Mental health

Colour has a significant psychological impact on our everyday lives — affecting our health for better or for worse. The colour of medication can affect how effective we think it is and, if a hospital consultation room is painted a warm, neutral colour, patients are more likely to feel at ease. It can also affect children and their ability to learn and be happy, according to a new initiative at Overdale Infant School in Knighton, Leicester. Colour has a significant psychological impact on our everyday lives — affecting our health for better or for worse (file image)  In September, the school announced it was banishing gaudily hued chairs, walls and decor, and replacing them with furniture in brown and beige and hessian-fabric wallpapers. Staff have already revamped four of the 12 classrooms, and plan to change the decor in the remaining eight. The theory is that, while brightly coloured toys and decor can be distracting and over-stimulating for young brains, grey and … [Read more...] about Feeling blue? Why the colour of medication can make us believe it is more effective… and how neutral colours help us feel at ease

Through no fault of their own, Niki Jones, Stevie Lewis and Tony Preece each found their way into the hell of drug dependency, as a result of medication they’d been prescribed by their doctors. They were taking pills commonly prescribed to treat pain, depression, anxiety and insomnia and were soon locked into a vicious cycle of agonising side-effects and crippling withdrawal symptoms. But like many thousands of other innocent victims, they were left to battle their demons alone — for many years — without any support or advice from the medical profession that had put them in this situation in the first place. Niki Jones, now 47, from Llanfihangel Tal-y-llyn, Powys, spent ten years struggling to free herself from the grip of the opioid painkiller fentanyl she was prescribed for severe facial nerve pain. Recommendations included setting up a 24-hour helpline and website to offer support to the thousands of patients who find themselves with nowhere to turn ‘I … [Read more...] about Thousands of patients call on Government to implement 24-hour helpline to tackle the crippling addiction of prescription pills

Many men over 50 have urinary problems caused by an enlarged prostate, but now a high-speed water jet can treat them. Paul Griffiths, 67, a semi-retired estimating engineer from Keynsham, near Bristol, had it done, as he tells Carol Davis.  The patient  Paul Griffiths, 67, a semi-retired estimating engineer from Keynsham, near Bristol Since my 50s, I’ve had to get up in the night to go to the loo — it could be four or five times if I’d been out for a drink. After about three years I sought help. It was getting annoying and disturbing my sleep. My GP said it was probably benign prostate overgrowth, which happens as men age: the prostate, a walnut-shaped gland surrounding the urethra (the tube which carries urine out of the body) grows and can block flow. He examined me and referred me to a specialist for tests. A few weeks later an ultrasound scan showed my prostate was very large — they didn’t give me a measurement but called it a … [Read more...] about Me and my operation: How a high-speed water jet shrank my enlarged prostate and helped my love life bloom again

HAVING bombarded viewers with terrifying stories about mental health issues, a refugee crisis and homophobia, BBC1’s Woke War Two drama had one more bombshell to drop about Nazi Germany on Sunday night. It was a bit sexist as well. A point hammered home by some Herr Flick creep called Schmidt, who didn’t just invade the personal space of Helen Hunt’s Nancy Campbell character, at dinner, he made suggestions that were downright “problematic” as well. The horror! The horror! They’ll be telling us next the Third Reich wasn’t carbon neutral, either.One nightmare revelation that’ll have to be cut-and-pasted on to series two of World On Fire, which for seven testing weeks has been trying its best to make us give a damn about the intertwined lives of all sorts of irritants, including two-thirds of a love triangle, Harry and Kasia, who found themselves surrounded by German troops in the very final scene. On a personal level, it’s been a … [Read more...] about World On Fire is a BBC re-education programme against sexist Nazis in Woke War Two

A MUM-OF-TWO has shared a happy family selfie she took just days before attempted to take her own life to raise awareness for mental health. Caitlin Fladager, 23, from Vancouver, Canada, posted a photo of herself with her children Ariana and Jack on Instagram earlier this month. On the surface of things, this looks like any other sweet family photo - but Caitlin has since revealed the upsetting reality she was facing when she took this photo. Sharing the heart-breaking backstory behind the selfie, Caitlin told her 280,000 followers: "This picture of me with my children was taken days before I tried to take my own life - I'm so glad I failed."Your kids would never be better off without you, momma." The mental health advocate - who had her first baby with high school sweetheart Noah when she was 18 - then went on to explain how she has struggled with anxiety and depression since she was a child. She continued: "Last January is when the darkest corners of my mind were starting to win." … [Read more...] about Mum-of-two shares the happy family selfie she took just days before trying to take her own life