Author: Chris Fleet (Dip.Hyp. Adv D. hyp, SQHP)

Binge Eating Disorder – What is it, and What Might Cause it?

 

Binge eating can be a frightening experience, where you can feel completely out of control. It’s as if you just can’t seem to stop eating, and some people describe a sense of zoning out or dissociating while bingeing. The brain doesn’t seem to register that you are full until you either run out of food or feel overfull and sick. This is quickly followed by an overwhelming sense of shame and failure to control yourself. Once again you have binged….

 

Why does this happen and why is it so difficult to stop? There are five main reasons:

 

1. Dieting – yes, that’s right, trying to significantly restrict your food intake can trigger episodes of binge eating. Will power only takes us so far. This is because the body is primed to make you eat. When the brain senses we aren’t getting enough nutrients, it ramps up our hunger responses. Fight hunger and it fights back! Eventually, biology wins the battle and out-of-control eating can result.

 

2. Planning to restrict. You know this one – “my diet starts on Monday” (Therefore, I might as well eat as much as I can of my ‘forbidden’ foods over the weekend.) It’s called Last Supper eating, and can happen several times a week.

 

3. Emotional regulation. Certain foods in certain quantities can act in the same way as anti-anxiety drugs. Chocolate is a good example of this. By filling yourself up with food, part of the nervous system called the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. This part calms you and puts you in a restful state. The brain soon learns that food seems to reduce your anxiety and other difficult emotions. It may therefore compel you to binge in times of stress.

 

4. Frequent behaviours soon turn into habits, especially where the habit is linked with your reward feedback systems (which food is). If you binge in certain situations or at certain times then this is most likely a habit. For example, when you get in from work (“I deserve this cake, I’ve had a hard day”). Habits are very powerful. Our brains link eating with survival, so the brain is vulnerable to the habit of bingeing at certain times.

 

5. This is a lot more complex. Partly, this overlaps with 3, but there is a much deeper mechanism at work here. If your binge eating was originally triggered by traumatic experiences in the past, which remain unresolved, you may re-experience similar strong emotions and bodily sensations if you are triggered by other, often random events occurring during daily life. This can include certain situations, arguments, raised voices, different sights, sounds or even smells. We are not always aware of our triggers. In this situation, filling yourself up with food can be a way of feeling safe, and grounding yourself in the present moment. It is a coping mechanism, which may have enabled you to survive in the past, and is a way of soothing difficult feelings in the present.

 

The good news is that a trained counsellor can help you to look at your binge eating behaviour more closely, and we can begin to explore your personal reasons for binge eating. We can look at your triggers, situations where you feel more vulnerable, and explore ways to help you cope which don’t involve bingeing. I will not ever judge you, or be shocked by what you tell me. I work together with you to discover your path to recovery.

 

Written by counsellor Trish Thomas

Being a parent can often be romanticised; however, recent studies show that 80% of parents suffer from burnout. The term ‘burnout” is often associated with high-profile jobs with excessive hours and much to sacrifice for success in their career. However, it’s not just working that can cause burnout; parenting can be too. Parenting is also classed as a full-time “job”; however, it is a lifetime commitment, with no option of resigning. That’s why it’s important to recognise the signs of parental burnout and start to put strategies to deal with it before a more extreme burnout happens.

Parental burnout was identified in the 1980s and was described as “an exhaustion syndrome, characterised by feeling physically and mentally overwhelmed by their role as a parent” by researchers Isabelle Roskam and Moïra Mikolajczak.

Burnout is a gradual progression, as many don’t realise they are at risk until it takes over. Though, it’s never too late to deal with burnout and reverse its effects before they develop into serious mental or physical health problems. It’s important to be self-aware and recognise the “red flags”, and knowing when you need to take a break and recharge can avoid potential burnout.

 

Burnout red flags:

• Short Temper – Snapping quickly at loved ones over things that you normally wouldn’t react to.
• Foggy Brain – Memory issues, lack of mental clarity, unable to focus.
• Low Tolerance – Things you may not have noticed previously now irate you and leave you with no patience with tasks, children, or others.
• Heightened Emotions and Sensitivity – Becoming sensitive to bright light, loudness, crowds, eye contact, struggling in social situations, and crying for little or no reason.
• Headaches– Increase in headaches, doesn’t like to go away.
• Bad Sleep Patterns – Waking up early, going to sleep late. Up throughout the night, restless.
• Forgetfulness – confusion and forgetting things daily, caused by depression, lack of sleep and a bad diet.
• Bad Stomach – Stress can sometimes slow down digestion, causing IBS pain. Either constipation, diarrhoea or frequent trips to the toilet, and stress can only worsen digestive problems.
• Depression – Symptoms of depression include low mood, hopelessness, low self-esteem, lack of energy and sleeping problems.
• Anxiety – Chronic anxiety can lead to irrational thoughts and irrational fears that interfere with your everyday.
• Feelings of Isolation – the sense of being alone even with others around. They are separated from others, socially or emotionally.
• Overwhelming Feelings – Overwhelmed by expectations, responsibilities, and lack of time.
• Bad Communication – Lack of active listening or snapping quickly.
• Using Food, Drugs or alcohol to cope – Parents often joke about having a drink when the kids are in bed. However, habitual drinking to “unwind” `does not solve the problem and can lead to much more serious issues.

 

In extreme circumstances, parental burnout can increase the child’s risk of abuse and neglect, which is not a surprise. Research has indicated that parental burnout/stress is a risk for domestic violence. The risk increases as the parent’s stress levels increase, leaving parents to imagine the possibilities of walking away.

So, what can you do to prevent parental burnout? It’s important to be aware of the signs, and if you feel they relate to you, then reach out for help; there is no shame in asking for support. The Devon Clinic has been funded a programme for stressed single parents, offering nine sessions of counselling treatments. This hugely successful programme can help control and overcome any signs or feelings of being burnout. If you are not a single parent, do not worry. We have many practitioners that can help support you in your time of need.  Speaking out is the first step you can take; help is out there.

 

 

01803 500300 – reception@devonclinic.co.uk

It’s 2021; the pressure is on in many aspects. Social media has been a saviour to many of us during the pandemic; however, has it made cyberbullying that much worse? As a whole, it’s a worldwide issue on how people are attacked on social media. As human beings, we are naturally social creatures who actively look for the companionship of others, whatever the relationship. Our connections have a huge impact on our mental health and overall happiness. Being socially connected can ease issues like stress and anxiety and can even boost your self-worth! On the flip side, if you lack strong social connections, this can cause a serious risk to your mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Many of us rely on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and even more to connect with the world. At the same time, each platform does have its individual benefits; it’s important to remember that it can never replace real-world human connections. In-person content triggers the hormones that alleviate stress, making you happier and healthier. Although technology is designed to bring people together, spending too much time engaging on the platforms can make you feel far more lonely and isolated, testing your mental health. If you find yourself spending excessive time on social media and notice feelings of sadness, frustration or loneliness, it may be time to re-evaluate your online habits.

Virtual interactions do have positive aspects such as:

• Communication and staying up to date with family and friends around the world
• Finding new friends communities; people of similar interests
• Raising awareness for worthwhile causes
• To seek and offer emotional support
• Outlets for your own creativity/business plans

 

It’s apparent that social media has great features and can help us in times of need. Despite this, as years go on, we have ongoing issues affecting our mental health. Racism is still there. Sexism at its worse and influenced self-harm has dramatically increased. While we have many people take action on their platforms to help reduce these hate speeches, we have the dark web doing what it does best, making us feel inadequate on the other side of our device, this leading us to self-hate on our appearance in some circumstances. We see images on the web, though we know that some we are viewing have been manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or how you live your life. An Influencers job is to influence us into buying the products they use or look a certain way. What we have to remember is that these people get paid to look good. Comparing yourself is never good for your mental health; we don’t need to look a certain way to be accepted, despite that social media and influencers can tell us otherwise. Envy is a bad feeling to experience for anyone. However, it is also a natural emotion. What we need to remember that not everything we see is real and don’t allow social platforms that make us feel inadequate on our screens. You are in control.

This is now leading us to the topic of Fear of missing out (FOMO). FOMO is an expression that has been around for a while. FOMO can seriously trigger anxiety and worry, which is very common in all of us. Social media sights exacerbate how fun someone’s life is, so when we watch others having “fun”, we tend to feel as if we’re missing out and can impact our self-esteem. Anxiety can arise when feeling like this, leading to the constant checking of your phone/tablet. This is not good for your mental state, can cause safety issues while driving or making you miss out on sleep. Prioritising social media is a big no. By doing this, you’re isolating yourself from the real world, reducing your in-person interactions. The online world becomes more real, leading you to ignore the feelings of anxiety and FOMO you are suppressing. Platforms are designed to snare your attention and keep you online. This is how they make their money. However, it’s much like a gambling compulsion or addiction to drugs or alcohol. Social media usage creates psychological cravings.

Cyberbullying is constantly happening; recent 2021 studies show that overall, 36.5% of people feel they have been a target of online abuse, 87% of teenagers have witnessed others get bullied online. Though we are at a high of online hate, many worldwide stars use their social media platform to help others recognise the awful effect words can have on others. For example, starting on 30th April 2021, English Football League and Women’s Super League clubs will join a four-day boycott of social media to combat abuse and discrimination that we still sadly see today. “By removing ourselves from the platforms, we are making a symbolic gesture to those with power. We need you to act. We need you to create change”. Said, one Football player. “Racist behaviour of any form is unacceptable, and the appalling abuse we are seeing players receive on social media platforms cannot be allowed to continue,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said in a statement.  What we see here is worldwide role models taking that step to make a change. By them speaking up and boycotting social media, others may be influenced to think about their actions. Bullying will never completely go, but as a community, we want to see a difference. The more people take a step back and think before we speak, will have a huge impact on the mental health of many.

 

Your mental wellbeing is important. Take your time away from social media platforms and ALWAYS think before you speak.

Men’s Mental Health

Why is men’s mental health such a taboo? Why do some men find it hard to talk about? There are many question marks on the subject of men’s mental health which need to be answered! In England, statistics show that around one in eight men has a common mental health problem, such as anxiety, depression or panic disorder. However, is it hard to pinpoint correct statistics as we can only know about the ones that have been reported, leaving many cases to go undiagnosed along with men’s mental health.

We have many signs showing us a better picture of the state of men’s mental health:

• Over three times as many men die by suicide compared to women.
• Men aged between 40 – 50 have the highest suicide rate in England.
• Only 36% of referrals to the NHS for talking therapies are men.
• Three-quarters of adults who go missing are men.
• 87% of rough sleepers are men.
• Men are three times as likely as women to become dependent on drugs and alcohol abuse.
• Men are more likely to be compulsorily sectioned for treatment.
• Men are more likely to be involved and victims of violent crimes ( 1.5 more than women )
• Men make up the vast majority of the prison population.

So, why don’t men talk about mental health?

The social expectations are high for the traditional gender roles of men; society has told us since we can remember that the men are the breadwinners, the “man” of the house, the dominant one. Expectations and stereotypes can be seriously damaging to one’s mental wellbeing. Though these expectations might not seem like a bad thing, they can make it harder for men to reach out and open up.

Other research suggests that men who struggle to talk about their emotions openly may be less able to recognise the symptoms of mental health problems, meaning they’re less likely to reach out for help as they are unsure of what is it themselves. Because of this, men are more likely to use harmful coping methods to forget about their feelings. Such as drugs or alcohol abuse. However, research also shows that men will access help when they feel it is easily accessible, meets their personal preference, engaging and feels meaningful.

Is there a difference in depression for men?

Depression can differ for each person, and sexes show different signs of depression. Some symptoms for men include sudden bursts of anger, loss of control, risk-taking, irritability, and aggression. Escapism is also a common sign of depression in men, such as throwing themselves into their work-life or using substance abuse.

2017 showed an astonishing number of nearly 6000 suicides in Great Britain, of which 75% were men. Most commonly for men who are under 50. Minority communities have a higher rate of suicide, including gay men, war veterans and those with low incomes.

We need to be more aware of men’s mental health and make an effort to talk about it. Ask yourself this question… why do you find it uncomfortable asking for help and whether those reasons are actually stopping you from getting the support you need.

 

It is okay to ask for help. We all struggle; it’s just about making the change yourself and seek support. It’s only a phone call away.

email – reception@devonclinic.co.uk – 01803 500300 

If a gaslighter is manipulating you, you may not even know it’s happening! Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse within an abusive relationship. It is the act of manipulating someone by forcing them to question themselves, their thoughts, memories, the lot. If you suffer victim of being gaslighted, it can lead you to question your own sanity. Whether gaslighting is intentional or not, it’s a form of manipulation through a relationship. Gaslighting can cause the victims to look so lowly on themselves and made to believe they are reliant upon their abuser. Abusers who gaslight other people may have a psychological disorder called narcissistic personality disorder.

Signs of Gaslighting:

The author of “The Gaslight Effect: How to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life”, Robin Stern, showed the signs that you fall victim to gaslighting:

• no longer feeling like the person you used to be
• being more anxious and less confident than you used to be
• often wondering if you’re too sensitive
• feeling like everything you do is wrong
• always thinking it’s your fault when things go wrong
• apologising often
• having a sense that something’s wrong, but being unable to identify what it is
• often questioning whether your response to your partner is appropriate (e.g., wondering if you were too unreasonable or not loving enough)
• making excuses for your partner’s behaviour
• avoiding giving information to friends or family members to avoid confrontation about your partner
• feeling isolated from friends and family
• finding it increasingly hard to make decisions
• feeling hopeless and taking little or no pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

 

No one should go through the emotional abuse of Gaslighting. If you feel you are suffering from this, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are just a phone call away. 

01803 500300 Reception@devonclinic.co.uk

Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a set of reactions that develop in people who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event that endangers their life or the safety of others around them. The events that cause PTSD to differ from car accidents, sexual or physical assault, separations, war-related, torture or even natural disasters like fires etc. Soon after the traumatic event, it is common to experience feelings of sadness, fear, grief, guilt or distress. Generally, these feelings may resolve on their own; however, if the distress continues or gets worse, it may mean that you could have developed PTSD.

Common symptoms of PTSD fit within four main types of difficulties:

• reliving the traumatic events through unwanted, recurring memories, flashbacks, or very vivid nightmares. In addition, there is normally an intense emotional or physical reaction when you are reminded of the event. Including sweating, heart palpitations or a panic attack.
• Blocking out and avoiding reminders of the traumatic event. Like thoughts, feelings, places, people, or situations that bring you back to the event.
• The negative impact and changes to your feelings and thoughts. Feelings of anger, panic, numbness and developing self-beliefs of “I am bad” or “I am unsafe” convince yourself with fear.
• Overly alert or easily irritated. Lack of concentration and being easily startled, and the constant lookout for danger.

 

A health practitioner may diagnose you with PTSD if you have significant symptoms in each of these four areas for a month or longer as it is impacting your day-to-day life.

PTSD in children

About one-third of children who go through a traumatic experience will develop PTSD. Younger children can express distress in a different way than adults and teenagers experiencing PTSD distress. Younger children may re-live the trauma through doing a repetitive play to stay away from unwanted memories. Many suffer from unrecognisable nightmares, lose interest in play and become socially withdrawn or suffer extreme tantrums.

Impact of PTSD

Up to 80 per cent of people who have long-standing PTSD develop additional health problems, most commonly depression and anxiety alongside substance misuse with alcohol or drugs, to block out painful memories, which will only work temporarily, continuing to a harder recovery. PTSD can affect many day-to-day things, such as failing to go to work, not relating to your family and friends, and distancing yourself from not feeling or thinking. By this, you are impacting not only your life but your loved ones too. PTSD causes a big shut off to the world and others, creating an isolated mindset.

It’s important to recognise when you will need to seek help for PTSD; if you feel you have experienced bad trauma or distress that is still affecting your after two weeks or is an ongoing issue, reach out to professional help. Here at The Devon Clinic, we have highly qualified doctors who can help on the road to recovery with PTSD. So do not suffer in silence and overcome your battles with the right guidance.

 

Call our reception team on 01803 500300 or email us at reception@devonclinic.co.uk to get help today. 

Eating disorders are very common and often handled in an unhealthy way. Having an ED ( Eating Disorder ) distorts the way you think about food, your body, and your nutrition, causing harmful effects on your physical and mental health. Research shows that with ED, your brain releases chemical changes that impact the way you think about food and your body. By acknowledging that eating disorders cause mental distortions can help separate yourself from your ED. Many have their ED voice, which is a negative, critical voice telling them examples like “I will gain X amount of pound from eating that” or “I can’t eat that unless I exercise for X amount of minutes”.  Your eating disorder voice can get louder when you start refraining from disordered eating and exercise behaviours. Learning how to recognise your ED voice is especially important to progress to fight this voice and continue working towards healthy eating and exercising habits. Instead of letting it dominate your self-talk, practise talking to yourself in a compassionate voice as you would to your loved ones. Remember to include yourself as the same standard as you would others, learn to speak with love, care and compassion to yourself and others.

Recovery is not linear, so go easy on yourself. It’s easier said than done to focus on healthier food and get a balanced healthy diet. If you want to overcome ED alone, it’s important to address the disorder and write or talk about improving and changing the ED voice by disobeying it and fighting for positive affirmations. On paper, make a list with two columns; one is headlined “ED says,” In the other column, write “Recovery Requires”. This gives you the chance to write down what your ED says to you, while on the corresponding line, you will note how you will specifically disobey what ED says. Narrative therapy is important to try and keep up, and by physically writing these down, your brain is recognising the wrongs and rights.

For example: “ED says to skip dinner” – “Recovery requires me to eat dinner.”

Your ED may have helped you through emotionally testing periods at points in life, so it’s normal if you start to feel more anxious and uncomfortable in your body when you start moving away from disordered eating behaviours. If you find you’re are struggling to make the change of recognising the disorder or feeling like you can’t find a way of tackling it alone, contact The Devon Clinic and speak to our ED Counsellor or try the effective method of Hypnotherapy. We are here to help the long term effects and overcome your ED together.

Call on 01803 500300 or email us at reception@devonclinic.co.uk 

Hypnotherapy is a form of self-hypnosis that uses suggestions to encourage a positive and effective change. Treatments have many benefits, from easing stress and anxiety, encouraging relaxation and quitting negative habits. Hypnotherapy is different for everyone, dependent on the issue you encounter and how many sessions it will take to see progress. People can differ from seeing positive changes after just one session or after several sessions. Hypnosis is delving into the subconscious and finding the route to our problems with therapy to guide the positive outcomes.

The results are exceptional here at The Devon Clinic with our trained Hypnotherapist; many personal issues can be helped by hypnosis.

Here are a few benefits of Hypnotherapy:

 

Helping you quit bad habits

Hypnotherapy helps quit bad habits such as, smoking, drinking, drug abuse or gambling. Hypnosis Therapy is the most successful way to stop smoking safely and easily. Naturally removing unwanted behaviours and addictions.

Helping with eating habits

If you want help reducing your weight without dieting and deprivation, it’s a great way to change your eating habits. This happens by removing unwanted blocks to your success by addressing emotional eating. Negative thoughts about yourself and desire for unhealthy foods. Hypnotherapy helps increase your desire of eating nourishing foods, water and exercise—this leading to a lasting and healthy effect.

Helping ease stress, depression and anxiety.

Reducing stress with hypnotherapy is one of the easiest ways to achieve deep, all-round relaxation. It effectively enhances your health and well-being, leaving you calmer and more refreshed. Anxiety and depression is a common problem for many of us that suffer with. With over 50,000 thoughts a day, a lot can be negative. Hypnosis is a strong way of reframing the negatives thought patterns that keep us stuck in a bad place, to moving towards positive affirmations, thoughts and behaviours throughout the hypnotherapy process, getting you to a stable well-being.

Overcoming fears and phobias

Fears and phobias can hold us back from normal day lives, restricting us in many aspects. Our unconscious minds’ protect us from emotional or physical harm which is why these problems arise. Hypnotherapy then helps by taking us back to the event, cause or certain experience that has caused this fear/phobia. We can then resolve, release and rewrite.

Helping achieve success

Hypnosis reprogrammes your mind to achieve success, whether that’s within your love life, finances, motivation, self-confidence, taking tests and to experience your best possible future, it is possible with Hypnotherapy.

Supporting fertility treatment

Hypnosis is effective in encouraging relaxation and overcoming mental blocks for those trying to conceive. Stress and anxiety, as well as many other factors, can cause the body to make it more difficult to get pregnant, by doing hypnotherapy it can ease the extra stress of conceiving.

 

If you’re thinking about Hypnotherapy as treatment or a career, contact The Devon Clinic and discuss your further options 

01803500300

reception@devonclinic.co.uk