The Counselling Clinic Therapies

🩺Men's Health Week 2024!
Let's spotlight the importance of mental and physical well-being. Take action, spread awareness, and encourage the men in your life to prioritize their health.

Don't do it.

Wait, what?

You heard right: a birthday party is not the time or place for healthy swaps or options.

My son's birthday party is later. I am making cupcakes. They are not high fibre or low sugar. No added omega-3 or protein sources. Not a veggie in sight.

Yes, I'm a doctor who practices preventative medicine-- and I'm preparing to cover these cupcakes in sugar paste stars and sprinkles when they cool.

Why? Because it's for a birthday party - not his lunchbox. It's not his daily after school snack. It's not his breakfast before going to GAA training. In this house, we identify the difference between our everyday food "that helps us get big and strong and gives us energy" -- and treats. Healthy eating habits do not include guilt or restriction.

Note: Healthy eating habits also do not include overindulgence or indigestion, or " listen to your tummy. If it's full, stop so you don't get a tummy ache."

CityWide: Neurodiversity + Drug Use Survey
https://www.citywide.ie/.../neurodiversity-drug-use-survey/

The aim of this study is to provide the first estimates of the prevalence of neurodiversity among people who are using or who have used drugs or alcohol and to identify challenges and support needs. The results of this survey will help to inform the development of a set of policy recommendations for the new NDS and service response.

You can complete the survey here: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/8P2PHZG

Can you help? Postgraduate student Robyn Jones Trinity College Dublin is researching orthorexia nervosa. https://www.bodywhys.ie/research-request/exploring-predictors-of-orthorexia-in-exercisers-perfectionism-body-image-social-media-and-vulnerability-to-disease/

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‘No other family should have to go through what we went through,’ says mum of anorexia patient Amy Hanley’s youngest daughter began to develop issues around food when she was just 13 years old. Anna (not her real name) had a difficult transition from primary to secondary school and the Covid pandemic had just begun, compounding her anxieties.

When you ask Kielan Kenny how old he is, he replies 15. He has lost three years of his life.

Time has stood still for Kielan since 2021 when he had an intense psychotic episode at the age of 15.

Kielan has a rare genetic condition, 22q. He is also autistic and has cognitive issues.

People with 22q have a 25% chance of developing schizophrenia, much higher than the 1% chance among the general population. The only other situation where a person is so predisposed to develop schizophrenia is if both their parents have experienced psychosis.

Kielan had to drop out of school and his mother cares for him full time.

Karin Kenny believes her son would be in a very different position now if he had received early intervention when he first displayed signs of psychosis at age 12.

Because he needs help across a variety of medical disciplines, he has largely fallen through the cracks. Delayed treatment for psychosis can impact people’s quality of life for decades, and nobody under 18 has access to an early intervention psychosis team in Ireland.

Read Kielan’s full story: http://jrnl.ie/6286403f

February 26th to March 3rd is Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

Look at the image below for events scheduled to take place. Visit www.bodywhys.ie for more information and to register for these events.

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This is Nurse Ann Delaney. Around 47 years ago Ann's mother proudly held baby Ann in her arms delighted at the birth of her new baby daughter. Little did she know what life had in store for her beautiful little girl...
Ann grew up and did herself and her family proud. She became a nurse. A person who spent her working life caring for others in need.
None of us know what troubles lay ahead for Ann in her short life. We do however know that heartbreakingly Ann became homeless. She wasn't a "rough sleeper" as our shameless government and government paid media like to describe our homeless as if it were by choice that they sleep in dire conditions on our cold and dangerous streets.
Ann was one of the over 13,000 homeless people in Ireland including 4000 innocent little children who are treated horrendously in Ireland, let down and ignored by our government.
It is beyond appalling that our people are dying on our streets in Ireland in 2024!
Sadly Ann joined that group who went to heaven on a cold damp street on her own having faced the toughest of times on this earth.
What we should all be aware of is that those very same troubles that Ann had to deal with could easily come knocking on any of our doors at any time.

Dearest Ann, Thank you for your service to those in need in our country. We are so sorry that you and so many others were let down so badly by the Irish government.
We hope you have a full belly and are warm, safe and happy now in your forever home in heaven.

Our removed from reality politicians boast of a wealthy country with a booming economy. It's sickening. As long as any of our people are homeless or left to die on the streets then they should hang their heads in shame!

Our condolences to Ann's loved ones.
May her gentle soul rest in eternal peace.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílís. 💔

Helping someone with depression can be a challenge. If someone you know has depression, you may feel helpless and wonder what to do. Although there is no "right way" to act, there are a few things you can do to make looking after someone who is struggling a little bit easier. 💙

Looking for extra support? SOS runs 2 different Supporters Programme. One for people supporting others on a work or volunteer basis, and the other for those supporting someone on a personal level.

This programme teaches supporters practical skills they can use to support others. It gives information on what supports are available and how they can be accessed as well as teaching practical ways of looking after their own mental health.

To find out more about the Supporters Programme, visit https://suicideorsurvive.ie/programmes/supporters-programme/ or click the link. inour bio.

Congratulations to 30 years!!! 🥳👏🏻🎉

RCDT, 30 Years of Service:
An Evening of Reminiscence and Re-imagining

Rialto Community Drug Team staff and management would very much like to thank everyone who joined us for the 30th celebration and launch of our strategic plan last Thursday! The evening lived up to our hopes of a night of remembering, sharing about the current work and looking towards the future.
Thanks to all who helped in the planning, set-up and participation especially Aodhan O’Riardain TD for the official launch, all those who shared their stories, the heartfelt poetry and the wonderful Recovery Choir!
A copy of our Strategic Plan and brief history are available on line on our web-site or hard copy by getting in touch with us on 014540021

Tomorrow!!! Xx

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My face when someone tells me that I must love Operation Transformation.*

Just in case anyone has missed my assorted Blog and social posts over last 2 years: No, not a fan.

Tomorrow, I'll be hosting a lunchtime mini webinar mythbusting weight management treatments, helping you sort fact from fiction, actual evidence from online influencing.

No weight stigma. And definitely no lycra

(*btw - this just happened. A nurse I barely know from another service walked by and gushed about how good the show was to me. )

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HSE 'regrets' being unable to reopen children's psychiatric ward after 17 months of closure The HSE said that it has not been able to recruit the necessary nursing staff to reopen the 11-bed ward.

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Do you suffer with chronic stress but not sure how to manage it? 🫤

😱 Did you know that stress can have a serious impact on your physical and mental health? From heart disease to anxiety and depression, chronic stress can cause a range of health problems. 😢

😍 But don't worry, we've got you covered! Our latest blog post dives deep into the link between stress and physical health, and provides you with some tips on how to manage stress effectively. 💪

https://here4youtherapy.com/blogs/f/stress-and-physical-health-understanding-the-impact-on-your-body

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Weight is not beauty.

If you follow me, you know that this is a hill I will die on.

So, it might sound ironic, but I'm delighted that I've been invited to a beauty show to do some in-person mythbusting. I'll be talking about the disease of obesity and safe, evidence-based decision making in the prevention and treatment of obesity at the end of this year's at the RDS this weekend.

If you are going, I'll be on the Main Stage at 4.15pm on Sunday.

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What not to say to someone with an eating disorder Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be a bit of a minefield. What do you say? What do you not say?

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Did you know? Your doctor is required to continually be upskilling and updating or "professionally developing". Sadly, it's not all conferences in exotic places like Limerick and Galway.

This morning, I finished the live lectures for a recent online course upskilling in Trauma Informed Care, which is an important part of my practice. If you've never heard of the concept, it's worth knowing more about. It's based on 5 principles, including safety, transparency, collaboration (patient-led care plans and joint-decision making), and patient empowerment.

In the afternoon, I did some online modules to re-certify in SCOPE for 2023. (Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education), which included updates on the evidence for current obesity treatment options as well as updates on current recommendations for NAFLD (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease). The name does always strike me as a bit rude, but that is what it's called. And it's too common: It's the leading cause of cirrhosis in Ireland and associated with metabolic conditions, including Type 2 diabetes. Many of SCOPE's resources are available, and anyone who has an interest in learning more about the disease of obesity can check out their podcast series

And then, to finish the day, for my public role, I just had to update research integrity training since I am an academic and researcher.

However, would it surprise anyone that when I logged into the HSE portal, a large red pop-up advised me that the site was experiencing problems? 🙄

It's been a busy week so you missed the Blog, I talked about medication costs, probiotics, and well, I was a bit triggered by some things on Week 4 OT. Link to Blog in Bio or check out the this weeks's posts on the page for links.

Daily, painful, or public weigh-ins are not needed to measure your progress if you are getting healthy, and certainly not a measure of your beauty.

All this week, I have been talking alot about -- including why is so problematic, posted the open letter I sent to Future Beauty , fed back to Life Health on their My Life app, and talked about ** on LMFM

If you missed any of it - including last week's posts on why I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions - check out the Blog (link in comments)

**Did you know? Second Friday in January is called Quitter's Day as that is a day many people give up on their New Year's Resolutions. No, I don't like the term, either.

This week Dr Clare featured on the Curiosity & Consciousness podcast.

Dr. Clare is a leading authority on Herbal Medicine in Europe. Her background in Family Medicine combined with her Clinical and Academic Credentials in Herbal Medicine mean that you are assured of the highest level of medical care. She has been in full time Integrated Medical Care since 1999.

This is a wonderful conversation with Dr. Dilis, who is a leading expert on herbal medicine. In this episode, she talks about:

🌱Her frustration as a GP
🌱Feeling under pressure to prescribe drugs
🌱A path of grace
🌱The surprise that her patients got better
🌱Personalised medicine
🌱Everyday useful herbs, and much more

Listen to the full episode now, available on all platforms.
https://www.karenmaloney.com/dr-dilis-clare//

Opening the front door: Overcoming agoraphobia and severe anxiety Agoraphobia is a form of anxiety that can grow so severe that you can’t leave your home. At its worst, my agoraphobia didn’t let me leave my bedroom