Are you surviving, or thriving? Building your resilience.
2020…do we need to say more? COVID-19 has flipped our world up-side-down and changed a world that was safe, secure and known, even with all its life challenges, overnight to one of unfamiliarity, chaos and an enormous amount of discomfort and additional stressors. The pandemic, and the significant impact it has had and continues to have, on all aspects of our lives, contributes to many feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. We have all had to adapt, at rapid speed, the past couple of months whilst facing adversity – working from home, physical distancing, tolerating financial hardships and embracing technology, or [...]
CBD oil – be careful of this ‘wonder-drug’
Every time I read a Facebook post or a WhatsApp on a support group, where a mother asks where she can find CBD oil for her child with ADHD (or as a colleague of mine remarked “for everything from asthma to hemorrhoids”), I cringe. Not only do we see the devastating effects on individuals’ mental health in clinical practice which ranges from amotivational syndrome (similar to depression), mood disorders, cognitive difficulties (which can mimic ADHD), and even psychosis, but we, as psychiatrists, are also fully aware that there is no evidence for the benefits of using cannabis in any form. [...]
The many faces of bullying
25 November, the International day which marks the onset of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. This worldwide campaign aims to raise awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children and to rid society of abuse permanently. However, the success of the campaign is dependent on our daily individual and collective actions to safeguard our society against the cycle of abuse. What is abuse? Abuse is any form of behaviour that can instill fear in a victim, cause emotional, physical or financial damage to a person, or [...]
The epic formula for creativity
Often the seed of a blog is planted months earlier, and then has to mature until it is ready to sprout. But sometimes, we keep the soil very hard and dry, preventing the seed from pushing the fresh shoot above the soil – we are not granting the story permission to be told. The same goes for creativity… Elizabeth Gilbert, in her book “Big Magic: creative living beyond fear” defines creativity as “the relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration”. She discuss how we need to find the courage to allow ourselves to be creative, to [...]
Is ADHD a fairytale?
What a blessed couple of weeks! Although having loads of the usual pressures, our dream to launch Goldilocks and The Bear Foundation became a reality (see our splash page http://www.gb4adhd.co.za/, or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/gb4adhd/ . This led to extensive media coverage and also radio interviews! During these interviews I became once again aware of the amount of stigma, misconceptions, and myths surrounding the diagnosis of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the treatment thereof – the cause being either a lack of information and knowledge, or misinformation. So let me address some of these myths: Myth 1: ADHD is a new [...]
Finding the blue bird of happiness
Early during 2016 I read the book “The happiness project” (Rubin, 2009) in which the author went in active pursuit of happiness. In this book she chronicles her adventures over the course of a year in which she “tested” the wisdom of ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about being happier. According to current research, in the determination of a person’s level of happiness, genetics account for about 50%; life circumstances (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, income, health, occupation and religion) account for 10% to 20%; and the remainder is a product of how a [...]
