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22/10/2025

EFFECT OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH

Side effects of different antidepressants have been ranked for the first time, revealing huge differences between drugs.
Academics looked at the impact medications had on patients in the first eight weeks after starting treatment, with some causing patients to gain up to 2kg in weight or vary heart rate by as much as 21 beats every minute.
Around eight million people in the UK take antidepressants.
Researchers warned the gulf in side effects could affect people's health and whether they could stick to their prescription.
They said nobody reading this should stop their treatment, but have called for antidepressants to be closely matched to the needs of each person.
"There are big differences between [antidepressants] and this is important not just for individual patients, but large numbers of people are taking them, so even modest changes could have a big effect across the whole population," said researcher Prof Oliver Howes.
We've always known antidepressants affect physical health. The study by King's College London and the University of Oxford is the first to produce a ranking so the effects of medicines can be easily compared.
The team analysed 151 studies of 30 drugs commonly used in depression, involving more than 58,500 patients.
Not everybody develops side effects but, on average, the results published in the Lancet medical journal showed:
An eight-week prescription of agomelatine was linked to a 2.4kg drop in weight compared with maprotiline, which led to nearly 2kg of weight gain
A difference of 21 beats per minute between fluvoxamine, which slowed the heart, and nortriptyline, which sped it up
An 11 mmHg difference in blood pressure between nortriptyline and doxepin
"Clearly no two antidepressants are built the same," said Dr Atheeshaan Arumuham, from King's College London.
Those differences can stack up in ways that become clinically important, including an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
It means even people with the same diagnosis could be better suited to different antidepressants depending on their own preferences and other health conditions.
Dr Toby Pillinger told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The majority of the studies we looked at were relatively short. We're looking at eight weeks' duration and still within that duration we were seeing large changes in physical health parameters which we would argue have clinical relevance.
"The last thing I want is for this story to be scaring people," he added.
"I want to see this as empowering individuals to take the initiative and to engage in shared decision-making with their practitioner."
Which antidepressant is best for me?
In a hypothetical scenario, Sarah, 32, John, 44, and Jane, 56, have all received the same depression diagnosis and have been recommended antidepressants.
But they each want to avoid different side effects.
For Sarah, the priority is avoiding weight gain, while John already has high blood pressure and Jane has raised cholesterol.
Dr Pillinger, who worked through the examples for the BBC, says each would be recommended a different medicine.
Card for a woman called Sarah, 32, Diagnosis: Depression. Concerns: Weight gain. Avoid: amitriptyline or mirtazapine. Consider: agomelatine, sertraline and venlafaxine+
Dr Toby Pillinger says: Sarah should have an antidepressant that avoids weight gain, such as agomelatine, sertraline or venlafaxine rather than amitriptyline or mirtazapine which are more likely to increase weight.
Card showing John should avoid drugs like venlafaxine, amitriptyline or nortriptyline that raise blood pressure, and would be better suited to citalopram, escitalopram and paroxetine.
Dr Toby Pillinger says: John should avoid drugs such as venlafaxine, amitriptyline or nortriptyline which raise blood pressure, and would be better suited to citalopram, escitalopram and paroxetine.
Jane's card says she has depression and concerns about raised cholesterol. She should avoid venlafaxine, duloxetine and paroxetine. Citalopram or escitalopram are more neutral on cholesterol and could suit her better.
Dr Toby Pillinger says: For Jane, some antidepressants are linked to higher cholesterol, including venlafaxine, duloxetine and paroxetine, so she might steer clear of those. Citalopram or escitalopram are more neutral on cholesterol and could suit her better.
Push for 'generic, cheap medications'
It is too simplistic to say there are good and bad antidepressants, the researchers say. Even though amitriptyline increases weight, heart rate and blood pressure it also helps with pain and struggling to sleep.
Overall, the most prescribed class of antidepressants - SSRIs such as paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram and sertraline - tended to have fewer physical side effects.
Fluoxetine - an SSRI that is also called Prozac - was linked to a drop in weight and higher blood pressure, in the study.
Prof Andrea Cipriani from the University of Oxford said it was "impossible" to say how many of the millions of people being prescribed antidepressants should be on a different drug.
However, he said there had been a push for "generic, cheap medications" that meant 85% of antidepressant prescriptions in the UK were for just three drugs: the SSRIs citalopram, sertraline and fluoxetine.
He said implementing the findings of this report would see "the 85% reduce dramatically" with "more people accessing better treatments".
The researchers are developing a free online tool to help doctors and patients choose the right drug.
However, that would still require a significant change in culture within the NHS.
The study also only analysed what happened eight weeks after starting treatment. Dr Pillinger said "complimentary data" meant they expected the short-term changes "will persist" but this still needs to be properly tested.
Dr Prasad Nishtala, from the University of Bath which was not involved in the study, said the findings were "novel and valuable".
He said: "In a real-world setting, where patients often receive antidepressants for months or years, the cumulative risks are likely to be higher, particularly among those with chronic depression."

Credit: BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d65nqgd5zo)

17/10/2025

DESPITE WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH:

You can still beat this; keep hope alive. Remember, Su***de isn't the answer.

Our shoulders are here for your tears.

13/10/2025

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDERS (OCD)

OCD stands for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder — a common mental health condition where a person experiences unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and feels driven to perform repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts.

Is broken down for your understanding:

1. Obsessions: These are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter your mind.
Examples:
Fear of contamination or germs
Worrying that something bad will happen if things aren’t done “just right”
Disturbing or taboo thoughts
Need for order or symmetry

2. Compulsions:These are repetitive actions or mental rituals done to ease the anxiety caused by obsessions.
Examples:
Excessive cleaning or handwashing
Checking doors, appliances, or locks many times
Counting, repeating words, or praying repeatedly
Arranging things in a specific order

CAUSES & TRIGGERS FOR OCD

OCD can result from a mix of factors, such as:
Genetic predisposition (family history of OCD or anxiety)
Chemical imbalances in the brain (especially serotonin)
Stressful or traumatic life events
Personality traits (like being very detail-oriented or perfectionistic)

TREATMENTS FOR OCD

OCD is treatable — with the right help, most people can manage symptoms effectively. Some options for managing OCD are:

1.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — especially Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

2.Medication — such as SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline)

3.Support groups or counselling
Lifestyle support — stress reduction, mindfulness, and routine building.

If you wish to talk about this, hit your messenger, and talk free today with us.

10/10/2025

🧠 World Mental Health Day 🌍
Let’s not only care — let’s understand.

📊 By the numbers:
• 1 in 4 adults in England experience a mental health issue each year. 
• 1 in 5 people report a common mental health problem (like anxiety or depression) in any given week. 
• Among young people aged 16–24, 25.8% now live with a common mental health condition (up from ~18.9% in 2014). 
• Severity is rising: in England, 11.6% of adults report severe mental health symptoms — higher than the 9.3% in 2014. 
• In June 2025 alone, 2.16 million people were in contact with mental health services in England. 
• Worryingly, 16,522 people were still waiting 18+ months for mental health treatment — 8× more than those waiting that long for physical health treatments. 
• And this matters in work life too: mental health issues account for 28% of sickness absence days in the UK. 

⸻

✨ Let these numbers remind us:
• Behind every stat is a person — a story, a struggle, a life.
• Progress in awareness must be matched by action — access, support, compassion.
• You are part of the change simply by speaking, listening, sharing.

You are not alone. 📣 Let’s break the silence. Let’s .

10/10/2025

10/10/2025

YOGA, an exercise to manage your mental health.

10/10/2025

WORD MENTAL HEALTH DAY, 2025

Today being October 10th, is world Mental Health Day. Globally, the United Nations put this year theme tagged it: "Access to Service: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies”, while placing the need to manage mental health in Humanitarian Emergencies.

WHAT IS HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES?

Humanitarian emergencies are crises that seriously threaten the health, safety, and well-being of large populations. They may result from:

Armed conflicts or wars (e.g., Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza); Natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts); Public health crises (pandemics, disease outbreaks); Forced displacement (refugees, internally displaced persons), etc.

In such situations, people lose homes, loved ones, livelihoods, and stability — conditions that deeply affect mental health.

MENTAL HEALTH AND HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES

Humanitarian crises often lead to:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD);
Depression and anxiety disorders;
Grief, loss, and survivor’s guilt;
Substance abuse and suicidal thoughts;
Breakdown of family and social support systems;

According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “1 in 5 people living in an area affected by conflict is estimated to have a mental health condition.”

WHY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT DURING EMERGENCIES?

During emergencies, physical needs (like food and shelter) are prioritized — but mental health is often neglected, even though:
It affects recovery and resilience;
Unaddressed trauma can hinder community rebuilding;
Mental well-being determines people’s ability to make decisions, care for children, and engage in rebuilding efforts.

RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS

To respond effectively, humanitarian actions must include Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) strategies:

1. Community-based support systems — training local volunteers to provide psychological first aid.
2. Integration of mental health into emergency health care — including counseling and medication where possible.
3. Safe spaces — for children, women, and vulnerable groups.
4. Public education campaigns — to reduce stigma and promote healing.
5. Partnerships with NGOs like WHO, Red Cross, and UNICEF to coordinate care.

CALL TO ACTION:

The World Mental Health Day 2025 as declared urges governments, aid agencies, and individuals to:

Recognize mental health as life-saving aid, not a luxury.

Train first responders to handle psychological distress.

Invest in community resilience and long-term trauma recovery.

Support displaced and marginalized populations compassionately.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?

Whether you’re an individual, religious group, NGO worker, or student:

Talk about it — share stories and resources on social media.
Organize awareness events (seminars, webinars, prayer walks, etc.).
Volunteer or donate to groups supporting refugees and disaster survivors.
Encourage mental health literacy in your community.

10/10/2025

Slowly: breath in and out; this will help manage stress and anxiety. Your mental health is our wellbeing.

08/10/2025

MENTAL IMBALANCES

Mental imbalances generally refer to disturbances or irregularities in a person’s emotional, psychological, or cognitive state; in which thoughts, moods, or behaviors differ significantly from what’s typical or healthy.

COMMON TYPES OF MENTAL IMBALANCES

Common Types of Mental Imbalances are:

1. Mood Disorders :Examples of mood disorders are Depression, Bipolar disorder. Signs associated are extreme sadness, loss of interest, or mood swings.

2. Anxiety Disorders: Examples are Generalized anxiety, Panic disorder, Phobias. Signs associated are excessive worry, restlessness, heart palpitations.

3. Psychotic Disorders: Example of this, is Schizophrenia.
Signs associated hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking.

4. Personality Disorders of which are; Borderline, Narcissistic, Antisocial personality disorders.
Signs associated with these are rigid and unhealthy patterns of thinking and behaving.

5. Cognitive Disorders: Examples of this are Dementia, Delirium. Signs associated with these disorders are memory loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating.

6. Behavioral or Impulse-Control Disorders: Examples are ADHD, Conduct disorder, Addiction.
Signs are impulsivity, inability to control behavior, compulsive habits.

WAYS OUT OF MENTAL IMBALANCE

Seek professional help: therapist, counselor, psychiatrist;
Practice mindfulness: meditation, prayer, journaling;
Exercise regularly;
Maintain social connections;
Eat nutritious food & rest well;
Avoid alcohol/drugs;
Engage in meaningful activities.

Remember, if you need to talk to someone, hit the messenger and discuss free with one of our professional.

06/10/2025

THERAPIES TO MANAGE STRESS

Therapies to manage stress include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which help you identify and change negative thought patterns, become more present-focused, and accept difficult emotions. Other approaches include Exposure Therapy to confront fears, Solution-Focused Therapy to solve problems, and Psychodynamic Therapy to explore past experiences, according to ChoosingTherapy.com. Techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises are also integrated into therapy to promote relaxation and reduce stress symptoms.

These Therapies are Discussed Below:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This structured talk therapy helps you recognize and reframe negative thought patterns that contribute to stress. It also equips you with practical skills like problem-solving to handle stressors.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): This approach focuses on increasing present-moment awareness, helping you observe emotions without judgment to lower stress.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): Combining CBT with mindfulness strategies, MBCT aims to enhance overall well-being.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): In ACT, therapists encourage emotional acceptance and mindfulness to help you cope with difficult emotions.

Exposure Therapy: This therapy involves confronting fears and stressors directly to build tolerance and reduce anxiety.

Psychodynamic Therapy: This therapy explores how past experiences and deep-seated issues might be affecting your well-being and stress levels.

Solution-Focused Therapy: This therapy helps you identify your problems and take concrete steps to find solutions.

Techniques and Practices are:

Mindfulness and Meditation: Cultivating awareness of the present moment and observing your thoughts without judgment can significantly reduce stress.

Relaxation Exercises: Practicing deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your body and mind.

Yoga and Exercise: Engaging in physical activity, such as yoga or regular exercise, releases endorphins that can improve mood and reduce stress.

Support Groups: Connecting with others in a support group can provide a sense of community and shared understanding.

Credit : Google IA Review

23/09/2025

WORKPLACE ABUSE

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health defines psychosocial hazards as factors in the work environment that can cause stress, strain, or interpersonal problems for the worker.
Bullying are unwanted harmful actions that humiliate, offend, harm, undermine or degrade, and can cause lasting physical and psychological damage.

WORK PLACE ABUSE PATTERN

There’s a pattern to abuse at work. Here’s how it works:

Workplace abuse typically begins when an insecure employee (the abuser) is threatened by the competence or demeanor of another employee. The abuser targets the unsuspecting employee to minimize and eliminate the perceived threat the employee poses to them. They try to convince the employee and others the target is incompetent and use persistent psychological abuse to control the narrative. Common tactics include false accusations, withholding vital information, exclusion, and sabotage.

In toxic work environments, when targeted employees report the psychological abuse to the proper workplace authorities, those authorities disregard complaints and mislead the targeted employee to believe there is a legitimate complaint process to remedy the problem. The institution becomes complicit in the abuse to avoid liability. Employers are not liable for psychological harm. Nor do they want to be.

The employer never alters the employee’s work environment. The emboldened abuser continues to mistreat the target without consequence or deterrent, while the employer unnecessarily prolongs the hollow complaint process.

After waiting for resolve, the targeted employee succumbs to the silent-killer stress of their work environment and voluntarily leaves due to health harm, is fired due to health harm, or dies. There is significant physical, mental, and emotional injury and long-term economic harm. Game over. The bully wins. Their perceived competition is gone. The employer wins. Their perceived threat of liability is gone.

The targeted employee had done nothing other than report inappropriate behavior. When they realize the second level of mistreatment, the institutional complicity of tampering with their life and their livelihood, trauma occurs. Then the employee further realizes there is no legal recourse for any of it. There is nothing they can do about it. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, suicidal ideation, and su***de are highly affiliated with these forms of workplace abuse.

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

1. ASYMMETRY OF POWER: Abusers at work take advantage of the power they have over another employee. Abusers are typically managers (though can be co-workers) and use their power as a weapon to isolate and belittle. Research shows ZERO evidence to support employees brought on the abuse through weakness. In fact, evidence shows targeted and victimized employees are often high performing, highly ethical employees whose competence poses a threat to their low performing, low ethical bosses.

2. IMPLICIT BIAS: Treating people as different or “the other” is a tool abusers often use to reinforce negative stereotypes and retain their power. According to a 2017 study in Rights on Trial, targets of workplace abuse are often women, Black workers, Hispanic workers, workers over 40, workers in the LGBTQ community, and workers with disabilities. When discrimination law moved from a focus on impact to intent in the 1980s and 1990s, the law became much less effective in dismantling the social hierarchies at work that have kept white men in the vast majority of power positions in the U.S. workforce. We need more protections for all workers, especially those who suffer from legal discrimination (the kind they can’t prove).

TYPES OF ABUSE

Abuse disrupts connection. When abusers deceive others into thinking the targeted employee is the problem, they use the emotional abuse they caused to convince others that the targeted employee is mentally ill, setting the stage for mobbing.

Repeated or single events also typically seen in domestic abuse:

A) Verbal abuse

Discounting and minimizing Name-calling, put-downs, yelling, or intimidating gestures

Silent treatment, ignoring, or walking away from you

Excessively harsh criticism or reprimands

Unwillingness to engage in a dialogue

Rumors, gossip, behind-the-back defamation, or false accusations

Offensive language, jokes, or sarcasm

Comments about your protected status (age, gender, religion, race, color, beliefs, for example)

Threats

Blaming or guilt

Placating

Making a joke out of your feelings

Jumping to conclusions about what you think

Changing the subject, not allowing you to speak, deflecting, or blaming you when you confront them

B)Sabotage

Exclusion from:

Meetings, social events, and conversations you should be involved with

Timely access to resources and information you need to do your job

Support, empathy, and attention (when others receive it)

Assignment of work (followed by reprimands for not completing work)

C) Unfairness (can include gaslighting or crazy-making) designed to make you believe you’re the problem. The abuser twists, lies about, or selectively omits information to favor them to make you doubt your own memory, perception, and sanity.

Inaccurate, negative performance reviews — a paper trail to justify the abuse as a business decision

A demotion or other discipline, including threatening job loss, without cause

Micromanaging

Inconsistently complying with rules

Discounting and denying accomplishments or taking credit for your work

Blocking requests for training, leave, or promotion

Increasing responsibilities without giving you authority to complete the responsibilities

Removing responsibilities with no explanation

Unreasonably heavy workloads, even non-related work

Underwork resulting in you feeling useless

Unrealistic deadlines

Favoritism involving you having a separate set of rules or benefits or frequently changing rules

Vague unsatisfactory work performance reviews or accusations without factual backup

Pestering, spying, stalking, or tampering with personal belongings and equipment

D) Lack of clarity or vague directions and responses to take away your power, leaving you confused. It’s deception that can set you up for failure regarding:

Work expectations (changing them without notice, explanation, or buy-in)

Deadlines (with reprimands for missing deadlines not communicated)

Reprimands without providing ways to improve

E) Mobbing

In toxic work environments, bullying escalates to mobbing when you report abusive behavior to the proper workplace authorities only to discover higher-ups prioritize avoiding liability over your well-being:

The employer’s representative employees typically mislead you to believe the employer has a legitimate complaint process in place to remedy the problem but then ignore your valid complaint by using a bogus complaint process to avoid employer liability.

The employer/its representative employees also don’t remove the stressor (the bully) or change your work environment. The bully continues to harass and abuse you without consequence or deterrent. The representative employees string you along by prolonging the complaint process.

You voluntarily leave, die, or are fired after succumbing to the silent killer stress and its subsequent physical and mental injury. Game over. The employer wins. The threat of liability is gone.

Further trauma occurs when you realize the institutional complicity of tampering with your overall well-being, forcing you off the payroll to avoid liability and the absence of any viable legal recourse to address any of it.

EFFECT OF WORK PLACE ABUSE

Workplace abuse damages employees, their families, organizations, and society.

Damage to employees: All health harm and injuries from workplace bullying and mobbing are attributable to prolonged exposure to a stressful work environment.

PHYSICAL HARM:

Stress symptoms can include:

Cardiovascular: Racing heart rate, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Brain injury

Muscular: Aches and pains

Immune: Reduced immunity, allergy and skin issues

Digestive: Nausea, eating too much or too little

Other: Chronic fatigue, headaches, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, lack of coordination, sweating, dizziness, rapid breathing

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HARM

Workplace abuse is betrayal trauma. Mental and emotional harm can include:

Anxiety and depression

Inability to focus, make decisions, and problem solve

Mental slowness and memory problems

Hypervigilance

Avoidance of feelings or places

Shame, guilt, or embarrassment

Loss of identity

Loss of confidence

Loss of morale

Inability to rebound

Feeling of injustice

Feeling of worthlessness

Feeling betrayed, isolated, and abandoned

Denial, shock, numbness, moodiness, irritability, fear, anger, grief, sadness, rumination, and self-blame

Flashbacks and nightmares

Excessive crying

Symptoms consistent with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Destructive impact on family and personal relationships when loved ones tire of the rumination

Self-destructive habits: substance abuse and workaholism

Suicidal thoughts when one abandons hope over time and doesn’t see options (a natural stress response)

The mental and emotional harm is not widely understood by:

Mental health professionals. Many point to other root causes.

Those who haven’t experienced it. Victim-blaming comforts those who don’t want to believe it could happen to them.