The essential skills advisors and peer supporters need for giving advice, information or support online These are some of the basic skills that supporters and advisors find useful when working online. The support offered might be one to one (email style), peer or expert support, moderating forums or moderating real time chat. Depending on the…
Month: June 2012
Writing my mind – some thoughts about the benefits and impacts of public and private journalling
Childhood diaries I’ve always used writing to know and to guide my mind in one way or another. Usually, this has taken the form of a diary or journal. In thinking about the part that writing has played in managing my mind, I had an interesting evening going through my old diaries and notebooks. The…
Giving help that makes a difference – the subtleties of emotional support online
A question of jealousy Take a look at this relationships question about jealousy: “I’m always worried my boyfriend is going to cheat on me when he’s out with his friends. I’m always texting him when he’s out and it annoys him but I have no confidence that he won’t cheat. We live together and have…
Mind the gap – GPs, antidepressants and mental health support for young people.
“I’m not going to give you another prescription” “What… but I need it.. (panics)” “Don’t worry, I was just testing to see if you really did still need them..and I think you do” GP in Fenham, Newcastle “Just take them when you feel you need to” – to me aged 17. GP in Cumbria “So,…
How can exercise help depression?
Earlier this week, when the ‘exercise no help for depression’ stories were published on the BBC and the Guardian, I quickly pulled together some of my initial thoughts and frustrations with the way the research was reported. Since then, I’ve had a chance to think about it in a bit more depth. The debate on exercise…
My thoughts on exercise and depression
Bad journalism The BBC headline ‘Exercise ‘no help for depression’, research suggests’ (note – the BBC have quietly changed this headline now!) – and indeed Guardian headline ‘Exercise doesn’t help depression, study concludes’ (note – this link has since broken and I can no longer find the article) – really frustrated me today. It’s classic…
Keeping the beast asleep – Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and my experience of how it can help prevent relapse
Recurrent depression I recently found something I wrote a couple of years ago, while trying to make sense of a particularly difficult period of depression; “Recurrent depression is cyclical. It comes and goes in longer periods than just days or weeks. Each low episode can last months, and within that time it can make everything…