst young people aged 15-24 years is a major concern worldwide and attempted suicide rates by young men aged 15-24 have increased drastically in the last ten years. Suicide and attempted suicide occur in all groups in society and can happen to anybody.
Cheering a suicidal person up, encouraging her to talk about her thoughts and feelings, and developing a relationship based on trust and support can alleviate the suicidal person’s mood and help her realise the severity of her action tendancies. Attempted suicide, as well as self harm, is often the result of a dissociative state. Allowing the suicidal person to put words to her sufferings can be of great help. Probably more than you can ever imagine.
Our today’s society still finds it difficult to hear about consequences of depression, whether it is self harm or suicide. We simply do not want to hear about it, or talk about it. Suicidal people know it too well, too, and may have the feeling that nobody wants to help them. Sending verbal warnings or showing signs of suicidal tendancies IS however a cry for help. Most suicidal people feel ambivalent about living and dying, and wanting to die often conflicts with some remaining desire to live.
If you know someone who may display a suicidal behaviour, or if you feel suicidal yourself, help him/her to seek professional assistance, or seek professional help for yourself now. Remember that there is no so-called ’suicidal type’ of people. It can happen to anybody.
Any of us.
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
Depression: Self harm (Part I)
October 11, 2006 at 11:52 pm | In Mental disorders | Leave a Comment
Depression is a very common mental health problem worldwide and it is estimated that it will become the second most common cause of disability, after heart disease, by 2020 (Source: Samaritans UK). Amongst people who suffer from depression, some of them will self-harm, with or without the intent to commit suicide.
Self-harm, also known as deliberate self-harm, is a major concern amongst young people. Self harmers find it hard to talk about their destructive behaviour and will most of the time keep it secret. People who happen to witness the result of self harming may find themselves feel disturbed and powerless towards the situation.
People who self harm deliberately inflict injury upon themselves, by cutting or burning themselves, bruising themselves, picking their skin or pulling their hair out. Often seen as a cry for help or a suicide attempt, self harm is actually more a way for the self harmer to cope with unhealthy negative emotions derived from elements of his past or present. Self harming gives relief by substituting physical pain for emotional pain.
It has been found that people who self harm have often experienced abuse of a sexual, physical or emotional nature when they were a child or a young adult – although not all people who have been abused will self harm at some point in their life. Self harming can also be the result of bullying, poor self image or substance addictions.
If you are a self harmer or know someone who might self mutilate, break the silence and talk to your GP or a mental health specialist. They will be able to help you identify the unhealthy negative emotions that are at the core of the self harming behaviour and express those negative feelings.
Don’t give up. You are not alone. Seek assistance now.
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
Changing the perception of depression
October 10, 2006 at 11:13 pm | In News | 2 Comments 
The Today Programme, the flagship BBC radio current affairs show, has for the second day in succession, featured items on the subject of depression.
Yesterday, (09/10/2006), it featured a discussion of depression with Professor Lewis Wolpert and Dr Howard Stoate MP. Professor Wolpert is the Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology of University College,
London, but is also author of “Malignant Sadness. The Anatomy of Depression”, which charts his own battle with suicidal depression, and subsequent treatment, with the benefit of techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, (CBT).
The Today Programme featured another news item today, (10/10/2006), which included an interview with Dr Paul Lichfield, the Chief Medical Officer of British Telecom. BT is launching a new initiative to tackle anxiety, depression and stress amongst its employees. The telecoms giant has104,000 employees, and estimates that 500 are off sick every day, with stress-related mental illnesses.
Dr Lichfield highlighted the effect that employee absences due to such illnesses have on the ‘bottom-line’ of businesses like BT, and how caring for employees’ mental health now merely represents good business practice.Both Professor Wolpert and Dr Lichfield confirmed that one of major exacerbating factors with relation to depression in the workplace is the perceived effect that the sufferer feels disclosure may have on their career. This illustrates the continuing stigma surrounding mental health.
Initiatives such as the BT programme will greatly assist in changing perceptions of depression, as will the disclosures by leading public figures of having suffered from the condition. We have recently witnessed both Rt. Hon. David Blunkett MP, and Alastair Campbell, admitting that they had suffered with depression during their respective falls from power.
This flurry of media exposure of the topic of depression comes hot on the heals of Stephen Fry’s two-part documentary on his own on-going battle with depression, The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, aired on BBC Television recently. In the programmes, Fry analyzed his own condition with the help of medical practitioners, and interviewed other celebrities who had suffered similar difficulties with depression, such as the singer, Robbie Williams.
At least one person in five will suffer from a depressive illness at some point in their life. It appears to be more common in women than men because women are more likely to seek help than men. It occurs at any age, even in children and young people. Bipolar affective disorder is less common affecting one person in 100 and affects both men and women.
If you believe that you might be suffering from depression, don’t wait any longer. Seek professional help. There are a number of ways of treating depression. Medication with antidepressants can help relieve the symptoms and prevent future episodes.Talking therapies such as relationship based psychotherapy can be useful; also problem-solving therapies and cognitive therapy in which the therapist helps a person learn to identify and challenge faulty, negative patterns of thinking. Support from family and friends is vital. Other activities, such as regular exercise, can help lift the depression.
Article written by N.H.T
Stephanie - info@thefocusclinic.co.uk
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