BEING RESILIENT

For many of us, life is pretty good a lot of the time; but, for all of us, there are times when it’s really tough. And when those rough times hit, it’s good to know that we can cope, isn’t it?

So, what can we do to improve our chances?

According to Dr Aaron Antonovsky, an Israeli medical sociologist, when faced with extreme stress, it’s important that we face the situation with a sense of coherence. This involves having the belief that our challenge is meaningful, in some way manageable, and also understandable, even if it seems somewhat chaotic.

Dr Suzanne Kobasa from City University, New York, has added three more traits to the resilient personality. She is convinced that if we face our troubles with commitment, a willingness to be challenged, and a determination to take control, we will be well-equipped to withstand life’s mean deals.

Does this all sound quite a lot to ask? Especially during those times when setback after setback seems to roll our way? Well, the good new is that we can develop and nurture these qualities, very simply as we go about our everyday lives, and it’s even fun to do as well.

All it demands of us is to start developing a real curiosity about our lives. As you do this, include as many different aspects and people as you can, even the ones you find boring or irritating. And be open-hearted in your response to these things. Curiosity and enthusiasm are wonderfully creative qualities which produce a spin-off of many other great qualities by the by – such as as a sense of meaningfulness, whole-hearted commitment, comprehension, willingness to cope with challenge, an ability to take control….In other words, a developed resilience to whatever difficulties may come our way.

And, when we know that we have what it takes to ride out the rough times, we can feel calmer, more confident and, yes, happier too, can’t we?

SOME TRUTHS BEHIND ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATION

Worldwide, depression is the second leading cause of disability behind heart disease, and it is the most common psychological disorder. It’s growth rate is so great that there is 10 times more depression in people born after 1945 than before. This implies that depression cannot be a

There’s a commonly held belief that depression is a disease caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain; specifically that there is a deficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and anti-depressant medication is given in an attempt to address this problem. However, while it is possible to measure blood levels of serotonin, researchers are still unable to assess the level of serotonin present in the brain. Also, researchers do not yet understand how anti-depressants actually work.

This means that they are prescribed in order to address a deficiency that nobody actually knows exists and that even should it exist, they don’t how the medication works.

What research does show is that exercise is as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression. Even one twenty-minute session already shows benefits. Mindfulness is also a highly effective technique that has been proven to resolve depression and guard against recurring episodes, as is quite simply being outdoors in the countryside (ecotherapy). These three treatments have no side-effects, whereas common side-effects of anti-depressants include: nausea, increased appetite and weight gain, loss of sexual desire and other sexual problems, drowsiness and fatigue, insomnia, and, yes, suicidal thoughts.

Research also shows that when you take anti-depressants, your brain responds by reducing its own receptors, making itself less sensitive to serotonin. This means that, at best, the medication only alleviates your symptoms, and does nothing to actually cure your depression. Once you come off the medication, you are in no better a situation than before you took it.

However, both mindfulness and ecotherapy work directly on lifting your depression and on increasing your output of feel-good hormones by decreasing your anxiety, stilling your mind, and giving you a sense of purpose and belonging in the community.

Sarah runs regular mindfulness courses, and an ongoing ecotherapy programme. To find out more, or book a place, please call Sarah on 07912 357 366.

If you are suffering from stress, you are not alone. In fact, according to an online survey, stress is such a common condition that it’s tweeted about every two seconds, making 50,000 tweets every day. Family concerns are the most frequent stressors discussed on Twitter, but body image and sleep issues are also often talked about. Worries about eating habits seem to be bigger than those about smoking, drugs, or alcohol put together, but that may have more to do with social acceptability than with concern about the issue itself. Depression is the medical condition most discussed on Twitter.

Although stress, anxiety and depression often seem to have a life of their own, controlling us rather than being controlled by us, but the good news is that there are some really good techniques out there to overcome them. Mindfulness and meditation have been shown to have a significant impact on reducing and eliminating all three, while EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and energy psychology can also be highly effective. The good thing about all of these methods is that, once you have mastered a few basic skills, you have the tools to maintain your own emotional self-management and wellbeing.

Sarah runs regular, ongoing mindfulness meditation courses, and is an experienced EFT practitioner working with clients on a one-to-one basis. If you would like to find out more, please use the contact form, or call 07912 357 366.

I was on my way to pick up my niece and switched on the radio. Kate Adie was introducing the next report from “Our Correspondent” who then proceeded to describe her recent visit to the Medicine Sans Frontier hospital in Aleppo, where she had met a 5-year-old victim of the Syrian conflict.

Unable to walk for a year, still needing a hip replacement, and with an inoperable piece of shrapnel in his brain causing a degree of paralysis, this young boy is an inspiration to both children and adults alike. A huge grin, kind eyes, and grit determination propel him forwards in his life. He seems to be living proof of the maxim: “it’s not what happens to you and around you, it’s what happens within you that matters”. But, as easy as that may be to say, just how does a child who has lost his mother and his health to war manage to actually live it?

And yet somehow, despite all that he has endured, this little guy has managed to find a way to still be open to joy, hope and love; to meaning and purpose in his life.

Working with military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, seeing how the effects of war follow them home to tear apart their peace and civilian life, I am very saddened by the cruelty and pain people inflict on each other, by how so many lives are ruined, and by how the shock waves of these traumas ripple outwards through family, friends, and whole communities. But while there is no denying the incalculable cost of war, there are also stories such as that of our 5-year-old Syrian, who will, for me, always be an unending inspiration, reminding me of the heights to which the human heart can soar.

A picture of him now looks out at me from my laptop – that big grin, those kind eyes – urging me many times a day to grow my heart as big as his.