The Office Bully: It Doesn’t Stop in the Classroom

Although the term “bully” immediately sets off an image of a kid in the school playground holding court with his or her power, bullying actually continues well into life and surprisingly even exists in the nursing home environment. It seems, once a bully, always a bully. Although much is written on bullying in the playground, the office environment is a haven for bullies. As just as everyone knows in the playground who the bully is and who the victim or victims are and are afraid to speak out, this phenomenon also occurs in the office. Let’s look at the case … Continue reading →

When Your Church Lets You Down (2)

In our last article on this subject (see link below) we looked at how Susan could not find a nun in her diocese to pray with her for a period of two weeks while another nun went on holidays. Susan was going through a deeply distressing time and she found the comfort of praying with her nun friend very comforting. But it wasn’t so comforting when not a single nun would volunteer to step in for the fortnight and help this distraught woman out. But this sadly is not restricted to the Roman Catholic Church. Lyn had just divorced her … Continue reading →

When Your Church Lets You Down (1)

This is not an article about the place of religion in the treatment of mental health, it is merely a collection of anecdotal tales that are rather surprising given that churches are renowned for being in the business of helping people through difficult times. Of course, churches are run by fallible humans and we must expect problems from time to time. But it is a shame when a minister or senior church representative fails to offer even the most basic human care to a person suffering from an emotional problem. Let’s have a look at the case of Susan. Susan … Continue reading →

Working With a Difficult Boss

While some people are lucky enough to be self-employed and be their own boss, most of us have to tolerate the emotional roller-coaster of the boss’ moods. This can take a toll on our personal happiness, even our mental health. Today, we will look at one particular example of the “power-mad boss”. One of the worse examples of the power-mad boss is the employee who is promoted up through the ranks and ends up being the manager of the people he or she once worked alongside. Take the case of Vicky. Vicky worked for seven years as a housecleaner with … Continue reading →

New Year’s Blues

For most people, New Year is a happy time. A time of new beginnings and a fresh start. An opportunity to change ourselves, to lose weight, to take that evening course, to change jobs, houses, even partners. The “newness” of the New Year gives people a sense of buoyancy and a child-like hope that things will be better once that calendar rolls over. Of course, the New Year is merely a man-made event and means nothing in the real sense, but it is so entrenched in our thinking that this makes little difference. It is time for a new start. … Continue reading →

Christmas: What Happened to It?

As I have been tying up the final loose ends for Christmas Day, I am continuously running into frazzled women. Glassy eyed, tousled hair, they seem strained, forgetful, distracted and angry. And these are not my clients; they are women trying to prepare for Christmas Day! Something has gone terribly wrong with Christmas and the festive season. High expectations, over-commercialization of Christmas – whatever it is — it is distressing grown, mature women and turning them into stressed, irritable zombies who are all repeating a surprisingly common mantra — “I just wish Christmas would be over!” Most of these women … Continue reading →

Christmas: Not Always So Cheery (2)

In our last article on this topic we looked at the high expectations that so many of us have about Christmas and the festive season and why it is not only so stressful for so many of us, but why it is often a time of unhappiness rather than joy. So how can we reduce the stress that many of us feel at Christmas and defuse some of the more unpleasant family disputes that often occur at the very time we should be happy? The answer is partially contained in the last phrase of the previous paragraph. The expectations that … Continue reading →

Christmas: Not Always So Cheery (1)

Christmas can be such a happy time for family and friends to catch up and enjoy a happy day which goes on to ultimately form happy memories in their lives as the years pass. Sadly, Christmas and the festive season in general can be the most difficult and painful time of the year for people to cope with and it is this aspect of the holiday period that I wish to discuss today. There are so many myths about Christmas in terms of how families should behave and the fun that we all should be having, that many people who … Continue reading →

Effects of House Break-ins on Young Children

Have you had your house broken into? If the statistics are to be believed then there is a pretty good chance that you either have been or you will be. Although a robbery is a traumatic event for anyone to go through, the effect on young children is often longer term than that for adults. When your home is broken into there are several effects that the incident has on the homeowner. The most obvious one is when treasured or valuable objects are taken. Then there is the sheer inconvenience of having to deal with insurance companies (if you are … Continue reading →

Sexting: Harmful or Harmless?

Teens and pre-teens are increasing sending explicit images of themselves via texting using cell phones, a phenomenon known as “sexting”. Girls as young as eight have been reported sending photos of themselves topless and girls in their early teens sending videos of themselves naked with objects inserted into various parts of their body are not uncommon. These images are sent by cell phones to boyfriends and other friends, but unfortunately it does not end there. One of the aims of these girls is to use this technology to flirt with young boys and show them images of themselves to get … Continue reading →