EXCLUSIVE: Photo's From Our Soon To Tour 'You Can Choose Your Mood' Play

Starring Paul Feelgood and Peter Feelbad.

BBC News: When Taking Pills Can Be Better Than Talking

By Professor Richard Gray University of East Anglia

Talking therapies are often cited as the best way of helping people with mental health problems.

But Richard Gray, a professor of nursing research, says sometimes pills are the answer.

Sitting in a village hall with 50 other people listening to a Powerpoint presentation about coping with stress is probably not what you have in mind when you think about receiving a talking treatment.

But this is the reality for many patients on the NHS's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme.

Depression and anxiety may affect up to one in four of us at some point in our lives and is a major reason why people are on long term sick leave or are unemployed.

Psychological treatments (such as CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy) and antidepressant medication are very effective in treating these illnesses.

But when given a choice most choose a talking therapy over medication.

Why people prefer psychological treatments is unclear but might be because of the negative media stories and stigma associated with taking pills for a mental illness.

'Voting With Their Feet'

Accessing talking treatments has, for many years, been restricted by the very limited number of qualified therapists that can provide the therapy.

The IAPT programme, launched in 2007, sought to address this; making talking treatments available to the many, not just the few.

The investment of £170m to make talking treatments widely available was aimed at enabling large numbers of economically inactive patients get back to work.

But the end of first year, evaluation suggests that patients on IAPT received, on average, just three sessions of treatment; well below the 16-20 sessions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to be effective against depression and anxiety.

Large numbers of patients are seemingly voting with their feet and walking away early. Does this reflect the quality of therapy or the way it is being offered (back to our of 50 patients in the village hall)?

Improving access to talking treatments is a major campaigning issue for major mental health charities.

And it was striking that the majority of the media coverage surrounding the launch of the recent government mental health strategy also seemed to focus on the single issues of improving access to psychological treatments.

Is it time to question our seeming obsession with talking treatments?

'Troubling and Dangerous'

Although it feels like heresy to suggest this I want to stand up for the very important role medication can play in the treatment of mental illness.

Antidepressants are very effective in treating moderate to severe depression, quickly alleviating distressing and disabling symptoms in about seven out of 10 patients.

Yes, pills can have side effects but so does CBT.

There are many patients that I have worked with who feel passionately that antidepressants have literally saved their lives.

Unlike talking treatments, prescribing a medication guarantees patients will get the full "dose" of treatment.

When it comes to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder I think it is even more important to stand up for medication which, I believe, should be viewed as the foundation for effective treatment.

I have been quite taken aback recently to hear a number of experienced psychiatric colleagues promoting psychological therapies as the preferred treatment choice for patients with these illnesses.

This is a troubling and dangerous consequence of our talking treatment obsession.

CBT can be helpful against schizophrenia and bipolar depression (but not mania), but requires patients to be taking medication first.

Both psychological therapies and medication have a role to play in helping people move on with their lives and recover from mental illness.

There are, I think, real challenges facing those implementing IAPT in guaranteeing that patients get the quality of talking treatments they require; surely not mass CBT in the village hall.

Taking medication means that patients get a treatment that has been shown to be effective in treating their symptoms.

Is it time to think about Improving Access to Pharmacological Therapies?

Professor Gray has written a book on treating psychosis with CBT, and has given lectures on behalf of a number of pharmaceutical companies.

From www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12716742

Hear below what Abraham-Hicks has to say about medication.

The Cure To All Sickness & Illness is Feeling Good!

Hear these empowering audio clips from Abraham-Hicks.

Feel Good UK on Portsmouth Live TV

Feel Good UK CEO Steve Surridge was interviewed on the local Portsmouth Internet TV station Portsmouth Live about the charity and what led him to create it.

View the full interview here which details the philosophy, work and impact of the charity.

Watch live streaming video from portsmouth_live at livestream.com

Abraham Hicks: A Simple Explanation

As you know all those of you who follow this blog, our Feel Good UK philosophy is based on the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, whose message is basically one of love.

'Love the world, love yourself and you will thrive'.

How simple and brilliant is that?

Hear below some audio clips which explain what they teach in detail.

PRESS RELEASE: FEEL GOOD WORKSHOPS UNVEILED TO SAVE THE MIND OF THE NATION

With a third of all GP time reportedly being spend on dealing with people with various mental health problems (stress, depression, anxiety, OCD) and with a recent health survey revealing that over 60% of social workers working in the frontline have themselves developed mental health problems, it’s clear that something has to be done to prevent the escalating mental health crisis that is threatening to derail the nation.


• Over the last 25 years rates of anxiety and depression amongst young people have increased by 70%

• The World Health Organisation predicts depression will be the second highest cause of death globally (after heart disease) by 2020

Enter Feel Good UK, who next month (April) unveils the first of many planned one day fun, practical workshops running at weekends designed to educate and empower people of all ages to successfully manage their own mental and emotional health.

The workshops are the following:

‘WHO CARES FOR THE CARER?’
Are you a carer or a front line worker who is burning out because you are so busy looking after others that you are neglecting to look after yourself?

This course has been created in response to too many local authority carers saying their 'supervision sessions' are proving ineffective in giving them the support tools they need to cope with their ever increasing workload. And for business staff whose companies don’t have the time, knowledge or resources to implement an effective mental health strategy to support their employees with the pressures of modern business life.

This extremely practical workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and inner tools to stand tall and continually maintain a positive mental perspective and resilience when outside conditions are challenging all.

Running on Saturday 23rd April 2011 @ FGUK Head Office, Portsmouth, UK
From 9.30am to 5pm
Limited to 16 places
Cost per person = £65.00
Purchase tickets at http://whocaresforthecarer-estw.eventbrite.com

‘GET YOUR LIFE BACK!’ - OVERCOMING CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

Providing practical techniques on how to overcome Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME by becoming aware of the energetic impact of your personal thought patterns on your entire being. This workshop is led by Feel Good UK CEO Steve Surridge, who overcame Chronic Fatigue using these techniques after living with the condition for 12 years.

“With ME, you lose your life, you lose yourself. My entire world was grey, flat and nothing. Nothing interested me, nothing inspired me. I was going through life with flat tyres and the handbrake on.”

This extremely practical workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and inner tools to develop a positive outlook on life; know how to manage their personal energy; and re-find themselves and their enthusiasm for life.

Running on Saturday 7th May 2011 @ FGUK Head Office, Portsmouth, UK
From 9.30am to 5pm
Limited to 16 places
Cost per person = £65.00
Purchase tickets at http://overcomingchronfatigue.eventbrite.com

‘CALM IN THE EYE OF THE STORM’

Providing easy to apply practical techniques on how to develop strong inner mental resilience, equipping individuals with the techniques to remain calm, stress free and negative emotion free, in the face of great external disruption and instability. Ideal for anyone struggling in these turbulent economic times!

Running on Saturday 21st May 2011 @ FGUK Head Office, Portsmouth, UK
From 9.30am to 5pm
Limited to 16 places
Cost per person = £65.00
Purchase tickets at http://calminthestorm.eventbrite.com

The benefits of applying our techniques include: significantly reduced sickness levels; the virtual elimination of negative emotion from your life; increased motivation and energy levels; and a renewed zest for life.

And a no quibbles full money-back guarantee is available to anyone who doesn’t benefit from our techniques after applying them over a 6 month period.

For more information and to reserve a place on the courses, log on to www.feelgoodukonline.com

These workshops can also be offered to businesses, delivered to staff at their place of work. Contact us to discuss the specific tailoring of the course content to meet your requirements.

“We are excited about bringing our Feel Good UK workshops to the Portsmouth community, to help individuals of all ages improve the quality of their lives.” Feel Good UK CEO Steven Surridge

BBC News: Dementia Checks At 75 Urged By Alzheimer's Society

By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News

The NHS should offer checks for dementia when people reach 75, a leading health charity says.

The Alzheimer's Society says fewer than half of those with the condition get a diagnosis, so many miss out on the care and support they need.

The UK National Screening Committee, which advises the NHS, has said tests and treatments need to improve first.

And the British Medical Association says carrying out the checks would mean there is less time for other services.

About 750,000 people in the UK have dementia - and with the numbers projected to rise to more than a million by 2021 the Alzheimer's Society says it is essential to identify those who need help.

'The only way'

“Really the only way we're going to improve identification is through effective screening, and probably the right time to do that screening is over the age of 75 once dementia starts to become more common” - Professor Clive Ballard Alzheimer's Society

Professor Clive Ballard, the charity's director of research, says getting a diagnosis is fundamental to ensuring the right treatment, support and care.

"Really the only way we're going to improve identification is through effective screening, and probably the right time to do that screening is over the age of 75 once dementia starts to become more common."

He is proposing that people be offered a cognitive test at the GP surgery, with questions on time, date, place, memory and understanding. This would be backed up by an interview with a relative or carer.

Where dementia is suspected patients would be referred to a specialist for a full clinical assessment. If they were then diagnosed with dementia, there may be drug treatment and changes in lifestyle that could help delay deterioration, and would allow an opportunity to plan ahead, he argues.

Prefer not to know

Dr Shabana Chaudhari, a GP in south London, says she already carries out a cognitive test if she has concerns. However she says screening for dementia presents particular problems.

"You would have to explain why you were doing the test. But what you would also have to do is ask, if there was any impairment, do they want to know, because some people don't want to know. And if there is anything, do they want their family and friends to know about it as well."

Dr Laurence Buckman, from the British Medical Association, says there is value in the idea of screening for dementia, and that many GPs would be happy to carry it out. But he says many would struggle to find the time.

"It takes an hour to do an assessment, during which time five other patients could have been seen. In the current economic climate, when the NHS is being asked to make huge efficiency savings and there are many equally valid competing demands, patients and the public need to have a debate over which services should be prioritised."

The idea of screening for dementia was examined in 2009 by the UK National Screening Committee, which advises ministers and the NHS.

The committee's programme director, Dr Anne Mackie, says the initial checks are not yet sufficiently reliable. She is worried that while dementia may be missed in some patients, others may be told incorrectly that they are at higher risk, causing needless distress.

She suggests that for the time being the money for screening "would be bettter spent on research, finding better treatments, or providing support for carers".

Hear what Abraham-Hicks has to say about Alzheimers

The Nation's Mental Health Uncovered

Get hold of a copy of this months Uncovered Magazine (dated March/April 2011, price £3.40) to read more about their fascinating 'Mind Of The Nation' report.

We asked the nation: On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 means not at all healthy and 5 means very healthy, how mentally healthy would you say you are?

This diagram references the points below:

1. Only 46% of the population would say they are very mentally healthy.

2. On average, 3% of the population scored themselves just 1, rating themselves a very mentally unhealthy. 3. London has the highest rate of people who class themselves as very mentally unhealthy with 8% of the population scoring just 1.

4. In contrast, Scotland only had 1% of the population give a 1 rating.

5. Northern Ireland and West Midlands fared badly with just 36% and 37% consecutively rating themselves as a 5 (very mentally healthy). This compares to 51% in the North East.

6. London scored worst overall with a mean mental health score of 4.0, the national mean was 4.2.

7. The North West has the best overall mental health rating with a mean average of 4.4.

Interesting. Yet disturbing!

Find more at www.uncoveredmagazine.co.uk

Daily Mirror: Could New Techniques Ease Living With ME?

By Miriam Stoppard, Daily Mirror 22/03/2011

I know from bitter experience that ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a difficult subject.

I did a TV programme to try to get to the bottom of it, and to find out what caused it. I couldn’t, and that upset a lot of people.

The situation is still the same – we don’t know what causes it, but we do know that it can be a debilitating condition.

So the news that graded exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help is a real step forward.

A study was published in The Lancet in February, involving 641 participants who were treated for six months and followed up by a further six months, according to rigorous trials of four different treatment options. By the end of the study, the patients treated with CBT or graded exercise had less fatigue and better function than any other group.

CBT is based on the idea that some psychological problems stem from inappropriate ways of thinking.

It helps people recognise and understand their negative thought patterns and show them ways to consciously change them.

Tiredness is always a prominent part of CFS, plus muscle pain and flu-like malaise.

Of the 15,000 people affected in the UK, many cases arise after a persistent viral infection that has weakened the immune system. But that doesn’t explain symptoms such as impairment of short-term memory or concentration and un-refreshing sleep.

The problem is there are no specific criteria to make a diagnosis of CFS, nor are there any specific tests to confirm the diagnosis, so most patients have to deal with it through lifestyle management.

Graded exercise therapy and CBT both encourage the patient to do more which was the most beneficial approach.

What this study emphasises is that CBT and graded exercise should be used alongside other lifestyle management, such as dividing the day into sessions of rest and work; setting realistic goals; healthy eating; trying to reduce stress and joining a support group.

So people with CFS may want to try CBT and graded exercise. It could change their lives.

Feel Good UK is running an overcoming ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome one day workshop in Portsmouth on Saturday 7th May 2011.

Called 'GET YOUR LIFE BACK', the workshop will include a number of practical exercises and techniques to help participants change their emotional and thus energetic states, quickly improving how they feel.

The workshop comes with a no quibbles full-refund promise if after 6 months of applying these techniques, no improvement has taken place in the participants life.

To enrol on the workshop, follow this link: http://overcomingchronfatigue.eventbrite.com

View these recent TV clips discussing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

BBC News: Student Makes Electronic Music Using Head And Thumbs

By Toby Field Producer, Charlotte White's Musical Fight

A devastating accident left Charlotte White struggling with severe disability and lack of motivation until she found the right type of music therapy.
Charlotte White Charlotte now composes her own music

A teenage girl sits in a dimly-lit room wearing sunglasses playing the prelude to Bach's cello suite. A clip of this performance can be found on the internet.

There is nothing remarkable about this until you learn that she is playing every crotchet and quaver using only the slightest movements of her head and thumbs.

At the age of 11, Charlotte White suffered a blow to the head which caused her to lose all movement in her body.

She spent five years in and out of hospital and eventually went into a period of rehabilitation, regaining movement in her head and then gradually her fingers.

'Patronising' Therapies

But she became very withdrawn: "All I was expected to do was get physically stronger, which wasn't happening, so that was quite depressing. I only saw people who were meant to make my life better but it never seemed to happen."

"Music inspired me in the belief that I could achieve anything” - Charlotte White

At 16, Charlotte began attending St Rose's School in Stroud and initially did not respond well to some of the activities on offer.

She said: "Music therapy is somebody sitting in front of you banging a drum or playing a guitar, and you're meant to tell them all your worries about life. It's incredibly patronising and very boring."

Then she was introduced to the Bristol-based Drake Music project, an organisation that uses technology to help people with disabilities participate in music.

There she starting working with Doug Bott and learned how to use very small head movements to break a magnetic beam, which triggers the notes.

Using thumb switches, she learned to control the configuration of notes available, much like a guitarist changes chord shapes.

Bott said Charlotte stood out from the beginning: "She was someone who was interested in classical music, which not many of the young people I was working with at the time were, somebody who was interested in working on her own and in her own way."

Eventually Charlotte took part in a concert at school.

She practised extremely hard beforehand.

"I wanted to achieve at it because it made people see me as a person, rather than as a disabled person they made presumptions about."
Striving for recognition

When Drake Music recorded her performing a Bach cello suite and posted it on the internet, it generated a lot of interest across the musical community, challenging the assumptions about what was possible using assistive technology.

But this raised questions about whether music made in this way should be entered for the same musical examinations as mainstream students using conventional instruments.

"I wanted to pursue music at college," said Charlotte, "but establishments who grade musicians wouldn't recognise it and therefore I couldn't progress."

The music examining boards do not accredit music performed electronically, but they are working with Drake Music to find ways of developing this area.

For Doug Bott, it is early days. "We're discussing ways of accrediting the quality of the music performance in a way that it's not linked to the particular instrument a person is playing," he said.

And although Charlotte was not able to take the conventional instrumental exams, she did receive a Bronze Arts Award from Trinity College London.

Her work has also received some international recognition.

When news of her performing and composing achievements reached the organisers of a festival in Norway, they asked her to compose some music for the Northern Lights Music Festival in Tromso.

Charlotte has chosen to pursue her academic studies and gained a place at university, studying social policy and criminology.

This is an incredible feat of will and determination for someone who had been largely written off by mainstream society, and music was key to Charlotte's rehabilitation.

She said: "Music inspired me in the belief that I could achieve anything.

"I became more enthusiastic and had much more of a drive, and wanted to break the barriers and do the same things as everyone else, rather than just being bracketed as a disabled person.

"I started to enjoy life and experience things that the average teenager does."

Charlotte White's Musical Fight will be broadcast on Sunday 27 March at 1330 BST on BBC Radio 4 and will also be available on the BBC iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12810149

Hear below an Abraham-Hicks audio about the power of music.

Are You Willing To Deal With Your Mood?

Are you willing to feel good because you have the ability to feel good, or are you gonna need everything around you to be different before you can feel good?

Does all that need to be done before your mood changes? Then you’re in deep deep deep deep doo doo!

The only thing you need to do is accept responsibility for your mood and do something about your mood, and you are the only are who can do anything about your mood.

Because you have the ability to focus and choose thought, you have the ability to change your mood.

It’s the choices of your mood, and most people feel out of control because they move through life and have kneejerk reactions to what’s happening without talking any responsibility for their mood.

When you give responsibility to anything for the condition of your joy, you’re out of control and that is so defiant of who you really are, it will cripple you and suck the life right out of you.

That is the radical message that much of the world isn’t ready to hear.

Abraham Hicks

Feel Good UK teaches drug-free positive mental health techniques.

We've witnessed some dispute over what constitutes mental health in recent weeks, so to clarify we post this definition taken from the World Health Organisation.

Q: What is mental health?

A: Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

In most countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, mental health services are severely short of resources - both human and financial. Of the health care resources available, most are currently spent on the specialized treatment and care of the people with mental illness, and to a lesser extent on an integrated mental health system. Instead of providing care in large psychiatric hospitals, countries should integrate mental health into primary health care, provide mental health care in general hospitals and develop community-based mental health services.

Even less funding is available for mental health promotion, an umbrella term that covers a variety of strategies, all aimed at having a positive effect on mental health well-being in general. The encouragement of individual resources and skills, and improvements in the socio-economic environment are among the strategies used.

Mental health promotion requires multi-sectoral action, involving a number of government sectors and non-governmental or community-based organizations. The focus should be on promoting mental health throughout the lifespan to ensure a healthy start in life for children and to prevent mental disorders in adulthood and old age.

Have You Got Junk Beliefs?

“Every time I get close to success I sabotage myself.”

“Why is making money so difficult for me.”

“Look, for other people things are so easy, why not for me.”

Any of these 3 thoughts sound familiar?

Too many people today have been beat up and have ingested JUNK BELIEFS.

Let me define ‘junk beliefs’ for you.

Junk belief: A belief you digested years ago that guarantees your struggle and failure today.

Let’s keep going.

Let’s talk about one of the biggest junk beliefs we could have soaked it.

***The Belief Called ‘Struggle’***

Many people were taught, “making money is hard.”

And even more than that.

They were taught, that “life is hard, that life is a struggle.”

When you soak in struggle, your circumstances reflect struggle? In your life, relationships, and finances.

“I want to end struggle in my life, what’s the opposite of struggle?”

The opposite of struggle is EFFORT.

Struggle is actions laced with negative emotions and desperation.

Effort is natural. It’s taken one action after another, moving to your destination.

We were born to make EFFORTS.

We were not born to struggle.

The famous author Emile Coule said years ago, “Always think of what you have to do as easy and it will become so.”

Say out loud, “Making money is easy.”

“Having great relationships is easy for me.”

Make this a habit.

Many people have bought into STRUGGLE and don’t even see that they have.

It’s an ‘invisible’ belief that chains them to mediocrity and strife. They’ve been directed by this belief so long, that it almost seems natural, a ‘part of them’.

You deserve to live a life of EFFORT, not struggle.

Demand a greater awareness from yourself, making sure you haven’t bought into this junk belief.

Your BEST days are ahead of you. They are.

From Mike Litman - mike@mikelitman.com

BBC News: Physical Problems 'Often Mental' - Finally!

The true burden of mental ill health is unrecognised since many "physical" problems, like cancer and obesity, are really "mind" problems, say experts.

Most lung cancers are caused by addiction to smoking, and some obesity by a brain-driven compulsion to eat, says UK psychiatrist Dr Peter Jones.

And to tackle such problems experts need to go back to delving the mind.

He and other leading mental health experts are calling for a trebling of funding to £200m a year for research.

The Research Mental Health initiative, along with public figures including Alistair Campbell, Jo Brand and Stephen Fry, are taking their declaration to Downing Street.

" We need to zip together physical and mental health. It is absurd to think that biological processes would stop at the neck." - Dr Peter Jones

Mental illness in its "classic" sense, including depression and schizophrenia, affects one in four people in the UK each year but receives just 5% of total health research spending.

Currently, around £74 million a year is spent on researching mental illness.

Yet the economic, social and human cost of mental illness totals £100 billion a year in the UK alone.

And many "physical" health problems involve a strong mental component, they say.

"Mental"

Professor Peter Jones, head of psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: "Mental health and illness are seen as separate from physical health and disorders but it's becoming increasingly clear that is wrong.

"Take smoking and lung cancer. People think of it as a physical illness but lung cancer is a behaviour disease due to smoking habit."

Similarly, he said research showed that some cases of obesity could be explained by a hormonal deficiency that acts on the brain circuitry that tells the body when it is full or hungry.

"We need to zip together physical and mental health. It is absurd to think that biological processes would stop at the neck."

People with severe mental illnesses are nearly three times more likely to develop diabetes and other cardiovascular disease risk factors and, on average, die 25-30 years younger.

Research Mental Health says more research investment is desperately needed to match the impact mental health has on people in terms of premature death and disability.

Poor Cousin

"The long term aim must be to put mental health research on the same footing as that for physical illness," it says.

Mental illness and cancer both account for about 15% of the total disease burden in the UK, yet cancer gets more than 25% of research investment, while mental health gets 5%.

Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Our understanding of mental illness is moving at a snail's pace.

"Whilst treatments have improved, we have not yet seen the breakthroughs needed to significantly reduce the massive economic and social damage caused by mental illness."

Meanwhile, experts and advocates in mental and physical health are working together for the first time in a European policy initiative - the Mental and Physical Health Platform - to improve the understanding of the interaction between body and mind in disease.

The chairman of the initiative, John Bowis, said: "It is time to bridge the gap between mental and physical health by taking actions across policy areas and countries."

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8305404.stm
Dated Wednesday, 14 October 2009

This is what Abraham-Hicks has been saying all along. Hear below an audio about the importance of 'choosing your mood' in life.

BBC News: Mental Health Nurses 'Set Bad Example To Patients'

Poor physical health is rife among people with severe mental illness in the UK, a study shows.

The study leader said mental health nurses might be partly to blame for setting a bad example.

High levels of obesity, heart disease and diabetes were found among 782 patients with conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The University of East Anglia study suggests this is why their life expectancy is much reduced.

Some studies suggest the life expectancy of people with severe mental illness is as much as 25 years shorter than that of the general population.

The latest work, published in BMC Psychiatry, adds to evidence that physical health, not mental health issues, such as suicide, are primarily to blame.

Study Findings

* 66% had a Body Mass Index greater than 25 (the cut off point for the normal range)
* 34% had high blood pressure
* 52% had abnormally high cholesterol levels

It found that inactivity, poor diet, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption were the norm.

A high number of the participants were being prescribed drugs known as atypical antipsychotic drugs, which are associated with weight gain.

Lead researcher Professor Richard Gray, of UEA's School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: "Mental health nurses do a tough job and are compassionate and highly committed.

"But they do not tend to be skilled at managing the physical health of their patients."

Bad Example

Professor Gray said that many mental health nurses often did not follow a healthy lifestyle themselves.

His previous research has showed that mental health workers have a higher rate of smoking than the general population.

He suggested that their bad habits might rub off.

"Since mental health workers tend to have sustained one-to-one relationships with their patients over many years, those who smoke, have a poor diet and fail to take regular exercise are having a negative influence on the lives of already vulnerable people.

"We urgently need to train our mental health workers to lead by example and intervene if their patients' physical health is deteriorating.

"All health professionals have a duty to promote health in the patients they treat.

"Government guidelines must reflect the shared responsibility all health care professionals have to promote health in one of the most marginalized and socially excluded groups in our society."

Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Mental health nurses will recognise that too often, patients can suffer twice over because of a combination of poor mental and physical health.

"There are some complex reasons behind this, such as the side effects of prescription drugs, lifestyle limitations and social and economic problems.

"However, we also know that there are some excellent nurse led initiatives which can really make a difference to people.

"It takes a concerted effort not just among different parts of the health service but with other professions to turn this situation around."

Taken from www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12732954
Monday 21st March 2011

Reset Your Self-Confidence Emotional Set Point With Feel Good UK

It is not enough to know about Self-Confidence. You must feel Self-Confident. Your ability to feel Self-Confident is directly proportional to your beliefs at the emotional, not intellectual, level. This is where we will do the change work.

You cannot change your behavior without changing the emotion behind the behavior. That's why most "self-improvement" programs and books are not effective. They never reach this emotional level.

The most important factor in building Self-Confidence is to learn to gain more control over your EMOTIONAL STATE. If you do this you automatically lower your level of anxiety and uncertainty and are able to feel confident in ANY situation.

Each one of us has a Self-Confidence Emotional "Set-Point" that keeps us stuck where we are. If we want to change our Self-Confidence Emotional"Set Point" we must go to the emotional or energetic level.

At Feel Good UK we use an addictive drug-free positive emotion technique that helps recalibrate the brain and your emotional response to the world. As you learn to feel good more predominantly, you will raise your vibration and over a short period of time, if you commit to our techniques, you can eliminate experiencing the majority of negative emotions in your daily life. Life becomes fun and joyous!

View video testimonies of the impact of our technique at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O238ass6nys

As a result of our technique you will feel more energized, more determined, more motivated and more Self-Confident at the emotional or energetic level.

With Feel Good UK you can reset your Self-Confidence Emotional "Set Point" so that every limitation and every negative belief that has ever been placed on you in regard to your ability to feel Self-Confident is removed.

You can do this!

And why the Darth Vader image? Well, I just felt like it.

BBC News: Gene Therapy 'Treats' Parkinson's Disease

By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12758230

Treating Parkinson's disease with gene therapy has been shown to be successful in clinical trials for the first time, say US researchers.

The illness causes uncontrolled shaking, stiffness and slow movement as part of the brain dies.

The small study in The Lancet Neurology used a virus to add genes to brain cells, which resulted in reduced symptoms for half of patients.

Parkinson's UK welcomed the study, but said further research was needed.

The disease affects 120,000 people in the UK, mostly in the over-50s.

There is no cure, although drugs and deep brain stimulation have been shown to reduce symptoms.

Gene treatment

Patients with Parkinson's have reduced levels of a chemical - GABA - in part of the brain known as the subthalamic nucleus.

The researchers created a virus which "infects" cells with a gene to increasing GABA production.

Parkinson's Disease

* Symptoms usually appear in people who are over the age of 50
* Symptoms include slowness of movement, shaking and stiffness of muscles
* Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain
* Research is ongoing to identify potential causes
* Parkinson's disease tends to run in families but the exact role that genetics
plays is unclear
* Other research is being carried out into environmental factors, such as toxins
and pesticides
Source: NHS Choices

In the trial, 22 patients had the virus injected into their brains while 23 patients had "sham surgery", to make them think they had the virus injected.

Their motor function was then scored over six months.

Patients who had gene therapy showed a 23.1% improvement in their motor score, those with sham surgery improved by 12.7%.

The report's authors say this "offers a novel alternative to conventional pharmacological or surgical treatment" and that it "shows the promise of gene therapy for other neurological disorders."

Professor Nicholas Mazarakis, who is a specialist in gene therapy at Imperial College London, told the BBC that the positive result was "very encouraging."

He added: "This result should be taken with some caution though, as it constitutes a rather small mean improvement, only 10.4%, in the clinical rating scale motor scores between those patients receiving the gene therapy and the placebo group."

In addition the absence of significant improvements in other secondary outcome measures such as dyskinesia and quality of life between the two groups, warrants further long-term evaluation of this treatment in more patients."

There have been concerns about the safety of gene therapy. In 1999, Jesse Gelsinger died during a trial in the US and there were cases of leukaemia after treatment in France.

The authors say this procedure is safe.

Dr Michelle Gardner, research development manager at Parkinson's UK, said: "This research shows the promise of gene therapy for neurological conditions like Parkinson's, but further research is still needed.

"We still don't know for how long the benefits of this treatment may last, or whether there may be long-term problems due to introducing viruses into the brain.

"In addition, any new treatment must be shown to be more effective than those currently available for Parkinson's, which this treatment has not yet been shown to do."

Hear below what Abraham-Hicks has to say about Parkinson's Disease and all health in general.

Abraham Hicks: Why Meditation Works

Everyone these days is talking about the benefits of meditation. But many people don't want to do it.

Hear from Abraham-Hicks an explanation of what meditation is really doing to us and why we benefit.

'Happiness Czar' Lord Layard On The Politics Of Happiness

Government 'happiness czar' Lord Layard, a founder director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, on the politics of making people happy.

View it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8592643.stm

and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8593084.stm

Hoffman UK Newsletter: How To Be Happy

The more research that is done into happiness, the more we discover that it's an attitude - a state of mind which affects your emotional state. There is some truth in the adage that we tend to be as happy as we make up our mind to be.

According to Mark Williamson, the founder of Action for Happiness, we can all take small daily steps that will make a huge difference to our happiness.

They include 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation, writing a gratitude list and doing acts of random kindness through the day. Mark will be speaking at the Happiness Conference in May where you will also find UK Hoffman founder Tim Laurence giving an interactive experience of some of the Process techniques to create greater happiness and peace of mind.

One of the most critical factors for happiness is having successful and harmonious relationships, so take a look at our new workshops for couples and singles coming up in April. These are open to those who've done the Process as well as those who haven't.

We have an Information Evening coming up in Dublin this month, so do join us there if you can. Dates for Processes and Information Evenings are on our calendar page. Our next UK Process with availability is March 18th - 25th and April 1st-8th.

Many of you have now joined us on Facebook and Twitter, so we're having some lively exchanges there and making connections old and new around the world. We're continually adding to the resources on Facebook to give extra support to those of you who have done the Process. We hope to see more of you there as time goes by!

How to be Happy Conference - May 7th London 2011

Holistic medical doctor, author and Hoffman Graduate, Dr Mark Atkinson is hosting the How to Be Happy Conference being held in Bloomsbury, London on Saturday May 7th.

How can we live a happy and meaningful life and contribute to the well-being of others?
Talks and workshops will be offered by some of the UK's leading experts including: Happiness Expert Dr Robert Holden, Naturopath and Nutritionist Emma MiHill, Teacher and Author Leo Hawkins and Hoffman UK Founder Tim Laurence. They will be covering:

• the master keys to living with greater joy, balance and presence
• tools for destressing the body and mind and letting go of fear and self-sabotage
• how to identify and resolve the emotional conflicts that can underpin illness
• diet and nutrition tips for boosting your mood and vitality
• how to work with all of your emotions including fear, anger and sadness
• ideas for contributing to the well-being of others

"It's six years since I did the Process. I am filled with immense gratitude as it awakened within me a deep passion for personal development and for supporting the evolution of others. What a blessing!"
Dr Mark Atkinson, Holistic Medical Doctor & Founder of The Academy of Human Potential

More information can be found at wwwhoffmaninstitute.co.uk

Abraham-Hicks: How to Allow Your Frequency To Rise

A detailed, practical audio on how to feel good, raise your personal energetic frequency, and dramatically improve the quality of your life.

It's all about feeling good. FEELING good!

BBC News: Are We Stigmatising Charlie Sheen?

VIEWPOINT By Dr Paul Keedwell, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute at Cardiff University

The recent behaviour of actor Charlie Sheen has led to some - including US TV doctor Dr Drew Pinsky and a number of bloggers - to suggest he has bipolar disorder.

In this week's Scrubbing Up column, mood disorders expert Dr Paul Keedwell suggests why many commentators tend to condemn or stigmatise celebrities who behave in this way.

Charlie Sheen has been flying the flag for the alpha male and the spirit of adventure with more than a little wit and bravura; something that has led to intense speculation about his mental health.

Whether or not Sheen does have a mental illness, the media coverage has told us important things about the way society sees mental health problems.

Articles on Sheen's behaviour have ranged from the judgmental - decrying his hedonistic lifestyle - to the celebratory - he has a right to behave like this and we should stop psychologising.

But there are also compassionate voices emerging: serious attempts to understand his behaviour.

Only a psychiatrist who fully assesses an individual face-to-face and takes a history from all possible sources is well placed to come up with a diagnosis and consider treatment options for mental illness.

Often more than one problem is identified, requiring a complex set of psychological, social and medical interventions.

“In judging him, we can all feel a bit better about our own transgressions”

However, many doctors in the media, and mental health discussion forums, have drawn parallels between Sheen's behaviour and the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder.

These include increased rate of speech, speeding thoughts, increased sexual drive and reckless sexual behaviour, increased drug or alcohol misuse, profligate spending, irritability, thoughts of being especially powerful or gifted, thoughts rapidly jumping from one subject to another (known as "flight of ideas"), distractibility, paranoia, boundless energy and reduced need for sleep.

'A neat cause'

Discussions around the subject of bipolar disorder have generally been a good thing, highlighting the difficulties inherent in both diagnosing the disorder in the context of a hedonistic culture and drug misuse, and the difficulties in persuading the sufferer to accept treatment when they are feeling so elated and expansive.

However, it is worth considering the less charitable interpretations of Sheen's behaviour.

For example, we might take the line that he has brought his problems on himself by making a bad moral choice.

Drug use can certainly trigger and destabilise an underlying predisposition to mental illness.

However, even if mental illness runs in the family, predicting which of us will become ill is difficult.

To condemn someone with mental illness for using drugs is like condemning the smoker who has lung cancer.

“Mental illness is still treated differently to medical disease”

Also, the more considered commentators realise that mental illness can lead to excessive drug misuse, as well as the other way round.

I believe that there are three basic motivations underlying such negative judgements.

Firstly, they provide us with what we think is a neat cause for his mental imbalance - a lifestyle so extreme that we can distance ourselves from it, satisfy ourselves that what he is experiencing would never happen to us.

Secondly, in judging him, we can all feel a bit better about our own transgressions. Finally, because we envy celebrity as much as we covet it, we have a morbid fascination with witnessing the downfall of those who we admired.

Another angle from commentators is that Sheen's behaviour is merely on a spectrum of normality and that he should be free to express himself.

The behaviour of someone with a mental health problem may be infectious and seductive: many of us are naturally attracted to someone who is happy, energetic, expansive and creative.

We can all 'win'

Superficially, behaviours expressed by individuals with a mental illness do not have a clear cut off from more common variation.

Bipolar disorder, for example, merges into cyclothymia - the moody personality.

This "bipolar spectrum" has expressed itself in our great poets, artists, scientists and novelists.

At the sharp end, though, there is a real risk of suicide (over 500 times the average population risk) or death through excessive risk taking, not to mention the long term social consequences of marriage break up, career meltdown or a prison sentence.

I once assessed a man in clinic who had rapidly descended from IT entrepreneur with a loving family to a divorced, unemployed ex-con living in a hostel in a deprived part of London, wondering how he could have been arrested two years earlier in a South London brothel, threatening a prostitute with a replica hand gun.

Mental illness is still treated differently to medical disease, even though at the extremes the disorder it is no less biological, and no more controllable through human will alone.

It can be remedied with a combination of medication, talking therapies and lifestyle changes.

We still cannot speak its name, in the same way as we could not talk about having cancer just a few decades ago.

Like cancer, mental illness is a common part of human life, especially as we get older, and it can affect us all, irrespective of lifestyle or background.

Also like cancer, much mental illness is most effectively treated in its early stages.

As the taboo of mental illness is broken down so people will present for help earlier, and society's burden of illness will come down: at this time we will all be finally "winning".

Hear below some insightful audio clips from Abraham-Hicks about the true cause of all mental illness.

BBC News: Laughing 'Better Than Latest Technology For Leg Ulcers'

A good old belly laugh can help heal leg ulcers, experts say.

The Leeds University team said good nursing and the occasional laugh was a better way to get the body healing than using the latest technology.

Hospitals and health clinics are increasingly using low-dose ultrasound for leg ulcers.

But the five-year study of 337 patients found it did nothing to speed up recovery, the British Medical Journal reported.

'Hearty chuckle'

Instead, lead researcher Professor Andrea Nelson said: "They key to care with this group of patients is to stimulate blood flow back up the legs to the heart. The best way to do that is with compression bandages and support stocking coupled with advice on diet and exercise.

"Believe it or not, having a really hearty chuckle can help too. This is because laughing gets the diaphragm moving and this plays a vital part in moving blood around the body."

During the study, the team concentrated on patients with hard-to-heal ulcers that had not cleared up after six months or longer.

They found that adding ultrasound to the standard approach to care - dressings and compression therapy - made no difference to the speed of healing or the chance of ulcers coming back.

Taken from the BBC Website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12699016

Also visit http://www.patchadams.org.

The Gesundheit! Institute is a project in holistic medical care based on the belief that one cannot separate the health of the individual from the health of the family, the community, the world, and the health care system itself.

Patch Adams is best known for his work as a medical doctor and a clown, and he is also a social activist who has devoted 40 years to changing America's health care system. He believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process.

Public Mental Health And Well-Being – The Local Perspective

There is growing evidence to show the positive impact that improving mental well-being can have on health and social and economic outcomes, but little is known about how this important and emerging agenda is developing within localities.

The 'Public Mental Health And Well-Being - The Local Perspective' report examines local leaders' perceptions of public mental health and well-being, the progress they have made, how they are acting on recent evidence, and how addressing mental illness and improving mental well-being go hand in hand.

It can be downloaded here: http://www.nmhdu.org.uk/silo/files/public-mental-health-and-wellbeing--the-local-perspective.pdf

The report, which has a foreword from care services minister Paul Burstow and parliamentary under secretary of state for public health Anne Milton, is based on interviews and focus groups with:

• heads of primary care trusts
• GP practices
• local authorities
• public health services
• mental health trusts

Evidence

It makes clear the strong evidence base for improving local environments, intervening in the early years where necessary, supporting parents, working with schools to help improve mental well-being and taking action to reduce health inequalities. And it sets out the evidence base for improving mental well-being while providing case studies of what is already being done in many local areas across England.

Opportunity

With the health and social care system undergoing such fundamental change, there is a massive opportunity to give mental well-being the priority it deserves. Getting it right will require:

• strong local leadership and joint working
• better data
• making the evidence available
• implementing evidence

A Powerful Abraham-Hicks Game - ABC Your Way Into the Vortex Of All That Is Good In The World

Know that everyday you can accept responsibility for your mood (and the quality of YOUR OWN life).

Think:

• I can choose to laugh or cry

• I can choose to be joyful in the face of misery

• I can choose to be expectant of only good things even when the world seems negative as I know I have the ability to focus my mind on things that feel good

• I can choose to compliment or complain

• I can choose to be optimistic or I can be pessimistic

• I can choose to be joyful or I can be grouchy

• I can choose to be loving or I can be angry and hateful

These are the choices of mind and mood that we can make on a daily basis

Play this fun and easy game to get yourself feeling amazing!

BBC News: Food Sold In Recycled Cardboard Packaging 'Poses Risk'

Another health fear to panic the vulnerable emerges!

From the BBC's Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12663183

Leading food manufacturers are changing their packaging because of health concerns about boxes made from recycled cardboard, the BBC has learned.

Researchers found toxic chemicals from recycled newspapers have contaminated food sold in many cardboard cartons.

The chemicals, known as mineral oils, come from printing inks.

Cereal firm Jordans has stopped using recycled cardboard and other firms are to ensure their recycled packaging does not contain any toxic oils.

Kellogg's and Weetabix said they were taking steps to reduce the amount of mineral oil in their packaging.

Exposure to mineral oils has been linked to inflammation of internal organs and cancer.

Government scientists in Switzerland found quantities of mineral oils between 10 and 100 times above the agreed limit in foods like pasta, rice and cereals sold in cartons made from recycled cardboard.

'Frightening' potential

“Should there be any evidence from our study - and we will carry out a risk assessment - we will take immediate action to protect the public.” Terry Donohoe Food Standards Agency

In one scientific paper they describe the potential for mineral oils to migrate into foodstuffs as "frightening".

However, the Swiss food safety authorities have concluded that consumers who eat a balanced and varied diet have no need to worry.

In a statement Jordans said that, as an environmentally responsible company which had previously used largely recycled packaging, it had taken the decision to abandon it reluctantly, but felt it was sensible.

The BBC investigation found other food companies are aware of the issue - but none have so far followed Jordans' lead.

More than half the cardboard used in Europe is made from recycled materials.

So-called "virgin board" from newly-harvested trees is more expensive and there is not enough of it to replace recycled card completely.

The research has been led by Dr Koni Grob at the government-run food safety laboratory of the Canton of Zurich.

In one study for the German food ministry last year he and his colleagues tested a sample of 119 products bought from German supermarkets.

They found mineral oils passed easily through the many of the inner bags used to keep food dry and fresh.

The longer a product stood on the shelves, the more mineral oil it was likely to absorb.

Dr Grob told the BBC: "Roughly 30 products from these 119 were free of mineral oil.

"For the others they all exceeded the limit, and most exceeded it more than 10 times, and we calculated that in the long run they would probably exceed the limit 50 times on average and many will exceed it several hundred times."

The agreed safe limit for mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons, outlined in European legislation covering plastic packaging, is a concentration of 0.6mg per kilogram.

Two effects

Studies on rats have highlighted the dangers to health of mineral oils.

Dr Grob said: "Toxicologists talk about two effects. One is the chronic inflammation of various internal organs and the other one is cancer."

But he stressed consumers would have to be exposed to contaminated foods over many years for their health to be at risk.

The Food and Drink Federation, which represents Britain's food companies, said the Swiss study was "a good starting point for further investigations" - but not enough in itself to justify discontinuing the use of recycled card.

Manufacturers' reactions

Nonetheless, some of the individual members of the FDF are taking steps to change their packaging.

Kellogg's said it was working with its suppliers on new packaging "which allows us to meet our environmental commitments but will also contain significantly lower levels of mineral oil".

The company is also looking at alternative inner liners for its packets.

Dr Grob's studies suggest only aluminium-coated bags or those made of certain types of thick plastic are an effective barrier to the migration of mineral oils.

Weetabix said it uses 100% recycled board because it is better for the environment, but is also looking at recycled packaging that does not contain recycled newspaper.

Like several other companies, it said: "Our data... does indicate that none of our products pose a risk to consumer health".

In Germany the government has told the food and packaging industries to take immediate steps to reduce the risk from mineral oils, and is considering introducing mandatory rules.

In the UK the Food Standards Agency is doing research of its own: but so far it is only looking at how much mineral oil there is in recycled packaging, not how much gets into the food inside.

Terry Donohoe, the acting head of the FSA's chemical safety division, said: "Should there be any evidence from our study - and we will carry out a risk assessment - we will take immediate action to protect the public."

Dr Grob and his colleagues say that even switching to virgin cardboard would not eliminate the risk from mineral oils entirely.

This is because food cartons are themselves stored and transported in larger corrugated cardboard boxes which are also made from recycled newspapers, and are also a source of contamination.

Hear below this audio clip from Abraham-Hicks about Swine Flu, epidemics, and the well-being that exists for us all. What do you focus on?

EFT Tapping & Money

View these videos below about the marvel of EFT and how it can help with any money worries. Enjoy!



What Is EFT? These films explain it all!

Abraham Hicks - The Great Awakening

View this powerful video about the great awakening taking place in the world.
Are you part of it?

How To Attract True Abundance Into Your Life

True abundance is all about perception. And most of us are living lives complaining of lack when we are completely oblivious to the wealth and abundance that we are living every day.

Hear this Abraham-Hicks audio on recognizing true abundance, which will bring you the financial riches that you think is true wealth.

Should Your Mental Capacity For A Loan Be Checked?

From the BBC's website - 4 March 2011

Should lenders be doing more to check whether people are mentally capable to sign up for loans and credit cards? If so, how should they go about doing it?

The Office of Fair Trading is looking into it by getting the views of interested parties.

Nick Bason is from the Employers Forum on Disability and he tells BBC Radio 5 live Wake Up To Money's Mickey Clark what they mean by 'mental capacity'.

For more Radio 5 live interviews, please visit the Best Bits page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12648856

Credit Cards Do Not Count As Spending, Say Young Adults

A third of young adults in the UK think buying something on a credit card does not count as spending money, a survey suggests.

A Barclays' poll of 1,250 people aged 16 to 24 found 34% regularly ran out of money.

Only 4% of those surveyed could remember receiving financial advice or guidance on how to manage their finances from their school or college.

One in three of the 22 to 24-year-olds relied on the "bank of mum and dad".

The poll found three-quarters had saved during the course of the past year, but they based saving around targets - setting aside money for things that they wanted, such as clothes or gadgets.

One in four young people who are unemployed and 13% of those aged between 16 and 24 said they constantly run out of cash.

Of those surveyed, 90% said they relied on financial advice from parents or friends.

Schools in England are advised to teach financial literacy as part of personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, although this is not compulsory.

Money Skills

The survey findings were published as Barclays announced it had joined three youth charities - Action for Children, the National Skills Academy for Financial Services and the National Youth Agency - to offer money management skills to a million 16-to-24-year-olds.

The scheme, which will offer help with budgeting, spending, saving and avoiding debt, will target people in hard-to-reach groups, such as those who are not employed or in education or training.

Deanna Oppenheimer, chief executive of Barclays UK Retail Banking, said: "It is essential that vulnerable young people are given the best start in life.

"Having good money management skills, particularly when faced with a constrained budget, is vital to enhancing their life opportunities and preparing them for independent living."

The survey was conducted by the Social Market Foundation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12627107

Some Inspirational Videos From Some Of The World's Greats!

“Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill" - Muhammad Ali

10 Ways To Raise Your Vibration

Below are some timeless tips that will help you raise your vibration to enhance your manifesting success and connect more to the radiant truth of your being and the bountiful nature of reality.

1. Take Responsibility

As James Allen says, "Circumstance does not make a man, it reveals him to himself'. The more you take responsibility for your life, the more you are able to change it. Responsibility is freedom and empowerment. Become conscious of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes that are creating your world. Take responsibility for them and choose those that serve you and your world.

2. Gratitude

Gratitude opens your heart and connects you and aligns your vibration to that which you feel grateful for and as such attracts more of the same into your life. It is a way to give (in its appreciation) and receive (by the opening and expansion of that giving). The more you value and appreciate something, the more there will be to value and appreciate.

3. Trust

Trust takes you towards happy desired outcomes in a magical, effortless way. Trust yourself and your power as a creator. Trust the universe and the gifts it wishes to bestow open you. Trust the doors that are opening and those that are closing. Relinquish control and allow yourself to be carried along the river of trust that will take you to your goals with grace and ease.

4. Suspend judgment

Judging others or yourself lowers and constricts your energy and separates you from love, truth and joy. It is a way of making yourself superior and above another by making them 'less than' or 'wrong'. It can be a way you deny your own self-judgments by projecting your guilt onto another. The more you love and accept yourself, the less you judge others. We all make mistakes. Seek to forgive, love and understand both the one you are tempted to judge and any potential shadows within you that they are reflecting.

5. Meditate

Meditation allows a calm and balanced perspective to be reached and negativity to wash away and dissipate. It creates a gateway through which you can access higher states of consciousness and connect to the love and wisdom of your Higher Self. Meditation returns you to a place of clarity, truth and peace and allows your energy to clear, align, balance and recharge.

6. Honor your emotions

Honor your emotions and listen to what they are telling you about what's going on inside. If they are negative or uncomfortable what thoughts or beliefs are they pointing to that may need changing or aligning? Express and release your feelings rather than deny, repress, control or judge them. This doesn't mean wallowing in them or giving them undue attention if they do not serve you (i.e. nip that self-pity in the bud!), nor does it mean venting at someone inappropriately (writing a letter and burning it would be far 'cleaner'). Honour your emotions by accepting them and allowing them to be released.

7. Know you are loved

You are loved totally and unconditionally by the source of creation. There is nothing you need do to win that love and nothing you can do to lose it. Becoming aware of this truth connects you to your inherent value, increases your sense of worth and deserving, heals pain of separation and loneliness and opens you to the love that is there for you in every moment.

8. Forgive yourself and others

Forgiveness of self and others is the ultimate mind-body-soul detox. It liberates you from whole clusters of toxic emotions and sets you free from draining attachments. It can also set you free from feelings of guilt, shame and undeserving that block you from happiness and success. In forgiving another you are also forgiving yourself. It is an immensely powerful force for healing and transformation and a most gracious gift you can give yourself and another.

9. Have fun

Fun will attract success into your life like iron filings to a magnet. It is the antidote to stress, struggle, tediousness and seriousness. When you are having fun you are open and sharing of who you are and ride on the current of spontaneity and joy. What brings you fun, happiness and joy? Commit to more of it in all areas of your life!

10. Love, Love, Love!

Love yourself and others. There may be times this is easier than others, but make it your overriding intention. Love lies at the heart of all that you seek, and separation from it lies at the root of your troubles and pain. Let love be a guiding light in your life that will steer your ship through stormy waters back to the shore of truth, happiness and joy. We all love to love and be loved! It doesn't get better than that! It is the highest vibration there is. The more you love yourself and others, the happier, brighter and more successful your life will become.

By Aine Belton
www.miraclemanifestingprogram.com

Mental Health Stats Prompt Government To Act

Depression doubles the risk of developing coronary heart disease. That's just one of the shocking stats in a new report from the UK's psychiatrists today.

Calling on the government to put mental health at the heart of their new public health strategy, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has published a compelling bank of evidence showing that:

* People with a mental disorder smoke almost half of all tobacco consumed in the UK and account for almost half of all smoking-related deaths.
* Depression doubles the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
* People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder die an average 20 years earlier than the general population, largely owing to physical health problems.
* People with two or more long-term physical illnesses have a 7 times greater risk of depression.
* Children from the poorest households have a three-fold greater risk of mental ill health than children from the richest households.

Dinesh BhugraRCPsych president Professor Dinesh Bhugra, right, said that 'historically, government public health strategies have concentrated on physical health and overlooked the importance of both mental illness and mental well-being. But there is no health without mental health. There is vast evidence to show that mental illness is associated with a greater risk of physical illness – and physical illness in turn increases the risk of mental illness.

He said mental health problems cost £105 billion a year in England alone and is the 'single largest source of burden of disease'.

It’s clear that strategies to improve the health of the nation will only be effective if they address mental health and wellbeing as well,' Professor Bhugra concluded.

Specifically, the RCPsych report No health without public mental health: the case for action calls on the government to:

* tackle substance addiction through a minimum alcohol pricing policy and an evidence-based addictions policy.
* prioritise mental health within smoking cessation programmes.
* target public mental health interventions for people at higher risk, for example children in care and those who are unemployed or homeless.
* promote the importance of mental health and well-being in older age.

Government promises to 'break new ground'

Responding to the report, care service minister Paul Burstow MP promised a ground-breaking new strategy. He said: 'the government is clear that there is no health without mental health. That is why we will publish both a public health White Paper and mental health strategy that will break new ground. If the right action is taken early in people's lives, it’s possible to make a big difference. The right support at the right time can help people realise their potential, cope with adversity and hold down a job. This is good for the individual and good for society too.'

From http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/21717-no-health-without-good-mental-health
Dated 25th October 2010

First-Ever Male Mental Health Guidelines Published

The first ever set of guidelines addressing the mental health needs of men and boys have been launched by the MHF and Mind.

Commissioned by the National Mental Health Development Unit following Mind’s 2009 Get it off your Chest campaign and the Forum’s report Untold Problems, the new joint report Delivering Male aims to remedy the fact that there has been no national men’s mental health strategy to mirror the one established for women. The report provides in depth guidelines that have been developed through extensive consultation and offers good practice advice on areas such as developing appropriate services, dealing with stigma and supporting male inpatients.

cover imageTargeted at a wide audience ranging from health professionals and commissioners to the families of men affected by mental distress, the report is free online with printed copies available price £20 from the MHF. (If you like to buy one, contact us here or telephone the office on 020 7922 7908 with your credit card.)

37% of men feel low

The scale of the challenge in men's mental health should not be underestimated. The Health & Social Care Information Centre 2009 household survey found that about 2.7 million men in England currently have a mental health problem like depression, anxiety or stress. Previous Mind research has found that 37% of men are feeling worried or low with the top three concerns being job security, work and money. Despite men and women experiencing mental health problems in roughly equal numbers, men are much less likely to be diagnosed and treated for it and the consequences of this can be fatal – the MHF has long highlighted that 75% of all suicides are by men.

'It is well established now that men and boys have specific mental health needs,' said MHF CEO Peter Baker. 'These guidelines have been drawn up based on a very wide evidence base and do an excellent job of covering many of the issues around men’s experience of mental distress, from how to improve men’s awareness of their mental health right through to identifying and addressing male-specific symptoms, in some cases at an early age.'

Paul Farmer, the CEO of Mind, added: 'Sadly, too many men wrongly believe that admitting mental distress makes them weak, and this kind of self stigma can prevent them from seeking help and ultimately can cost lives. Compounding this alarming situation though is the fact that often when men do reach out for help the appropriate support is not there for them.

'I hope that these new guidelines will help to improve mental health care for men and boys by spreading examples of good practice and innovative ideas to those who come into contact with men with mental health problems. It is vital that more services are developed which are tailored to the needs of men and that these are effectively promoted to encourage men to access mental health support early on in their experience of distress.'

The report coincides with the publication of new data showing that the number of people spending time in an NHS mental health hospital increased for the first time in five years in 2009/10 - most of these are men.

Read and download full report: http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/content/delivering-male-effective-practice-male-mental-health

Taken from http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/21826-first-ever-male-mental-health-guidelines
Dated January 11th, 2011