The brain’s a funny thing. It tells you all kinds of weird stuff that just ain’t true. Mine, anyway. But before you can nod and say, ‘Brain, I’m wise to your tricks’, it’s convinced you that the weird stuff IS true and it’s the world/other people/the government/your partner/Simon Cowell that’s bonkers. Example. I’m running late. I’ve tried on six different outfits, each worse than the last. Do I cut my losses and face up to the fact that the right outfit will not make …Read More
Dear, dear, dear. Dug myself into a right old hole today and am only just surfacing now. Woke up feeling out of sorts, like I’d bruise if someone looked at me. Instead of fighting it, I flung myself at an old flame: self-pity. I know he’s a jerk, – but there’s something about a bad boy. You know he’s gonna hurt you, but you can’t stop going back. Except that you can. Stop, I mean. It’s not easy: breaking …Read More
NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a form of therapy that explores the relationships between how we think (neuro), how we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programmes). The idea is that, by studying these relationships, people can adopt more successful ways of thinking, communicating, feeling and behaving. Critics call it ‘pseudo-scientific psycho-babble’. But proponents argue that it’s the most effective way of breaking bad patterns and making new ones. You’ll have see some of the techniques being …Read More
Are magazines to blame for eating disorders? It’s a question that’s come up again recently as part of the coverage surrounding Rachel Johnston. Rachel, now aged 20, nearly died after a four-year battle with anorexia. She believes that reading about airbrushed models was the reason for her disorder. As a result, she’s launched a campaign to ban magazine images showing super-slim celebrities. I applaud Rachel for taking a stand and fighting on this issue. But though magazines may be one factor …Read More
I’ve always been a ‘collector’. Even when I was wee, I used to hoard random items, shoring them up for a time when the world ran out. There’s safety in surplus. My brain (and life) may be a mess, but those stacks promise security, stability and solace. According to Paul Salkovskis, (professor of clinical psychology at Bath Uni), there are three categories of hoarder: 1. OCD hoarding. A quarter of hoarders fall into this group : they fear things …Read More
I like to think of myself as a bit of a ‘kooky’ believer. A little too edgy for Church. Zany! A bit of a rebel – and way too cool for that dogma stuff. Not for me the mainstream precepts. Get this – I listen to non-Christian bands. Doctrine? That’s ole’ school, man. Get with the beat, baggy. Doctrine’s for sad old has-beens. Of course, this is nonsense. For starters, I’m as edgy as my Dad’s golf socks. It’s tempting …Read More
I don’t know about you, but I’m a natural Eeyore. My glass is often half-empty – even when there’s plenty of drinking left. Tiggers – (like my husband), leave me dizzy and bewildered. All that joy and bounce – there’s simply no need. Yet all too often, I’ll use my natural disposition as an excuse: justification for acting lumpy. The thoughts go like this: I’m a melancholy person – not just a misery-guts. I’m over-burdened: not over-committed. I’m depressed, …Read More
I was reading an interview yesterday with Susan Boyle, (the singer who won X Factor and was catapulted from ordinary life to worldwide celebrity). Understandably, Boyle struggled to cope with this transition and her mental health was gleefully discussed and dissected in the media. But more than the time she spent in therapy, I was struck by a phrase she’d learned from her mum: and one that I learned from mine too. ‘Baby steps’. ‘Baby steps’ means a number of …Read More
It’s been a dumpling of a week: one of those swampy, lumpy January bogs that feels like swimming through porridge. Things to do, but no poop for doing ’em. A series of ever-decreasing circles: grey routines and baggy pants. But that’s quite enough wallowing. Truth be told, my little rut’s gotten too cosy – time to strap on a rocket and blast out! Here’s The Plan: 1. get the Bible open. So far I’ve been dipping my toe in a …Read More
Received wisdom tells us that hearing voices is the first sign of madness. This is nonsense. Everyone hears voices – families, friends, exes, coaches, bullies … they all play a part in making up our consciousness or ‘inner voice’. You may be more or less aware of your own voice – but whether it shouts or whispers, it tells us who we are and these beliefs then determine our choices. Take a second to listen to it. What’s its tone? …Read More
