Phobias

Frightened Girl

Do you suffer from a phobia, or know someone who does? We’ve all heard of phobias but how much do we really know about them? The word ‘phobia’ comes from the Greek word for ‘fear’.  We all have things that we fear but for this to be classed as a phobia it needs to be … Read more

The Power of Love!

Pastel Heart

February is finally here after the long dark month of January, and the days are getting a little bit longer, which is nice to see. The shops are full of hearts, chocolates and teddy bears, which has led me to reflect on the importance of relationships. When I say relationships, I don’t just mean the … Read more

New Year … New You?!

2018

Welcome to the January edition of Forrest Rambles.  I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that my tips in last month’s ramble helped to keep ‘festive stress’ to a minimum. I’m back to work feeling refreshed and ready for the challenges and exciting times which lay ahead – both personally and for Forrest … Read more

CBT Assessment

Therapy room

Asking for help can be very difficult, so I thought it would be helpful for this month’s Ramble to look at what happens once you’ve put your fears aside and made that first step forwards by booking your assessment appointment. Firstly, don’t be put off by the word ‘assessment’. Really, it is just a chance … Read more

Social Anxiety

Left out

After a little voting poll on Twitter it was decided that this months Forrest Ramble would look at Social Anxiety Disorder – so here it is, I hope you enjoy it and find it informative. Can you remember a time when you felt really anxious and embarrassed in a social situation?  Can you remember how … Read more

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Mr. Worry

“Poor Mr. Worry.  Whatever happened, he worried about it.  If it rained, he worried that his roof was going to leak.  If it didn’t rain, he worried that all the plants in his garden were going to die.  If he set off shopping, he worried that the shops will be shut when he got there.  … Read more

Panic!

Panic Cartoon

This month I’m exploring the problem known medically as ‘Panic Disorder’ where sufferers experience panic attacks seemingly out of the blue and live in constant dread of when the next attack with strike. Let’s start by clearing up what a panic attack actually is – you may remember me saying in the June Ramble on … Read more

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Face close up

Given the various tragic events we have experienced in the UK this year I thought it would be useful to explore the topic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD for short). PTSD was first recognised during the First World War, when soldiers who survived fighting on the front line often returned home with what was then … Read more

Depression

Depressed man

This month I’m tackling the topic of depression.  Depression is often described as the ‘common cold’ of mental health problems and chances are you or someone you know has struggled with depression within the last year. One of my pet hates is people using the word ‘depression’ lightly – we all have bad days and … Read more