depression

How to stop over-medicalising mental health

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FOR A PLACE with a reputation for buttoned-up stoicism, Britain is remarkably open about mental health. The British are more likely than people in any other rich country to think that mental illness is a disease like any other. Only the Swedes are more accepting of the idea that a history of mental-health problems should … Read more

‘When I feel depression knocking on the door, I know how to turn it away’

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Philip Morgan, 66, reframed his mindset after going through a series of health challenges, including silent strokes (caused by a frontal lobe lesion), a cancer diagnosis, and young-onset vascular dementia. “Life seemed simply hopeless,” he says. “I can now however talk about good ways to overcome hopelessness”. Once sceptical about alternative mind and body practices, … Read more

Do I Need Antidepressants? How to Tell If Medication Might Help You

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According to Eric Lenze, MD, head of the department of psychiatry at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis, there’s even a version of the questionnaire providers use to guide diagnoses, called the PHQ-9, online. If you take it, and your total score is 10 or higher, he recommends talking to a doctor about … Read more

Get Things Done with ADHD

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If “just do it” worked, we would have already done it. But we haven’t. Because with ADHD, we know what we need to do but not how to get it done. Cue problems with procrastination, lack of motivation, disorganization, sticking to routines, and other challenges. And there’s no time like the New Year to force … Read more

Gloomy weather got you down? How to navigate seasonal affective disorder – National

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For many Canadians, a look outside their window this week will reveal a gloomy sight. Grey skies are all too common in the winter months when the days are shorter than ever. So is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), SAD is a type of seasonal depression. … Read more

It’s beginning to look a lot like burnout: How to take care of yourself before the holidays start

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It’s getting towards the time of the year when you might feel more overwhelmed than usual. There are work projects to finish and perhaps exams in the family. Not to mention the pressures of organising holidays or gifts. Burnout is a real possibility. Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having three main symptoms … Read more