I have an essay to write and REALLY need mumsnets advice (its about mental health and what helps). PLEASE HELP!

[JesuslovesmethisIknow]

The broad context of my essay has to be on ONE of the conditions BELOW:

DEPRESSION
ANXIETY (including OCD)
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA or
DEMENTIA

I then need to pick a specific focus which has to be...

'A SUBJECT THAT THE PATIENT WITH THE ABOVE CONDITION MIGHT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IN ORDER TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES BETTER'.

please help!

thanks! will trawl the research databases and see what throws up the best research for both! xxx

I would look at uses of mindfulness in treatment. There's even a journal called Mindfulness. A lot has been written about it recently (including a good article in The Guardian in January).

I think there's a fair bit ofresearch on the effects of exercise on mood in depression? Good luck

Forgot to say, mindfulness is being encouraged as treatment for depression and anxiety, and also for chronic pain management.

I think I am going to go for either depression and mindfulness, or anxiety and mindfulness (or should i go for mindfulness based cognitive therapy? or is it the same thing )

xx

I think anxiety and mindfulness it interesting, I've been taught the techniques for it (I have GAD) amongst some sleep techniques and relaxation techniques, and it's by far the most helpful, but also one which I knew the least about before going to CBT.

Would recommend Sane New World by Ruby Wax (post her M.sc from Oxford!) about mindfulness/depression etc. IMO mindfulness is the most exciting thing to happen in mental health for a long time. As a sufferer it gives me hope that I might one day control my episodes myself as one of the scariest things I find about depression is a sense of loss of control and a dependency on Drs etc.

Thanks Queen I shall look and yes, mindfulness does look fab!

I tried all sorts of things. Exercise, mindfulness, talking therapy blah blah, you name it.

I had psychosis followed by very deep depressions (two episodes of each)

The only thing that worked for me was changing drugs. I don't think anything would have helped me until I got on the best drug for my particular circumstance.

Probably not very helpful! Sorry!!

no that IS helpful.

I can search for something as generic as depression and medication

Go for medication vs holistic approaches? Patients making informed choices ? Some students on my course doing a health and well being module, it stirred up quite a debate. I was really interested, having tried both.

The vital importance of sleep

Oh god yes. Sleep.

DS1 didn't sleep through the night until he was 5yo, which overlapped with DS2 being born. As a result I suffered around 7 years of chronic sleep deprivation which I think was a huge contributing factor to my illness.

They both sleep pretty much all night every night now. Too bloody late though!!

ah sleeeeeeeeeep

NOW there is a mythical thing!

for those that are interested I picked behavioural activation and depression.

xxxx

Good oh