Reducing stress levels to help your cholesterol

The usual, simple advice is:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Take regular exercise
• Stop smoking and take alcohol in moderation

The balanced diet idea is straight forward enough, but the nature of stress is that it tends to make us reach for high fat, high sugar foods for an energy boost.  Also, eating 'bad' foods makes us feel better emotionally which helps us manage the stress!

Try boosting your diet with

• Vitamin C - boost the immune system which is supressed by stress. Eat more kiwi fruit, citrus fruit, berries, red peppers and green leafy veg
• L-theanine - an amino acid found in the tea plant which has a calming effect - hence the great British 'reach for a cup of tea' in a crisis.
• Magnesium - low magnesium levels contribute to poor sleep, anxiety and irregular heartbeat.  Eat dark green leafy veg, whole grains, nuts, seeds and seafood
• B vitamins  - help support the nervous system and balance moods and energy levels. Eat whole grains and dark green leafy veg.
• Potassium - helps maintain blood pressure. Increase your fruit and veg especially bananas, potatoes, fruit juice and avocados. Potassium is also found in milk, tea, meat, fish, nuts, seeds and coffee.
• Omega 3 fats - lower noradrenaline levels (thus reducing stress), may protect against depression and help mood regulation. Found in oil rich fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and trout
• Tryptophan - Helps control appetite, raising levels of serotonin which make you feel better and calmer and sleep better. Eat more turkey, milk, red meat and soya.
• ALA - Is a plant form of Omega-3 and helps reduce anxiety. Found in nuts and seeds but particularly walnuts.

Take some snacks to work which fit these broad guidelines - otherwise it is all too easy to eat cake and biscuits! I like Graze boxes (www.graze.co.uk) as you can choose the kinds of snacks you like and get them delivered to work. Get a voucher for 2 free boxes as you can try them out then.

However, you can also try

• Yoga or meditation to help calm yourself
• Take up a sport you enjoy - dance class, zumba, swimming etc. Something that you can fit into your normal week routine
• Listen to music
• Meet up with friends
• Do things you enjoy - go to the cinema, garden, read - whatever floats your boat!
• Make the most of your journey to and from work - listen to the radio, download some good podcasts to your ipod, read a book - anything but work!
• Make time at the weekend for yourself - start small (so you don't feel guilty for not working) and then flex with your work load. 

These are straight forward, easy to implement life changes which in turn will help you sleep better, feel better and in turn help your cholesterol levels.

What happens in a homeopathic appointment?

 

The first appointment

An initial homeopathic consultation will last around 1 hour and during that time we will talk about your son/daughters health problems,how they are feeling and how their symptoms affect their everyday life.

We will discuss their health issues – the specific symptoms they are suffering with whether they are physical, emotional or a combination of both.  We will also explore their personal and family medical history since these often hold other clues about how they got to their current state of health.

In order to get to know and understand your child, we will spend time chatting to them (depending on their age!) and watching them play.  Since homeopathy treats the whole of the person and not just their symptoms it is important for us to gain a sense of who they are. 

With your permission, older children (and especially teens) may be offered the opportunity to chat to me on their own.  Getting the child’s insight into their health condition and how it affects them is very important, as well as using the important information you as parents bring to the consultation.  If you come and see us at the Low-cost clinic in Canterbury, we may well arrange to chat to your school age child by Facetime or Skype at a later time (since the clinic is held during the day).

Follow-up Appointments

After the initial appointment, we will meet again to discuss your child’s progress around a month later.  This appointment will last for around 30-45 minutes and we will discuss what changes there have been to their symptoms and to their behaviour and mood.

How long will my child need treatment for?

This depends on how long they have been ill for.  Generally speaking, the longer the child has been ill, the longer they need to stay in treatment for; commonly a minimum of 4 appointments is normally recommended, but this varies. The approximate rule of thumb is one month of treatment for each year of illness.  However, since Homeopathy treats your child as an individual, it may take time to find the right remedy to help them.

Many parents choose to keep their children in long term treatment to maintain their level of health and lower the risks of developing any other illness. These patients generally have 1 or 2 visits a year as a kind of MOT to keep them as well as possible.

What if my child develops a minor illness during treatment?
If in doubt please get in touch. For example you may have come to see us since your child has sleep problems and recurrent ear infections, but if your child then develops another minor illness such as a cough, or tonsillitis please call us.  This is useful information for us to have and we can also offer support for treating this illness too.

Think of different episodes of minor illnesses and facets of your child's personality and behaviour as being jigsaw pieces - they are all part of the same child and all provide useful information for us to understand your child and the remedy they may need.

Medications

If your child is currently taking any prescribed medications, please bring a list of these with you to the consultation.  The responsibility for changing how you give these medications lies with you and your doctor; your current regime of medical treatment must not be altered without consultation with your GP.

Confidentiality

Generally the law protects the confidentiality between a client and the homeopath.  We are both registered with the Society of Homeopaths and work according to their code of ethics and practice.

However there are exceptions to this strict confidentiality which include suspected child abuse, abuse towards a dependant adult or elder, a threat of serious bodily harm to another person or if a client intends to harm themselves.  In any such instance, the appropriate agency will be contacted.

 

 

 

 

Helping your dog cope with loud noises

Using behavioural techniques to help your fearful dog

Thunderstorms, fireworks and other loud noises

These fears are all too common in dogs.  Sometimes its just in their breeding, sometimes its through an experience, they may be rescue dogs with a chequered or unknown history, or dogs who haven’t had careful, systematic socialisation.

However they get there, these dogs tend to use avoidance to try to hide from the loud noise – they will either run off (if they are outside and off lead), or may hide, pace, become restless, pant and dig. It is very distressing for us to watch.

Is there any hope?

Yes!

Desensitisation and counterconditioning

Improving their behaviour requires getting at the underlying uncomfortable, scared emotional state of the dog.  This requires a particular methodology of training to systematically ‘reprogramme’ their emotional state.  This is known as Desensitisation and Counterconditioning (D&C).

Desensitization refers to the careful manipulation of the fear-evoking thing – be that a dog, a person, a loud noise etc – so that it doesn’t generate a fear response.  Think of it as breaking the association between the scary thing and the emotional response of your dog.  No matter what the dog is afraid of, there is a version of it – smaller, quieter, much further away and very carefully controlled that wont trigger the fear.

The basic steps are that after this much less intense version of the scary thing is presented, a pleasant thing is presented (the counterconditioning) to build a new and more pleasant association.  This could be a game or some really fantastic treat (like tuna).

Handler role

You have a role to play too – if you think about what your dog is reactive to, the chances are when you see it you feel a rise in emotion – such as fear or anxiety.  This then inadvertently is communicated to the dog in the way we move and speak.  All too often we try to comfort the dog – speaking in a soothing voice, stroking them and cuddling them.  This all actually makes their fear worse!  Your job is to use a false silly, jolly voice when you speak to the dog in these moments – you can also try humming or singing (as these help to keep your adrenaline down).

Establishing threshold

Look on the internet for a sound clip of a storm (or firework or gun shot etc). You are going to play it very, very quietly in the same room as your dog.

You are going to watch your dog REALLY carefully to judge how loudly you have to play the sound to see that the dog has registered the sound (looking at the source of the sound, ears initially pricked), but not loud enough to provoke a fear reaction (panting, ears swung back and pined to their head, cringing, pacing, hiding etc). The sound level at which the dog hears the sound, but without a reaction is known as a sub threshold stimulus.

You are basically going to use counterconditioning to teach your dog that the arrival of the stimulus heralds a tuna feast – therefore the appearance of the sub threshold stimulus can only be a good thing. This is what is then known as a Conditioned Emotional Response (CER). Once CER is evident, you can start very gradually increasing the intensity of the stimulus and continue your counterconditioning.

If at any time in the process, your dog starts to react (pacing, panting etc) – you have gone ‘super threshold’ and the dog is feeling afraid.  You must then immediately reduce the intensity of the sound until your dog copes.  If you go super threshold, you will slow progress sown and may cause regressions in your dogs behaviour.

Now I know this all sounds terribly technical, but it is essentially teaching a new association to your emotional dog.  Your dog does this all the time – its how they know words like ‘shall we go for a walk’ and display happy and excited behaviour. Its how they know when you put your dog walking shoes on that this means they are going out. Its how my cat thinks that opening a can must mean its tuna for him.  Its making an association between an event/word and the outcome.

The amazing thing about this type of work is that it is almost magical in how it works when done correctly.  Your previously fearful dog is now happy when they hear a storm or other loud noise.  This method is known as Classical Conditioning.

Classical conditioning

Unlike our more usual method of teaching where the dog learns the connection between their own behaviour and its consequences, classical conditioning teaches dogs about the relationships between events and how to predict them. It is vitally important to remember that this method is about teaching a new association to a scared dog not teaching your dog that if they come back to you, then they get a treat (good recall = reward).

There are some rules to consider and keep in mind in order to make this successful:

•  Where the dog is when they hear the noise (in different rooms, or in the garden, or on a dog walk etc etc)
• Where you are when they hear the noise
•  How loud the noise is

It is important to realise that changing one of these parameters means that the others must remain the same or become relaxed. You can only then go on to the next step when the CER is evident and reliable.

Remember to use an amazing never used treat for this, as well as your happy, silly voice! A longer duration session is better than a few minutes.

·         Gradually increase the volume of the noise – always looking for a level that the dog is coping at – lower the volume if your dog begins to get anxious

·         Then go back to low volume and try a different room, and gradually increase the volume again

·         Try the same thing outside – again start with the sound played low and gradually increase

·         Try being in a different room to the dog – again start with low volume and gradually increase

This is the process of generalising and it is important that it is not rushed! You must not increase the volume until the dog relaxes.  You can often tell as the dog will shake, sniff the ground, lick their mouth, look away or begin to blink. This is then frequently followed by a learnt behaviour like getting eye contact from you or offering something like sit.

Super-threshold

Sometimes, when you cannot control the environment and a bird scarer goes off, or your neighbours are letting off fireworks, your dog will have a freak-out fit. Whilst not ideal, its life – you need to continue with your jolly, silly voice and continue to rain tuna down.  This techniques looks incredible since we then think we are rewarding the dog for poor behaviour! However, this is all about preserving predictability in your classical conditioning.  Your dog must know that the tuna reliably appears when the stimulus appears. You must disregard your dogs behaviour. That is muddying the water with the other method of teaching which is dealing with learnt behaviour.

Book list for treating animals with homeopathy

Suggested reading list

Day, C (1998) The homeopathic treat of small animals. Published by The CW Daniel Company.

A very comprehensive book with a lot of information about using homeopathy to treat animals

Wolf, HG (1998) Homeopathic medicine for dogs. A handbook for vets and pet owners. Published by The CW Daniel Company.

A more technical book which is detailed – a good second book choice

Allport, R (1997) Heal your dog the natural way. Published by: Mitchel Beazley

An easy read which gives a broad range of holistic treatments for your dog

Walker, K (1998) Homeopathic first aid.  Published by: Healing Arts Press

A great book which looks at first aid aspects of treating animals – like car sickness, burns, sprains, bites etc

Macleod, G (2001) Cats: Homeopathic remedies. Published by: The CW Daniel Company

Again, comprehensive but technical

The Poultry Doctor (1999) Published by B Jain Publishers

Often difficult to get hold of as it is an Indian print book but well worth tracking down

Couzens, T (2006) Homeopathy for horses. Published by Kenilworth Press.

A fantastic book! Describes homeopathic treatment for almost every injury or illness you can imagine in a horse, as well as constitutional types.

 

Dogs and thunderstorms

Fireworks and thunderstorms

Dogs seem to have a variety of reaction to fireworks and storms. 

·         Some will actively watch out the window, or ask to go out in the garden and watch
·         Some bark and run around madly
·         Some hide and shake or come to you and seek reassurance

Basic rules

·         Give the dog a good run during the day so that he is more likely to sleep through the episode
·         Avoid taking the dog out as it begins to get dark
·         Keep the curtains closed to lower the stimulus of the flashes of light
·         Put the TV or radio on low to drown out some of the background noise
·         If anxious dogs want to hide – let them.  Try covering their crate (if you have one) with a blanket (keeping the door open so the dog doesn’t feel claustrophobic, or put a blanket over a table that the dog can get under
·         Make sure doors and windows are securely closed to make sure your dog cannot accidently escape
·         Try using a DAP collar/infuser or spray during these times of high stress (available from some vets or online)
·         Investigate herbal remedies which can be used for anxiety – Dorwest Herbs sell Scullcap & Valerian which can be given in the run up to the firework period and there are a variety of homeopathic remedies which may help.  If your dog is on medication, check with your vet first as some herbal treatments can interact with drug therapy.
·         If your dog is extremely anxious – think about driving them to a quiet location and waiting the evening out.  Obviously this is difficult is a storm blows up from nowhere, but can be appropriate for the fireworks period.
·         Dogs that run around madly (and seem to be stimulated) – are best distracted with something to occupy them.  Get out your ‘settle’ mat (if you have one) and give them a stuffed Kong, chew or food dispensing toy.
·         Ignore any signs of fear – just carry on as normal

The above measures are for active management of the dog behaviour.  Part of the solution needs to be teaching your dog to manage his fear – this is crucial from the earliest days of owning your puppy. 

Treating wounds

Obviously you need to use common sense measures with wounds – if it is a deep wound, or contains a foreign body then seek medical help.

You can use the diluted lotions or creams to clean the wound, wash out any small debris, slow bleeding, act as a natural antiseptic and promote healing.  If you are using a dressing to cover a wound, then you can use the diluted lotion or cream to dampen the dressing before applying.

There are a number of creams and lotions which can be used to promote healing:

• Calendula - see the blog written by Elaine on this
• Hypericum – can be a lotion (tincture) which must be diluted. It can be used to heal wounds where nerves have also been injured.
• Hypercal (a combination of Hypercium and Calendula). This can be found as a cream or lotion (which must be diluted).
• Ledum – usually found as a lotion (tincture) which must be diliuted. It can be used to treat puncture wounds.
• Graphites – usually found as a cream and can be used to treat thickened skin

However, please never use Arnica cream on broken skin – even if it is bruised. Use Arnica 30/200c tablets to address the bruising. Choose a different cream for healing the wound.

You can also use homeopathic remedies to support healing.  Remember to use Arnica if there is shock and Hypericum if the wound has nerve involvement and Ledum for puncture wounds. If the wound becomes red, swollen and painful then take Hepar Sulph.

Treating impetigo with homeopathy

Impetigo

Impetigo is a very common skin condition which causes sores and blisters and is most commonly found in children. GPs may prescribe no treatment (as it usually resolves within 3 weeks), antibiotic cream or tablets.

It is caused by a bacteria entering the skin through a wound, bite or cut and typically causes raw, blistered skin which weeps and forms honey-coloured crusts.  It is common on the face in the children.

You can try treating it yourself – remember the rule:

• If there is no change within three days of taking the remedy, stop as its not working and you need a different one.
•  If the symptoms clear up – stop taking the remedy. 
• If the symptoms get worse, stop the remedy and wait as it is likely to work over the next 2-3 days.

There are lots of remedies which can help, but here are the top 3.  If you want to try one of these, you can buy these remedies from Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy online.

I have added pictures purely as a guide - these are not the absolutes of what the skin must look like to prescribe these remedies, but do illustrate how the rash/pustules can vary.

Ant-Crud

• Pustules with thick, hard, honey coloured scabs.
• The skin and pustules feel burning
• The skin feels worse for getting warm and also sensitive to cool baths
• The itching is worse when warm, sore when scratched and at night

Arum-t

• The skin rash is scarlet, raw, itching  and bleeding and is in patches on the body
• The skin can peel from around it
• The skin feels better for warmth

Merc

• The pustules become ulcerated with yellowish-brown crusts which leak pus. Alternatively they form spots (vesicles) which weep a honey coloured liquid and can bleed
• The skin is moist, burning and itching and becomes worse from being warm in bed
• The rash starts small and as scattered red spots the size of peas, gradually enlarging in circular shapes and become continuous patches

References

NHS (2012) http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Impetigo/Pages/Introduction.aspx

My coffee addiction

So last month I confessed that I am a bit of coffee addict...

I actually hadn't really realised just how much coffee I was drinking and what effect it was having until i researched the blog. So I have taken my own advice and reduced my coffee intake down to 1 cup of instant coffee (or occasionally real delicious coffee) and then either tea, decaf coffee or water and here's what happened:

• Eat more often. I continue to try to eat 3-4 times a day - although this doesn't always happen.
• Take more exercise. I bought an exercise DVD which I intended to do every day - after all its only for 15 minutes. Hmmm, its amazing how I haven't achieved this! I really did (and do) intend to, but with my increased workload its surprisingly hard to fit in.
• Lose weight to increase your energy. That was helping, until I ate a huge Mothers Day lunch! 
• Sleep well. I am pleased to report that generally speaking my sleep has improved considerably!
• Reduce stress. I am trying to balance my work and home life - like everyone else this has times which are more balanced than others. Its a work in progress,
• Reduce or stop caffeine. I have reduced my coffee (see above)
• Drink less alcohol. I still only drink at weekends and not during the week (generally speaking).
• Drink more water. I continue to be rubbish at this! I have tried buying bottles of fizzy water (as i enjoy that a bit more) which 1 managed to drink 1 of - poor effort by me!

I must say that I feel more energetic, less irritable and stressed and I haven't missed drinking coffee. My next step is to continue trying to force myself to drink water (I just don't feel thirsty) so this becomes more of a habit, and to try to continue to increase my exercise to a couple of times a week to start with.

As Elaine's blogs say, this is about lifestyle change. I think its OK to acknowledge the baby steps we make and then pick the next one to try. In the past I have been terrible for feeling like I have failed and then giving up altogether, but I know that I need to continue trying to adjust my lifestyle and be happy when I manage to make small changes. One step at a time...

Treating Croup

This is an inflammation of the larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe) and sometimes the bronchi (the air passages between the trachea and the lungs).  It usually affects young children (6m-4yrs) but can occur in older children too.  It is more common during the autumn and winter months.

It can start with cold like symptoms, but is distinctive in its barking cough, difficulty in breathing and/or harsh grating sound when the child breathes in (known as stridor), difficulty swallowing and hoarse voice.

Most cases are mild (and viral) and will resolve themselves.  Common prescribed home care measurers are drinking plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated and some people suggest sitting your child in the bathroom with the shower or bath running and producing a steamy atmosphere (the child doesn’t need to get in the bath or shower, just be able to breathe in the damp air). There is little scientific evidence to support it – but if it helps then why not try it!

We also have 3 fantastic homeopathic remedies to choose from:

Aconite

The first remedy to give at the onset of croup.  The cough is dry, loud and barking, perhaps with loud difficult breathing  and the child is extremely restless and anxious. Give one dose and wait – if the symptoms have not subsided within an hour, then repeat the remedy again.

Spongia

If the child continues to have the barking cough, give Spongia. The cough will be barking and ringing (like a saw cutting through wood) and the breathing hard and harsh. The child wakens from sleep feeling suffocated, scared with a loud and violent cough.

Hepar Sulph

If the child continues with the cough in the morning, but it is more loose and rattling, give Hepar Sulph. A hepar cough is far worse for the slightest bit of cold air, is loose, rattling and croaking with spells of coughing which are suffocative and choking.

I have had personal experience of this with my children as infants – I gave Aconite and within a very short time the cough stopped and my daughter was far happier.  I had to repeat the remedy once more when the cough restarted, but then it stopped and never returned!

My coffee confessions - how I need to change my diet to help tiredness

OK first off I confess I am a coffee user... I know its OK to drink a few cups a day, but there are times when I am flat out at work that I rely on coffee to keep me going way too much.

If I have a hectic day at work - sitting at my computer all day - I tend to only get up to make coffee. I often miss lunch altogether and then find I have a headache, feeling shattered and irritable but without feeling hungry. Coffee can become my substitute diet.

I know its ridiculous - I work in health care so I should know better. In my head I do. But when I am under pressure, it can all go out of the window! I only really notice that I am getting too reliant on coffee when the pressure drops and I find that I wake up with a headache, have a coffee and it goes. This is the wakeup call I need to lower my coffee intake.

Here's what I am going to try (in accordance with NHS guidelines):

• Eat more often. Eat 3 or 4 healthy meals and snacks rather than 1 big meal. No more coffee lunches for me then...
• Take more exercise. Although you can feel too tired to exercise, in the long term it will give you more energy (as well as improving your health and weight). Start gradually and build up over weeks or months to get to the 2.5hrs a week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise it is recommended.  'Davinas 15 mins to fitness' DVD here I come...
• Lose weight to increase your energy. I generally eat well (other than my coffee habit) and so the fitness DVD should help. 
• Sleep well. This I am not great at.  The Royal College of Psychiatrists' advice on getting a good night’s sleep is to go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time everyday; avoid naps through the day, and have a hot bath before bed (as hot as you can bear without scalding you) for at least 20 minutes.
• Reduce stress. Sounds easy but can be tough. You cant control the stresses that life throws at you, but you can control how much time you give to relaxing. Its whatever floats your boat - reading, gardening, walking, reading. Anything that is not related to work (or your children!).
• Reduce or stop caffeine. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks (and that includes coffee and tea and cola drinks) over a three-week period. Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.
  You may find that stopping caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink.  I have started this process by drinking decaff every other coffee or having a cup of tea - I am not a cold drinks person but I will try..
• Drink less alcohol. Although alcohol makes you sleepy, you will sleep less deeply and so wake tired even if you sleep all night. Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. Even as a social, light drinker you should have 2-3 days alcohol free a week to allow you liver to rest and recover.  
• Drink more water. Sometimes you feel tired because you are mildly dehydrated.  Try a glass of water as a pick-me-up. I am not great at this one, but I will try to drink a glass of water rather than a cup of coffee and see if that helps.

Avoid:

• Energy drinks - although they give you a short boost through their high sugar and caffeine mix, its a short lived effect and may then leave you with low mood, raised blood pressure, irritability and weight gain. Not great!
• Vitamin supplements rather than eating well.  There are no shortcuts in life - invest in your health by eating well. I am making an effort to cook more from scratch - its quite relaxing, not as expensive as I had feared and means that I eat better and so do my kids.

Caffeine causes a release of adrenaline which puts your body into a state of alert - its the 'fight or flight' response and is the reason why we feel more alert. However, it also puts a stress on our bodies to be in this adrenaline state unnecessarily.  This can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion where you have to drink more and more caffeine to get the same lift.  Caffeine is an additive drug - even a low consumption can lead to a 'low' once the caffeine wears off. Consuming too much caffeine leads to poor sleep, irritability, mood swings, depression, tiredness and anxiety. 

OK, I really will reduce my coffee consumption!

How I deal with worrying

There are times in my life where I think I have been the Queen of worrying….  Worrying about finishing my University work, worrying about the future, worrying about my kids, worrying about money – and on the list goes.

I worry that I will let people down – not be good enough at my job, not be a good enough mum, not provide for my family, not be a good partner, forget something important and do something which alters my life for the worse and I can’t change it… It’s a fear of failure for me. Dont get me wrong - it took me some years (and a lot of self-reflection during my training as a homeopath) to realise this.

However I have learnt coping strategies to deal with this beast now – I prepare like there is no tomorrow. I spent hours putting together what I need, checking and rechecking it’s all there.  If it’s for a presentation I practice it so I know what order it flows in.  I am lucky that I don’t suffer badly with a fear of public speaking, so generally I can fly by the seat of my pants if I need to.

However I do have high standards for myself – it’s not being the best out of everyone, its being the best I can be. This sometimes can be my undoing as I then worry that I haven’t done enough – this keeps me awake at night, makes me feel stressed and anxious and back round we go… The vicious cycle sets in and it just feels worse and worse.

The thing I have come to realise is that although it seems overwhelming and unmanageable at the time, it tends to be a short lived (i.e. weeks not years) thing.  I have learnt to try to keep perspective and although I can still wind myself up about it, I have got better about it.

I feel very fortunate to have a few very close friends who I can talk openly to – they listen, make me coffee, give me tissues and a hug.  I feel better for being able to bring my worries into the light – they get smaller and more manageable. It allows me to see ways that I can get some control back, take responsibility over the bits I can change and put into perspective the bits I have no control over.

I actually have on my wall above my desk the first few lines of the serenity prayer – I say it to myself when I find myself getting back into the anxiety/fear of failure cycle… It’s on the bottom of the newsletter and I thoroughly recommend using it!

I know that there are times I just have to be brave - to face what I am worried and scared of (like my previous fear of the dentist) and times to just stay in the moment and wait it out....

Ways to manage some specific fears

The thing about fear and worrying about the fear, is that it depends on how much it affects you. Everyone gets scared and worries, but how far in advance does it cause problems? Does it interfere with your usual functioning? Does it prevent you from doing things? Does it affect your health?

There are some great treatments for specific common fears...

Fear of the dentist

• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy to help your anxiety
• Speak to us for more advice on remedies you can take to deal with dental treatment – like pain following treatment, bruising, healing etc
• Have a look at NHS advice for dental fears

I personally have suffered with fear of the dentist - mine was founded on painful treatment as a teenager which then stopped me going to the dentist for around 10 years. Of course, this then meant that I needed more treatment which made me even more anxious. I was able to reduce my worrying by finding a sympathetic dentist, taking my i-pod (and playing it loudly so I couldnt hear any noise and it distracted me) and from using homepathy.  I dont like going to the dentist, but it no longer creates any symptoms in me.

Fear of flying

• Ask your GP for a referral for CBT to help address your anxiety
• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy to help
• If your anxiety prevents your flying at all, various airlines offer Fear of Flyong courses. These might be worth looking into if it prevents you from taking a fantastic holiday or prevents your career expanding

Again, I'm not a confident flyer but with the use of a good remedy I can fly without any real problems.

Speaking in public
This is a very common social fear and again uses some of the same tactics as above...

• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy
• If your job means you have to speak publicly a lot and it really disrupts your life, try asking for some CBT from your GP
• There are lots of articles online which offer sensible advice - try this one from Psychology Today

Have a look at our personal blogs to see how we both manage this one!

General tips

• Check your diet to see if you can change something to help - some great advice is available on the NHS website here
• Look up Mindfulness on Google - its a technique to help you stay in the moment rather than getting caught up in the 'what if' scenarios

Symptoms of anxiety

People often experience physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms when they feel anxious or stressed.

Some of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety are:

·         Increased heart rate
·         Increased muscle tension
·         “Jelly legs”
·         Tingling in the hands and feet
·         Hyperventilation (over breathing)
·         Dizziness
·         Difficulty in breathing
·         Wanting to use the toilet more often
·         Feeling sick
·         Tight band across the chest area
·         Tension headaches
·         Hot flushes
·         Increased perspiration
·         Dry mouth
·         Shaking
·         Choking sensations
·         Palpitations

Some of the most common psychological symptoms (the thoughts or altered perceptions we have) of anxiety are:

·         Thinking that you may lose control and/or go “mad”
·         Thinking that you might die
·         Thinking that you may have a heart attack/be sick/faint/have a brain tumour
·         Feeling that people are looking at you and observing your anxiety
·         Feeling as though things are speeding up/slowing down
·         Feeling detached from your environment and the people in it
·         Feeling like wanting to run away/escape from the situation
·         Feeling on edge and alert to everything around you

Next time you feel anxious, reflect on which symptoms you have - this will help you choose the appropriate Homoepathic remedy to help you.