Health is your wealth magazine - April 2016

April 2016

MENTAL HEALTH

MANAGE YOUR CONDITION

IMPROVE COGNITION

IMPROVING AWARENESS

THERAPY

RELATIONSHIPS

www.HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 1

Editors Message

Already a quarter through the year ! 2016 is really flying in but as we are all to aware life can change very quickly! Therefore it’s so important to cease the day and not count the days but make every day count!

As the saying goes “You only live once” so make the most of your day as summer is just around the corner !!

Dominic, Editor

Readers Letters …

Send letters to: letters@healthisyourwealth.co.uk Please note that some of these articles are written by patients who are still in recovery. These articles are unchanged and may contain spellings, punctuation and grammar mistakes.

Hope it's going well, it's a really good thing you're doing.

All the best.

Lee, East Midlands, UK A copy of our medical disclaimer is on our website

The magazine is great. I found it very interesting. Layout is Thank you for your very clear and easy letters. We can’t to follow. acknowledge all the letters but will aim to Claire, Guilford, UK respond to each one!

I received the magazine in today’s mail. It really has become a great, professional grade magazine Wolfgang, Germany Please note that errors and omissions are exempt from this publication. For terms and conditions please see www.HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Contents Editors message and Reader Letters Contents Contributors

2 3 4

RELATIONSHIPS How I became a brain surgeon Children's Corner

5-7 8-12

A Parents Uncertainty

13-15

Living with Brain Injury

16-18

IMPROVING AWARENESS Statistics and Awareness Macmillian Cancer Support

19-20

THERAPY Exercise -Body Maintenance

41-44

Speech Matters

45-46

MANAGE YOUR CONDITION Top tips for communication

47

Importance of Nutrition

48-51

IMPROVE COGNITION

Train Your Brain

52-55

Brain Training Applications

56-58

21 REVIEWS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

Headway Essex

22-24

Maidenhead Stroke Club

25-26

Book Review

59

Possible Cause of Parkinson’s

27-31

Movie Review

60

Subscriptions

61

MENTAL HEALTH Early Intervention

32-33

Key Contacts

62

Anxiety and Social Media

34-38

Supporting Awareness

63

How to keep motivated

39-40

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Contributors To this issue Thank you to the authors who had input to this magazine. Without your valuable content this issue would not have happened!

How I came a brain surgeon—Mr. Michael Jenkinson

Brain Training: mybraintraining.com

Mental Health: Becky Wickes Claire Kearns

Children's Corner: Living With Brain Injury: Jackie Rockach

Statistics and awareness Erica Bart

Exercise: Body Maintenance: Trpti Gyan Speech Matters: Tm Hardman

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Foundation Trust in Liverpool, sub-

“How I became a brain Surgeon!”

specializing in brain tumors.

Brain surgery, it’s not exactly rocket science… but it is one of those jobs that people can’t quite believe you do and I am usually asked if I am joking. So how did I end up becoming a neurosurgeon? My inspiration to become a

“So what is it like being a

surgeon came after watching the movie

neurosurgeon?”

M*A*S*H with Donald Sutherland and Elliot

surgeons during the Korean war. For those of you who have not seen the movie, the characters Hawkeye and Trapper are not typical role models, but they did appeal to my personality, and in 1992, I started at Liverpool Medical School. All through medical school, (and I hesitate to write this since it will be in the public domain forever), I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. It was only after doing a junior doctor job in neurosurgery in 2000, that I changed my mind. Ten years later and after many exams, I was appointed a consultant neurosurgeon at The Walton Centre NHS

In

common

with

rocket

science,

neurosurgery sounds more glamorous than it really is. My day starts with the 8am team meeting to discuss the patients referred for a neurosurgery opinion over the previous 24 hours. The Walton Centre serves a population of ~3.5 million, and we receive on average 20-30 referrals each day. From 8.30am onwards, each day of my working week is different and consists of outpatient clinics, inpatient ward rounds, operating theatre, team meetings,

research

paperwork.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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meetings

and

Relationships

Gould, which portrays the antics of two army

brain surgery, complications do happen, for One of my colleagues once gave a talk at a

example, bleeding from the tumour or brain

medical

“Pediatric

swelling. In these cases the patient may not

neurosurgery – the pinnacle of human

recover and may be left with permanent

achievement”.

neurological

meeting

titled

This slightly flippant title

deficits

such

as

difficulty

belies the humbling nature of the specialty. As

speaking or limb weakness as a result of

a neurosurgeon I want my patient’s admission

surgery.

to be as routine and mundane as possible. I

neurosurgeon.

This is the worst part of being a

want my patients to have successful brain tumour surgery and go home. Fortunately for

Being diagnosed with a brain tumour is

most

devastating

patients,

brain

tumour

operations

proceed as planned with no complications.

Unfortunately,

for

patients

many

brain

and

families.

tumours

are

malignant and one of the most difficult things for patients to deal with is uncertainty. I aim to give patients a clear idea of what to expect in hospital and after surgery.

Unfortunately

things are not always black and white, and I have to work with the information available at However, because we are still learning about

the time. But talking to patients, I realise how

the complexity of the brain and how it

the patient is often more accepting of the

functions, and because each patient is a

diagnosis and prognosis, than the relatives.

unique individual, the reaction of the brain to surgery can vary from person to person.

Whilst there is no margin for error during

“Research, Research and more Research”

Research forms a significant part of my job. I

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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work with researchers in the UK, Europe and the USA. Unlike many cancers, treatment options for brain tumours are limited. My research is focused on understanding more about how brain tumours grow in the hope that new therapies can be developed in this field.

All the staff at The Walton Centre are dedicated to providing outstanding care to our patients, and I feel privileged to be working in this field.

Mr. Michael Jenkinson Consultant Neurosurgeon

Relationships

Is this magazine in your doctors waiting room yet?

IF NOT GO TO www.HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

and click on subscriptions.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Children’s Corner ABI and Fatigue



Being less coordinated

Fatigue is a common issue following ABI, in



Being irritable and having less patience

both adults and children alike. However we



Being different on different days



Delays in processing and responding to

have to remember that for children and young people, we are asking them to continue their education learning with potential memory

information

problems and concentration issues, as well as

Strategies to help manage fatigue

the issue of fatigue.

Signs that a young person is suffering from

Don’t try to fix everything at once - It is

fatigue may typically be:

important to prioritise strategies and overcome



Getting very tired after physical exercise



Struggling to get out of bed in the morning



difficulties, you and your child need to decide what problems or issues are most important, you can’t fix everything at once , so focus on the things that are either easiest to overcome,

Getting headaches and feeling exhausted

or will make the biggest difference.

after concentrating, even after short Good days, bad days - Try to remember that

periods of time



Information overload and feeling ‘blank’



Slurred speech



Blurred vision

your child may have good days and sometimes not so good days, and take account of this when you are encouraging them to achieve their goals.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Plan ahead - Plan the week as a whole, both

drop particular activities or make

home and school activities, and take in to

changes to when the activities take

account things like family gatherings,

place across the week. Also where

holidays; that way potential impact of fatigue

possible include more time for

can be taken into account.

relaxing and fun things and if necessary plan some ‘quiet time’ at

Support within the family - Help siblings to

key times of low energy / high

understand about potential fatigue and how

fatigue in the school day.

to support their brother/sister when they get tired and don’t want to play or are irritable.

Other strategies for school: At school



person to write down all the things they do in

illness/injury



Have a “timeout ” card, so that when

a week at school, and use a highlighter pen

the “reserves” have been used up (or

to show:

preferably before), child can have a



“brain break”

When they are feeling tired; remember to include school subjects, times of day,

the amount of writing, language

see a bit of a pattern, and it is useful to

processing, and allow more time



Have a discussion with the teacher

Provide homework via email or on USB stick

Look at where they can make changes to their weekly timetable to save energy.



Provide differentiated work to reduce

places, people and situations. You might

show teachers/parents.







Chunk information, and allow rest time in between sections

about whether it would be possible to

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Relationships

Using a timetable, ask the child/young

Graduated return to school post





Reduce the amount that has to be

and then another and full of banter and jokes. A

physically carried around school

lot of young people with brain injury simply

Perhaps have two sets of reference

zone out from these conversations, finding it

books, one for school and another set at

conversation. This is particularly so in larger

home



Use a locker for items not required for



groups, while one to one conversation is manageable.

each lesson



too difficult to keep up with the topic of

Ensure plenty of food and drink is made



Encourage them to choose their

available

friendships carefully, and have friends

If possible group lessons/classrooms

who understand that they may not always

physically closer together

be able to keep to social arrangements or feel like going out and being friendly;

Friendships and social life



Help the young person to explain to friends that they may have difficulty with

Fatigue can have a huge impact on many

keeping up to speed during fast flowing

other difficulties following acquired brain

chatty conversations if they are tired,

injury, and one area that can suffer is

especially when they have late nights and

friendships and social life; this is because

are in noisy environments.

children and young people may be just too tired to get involved in social play and activities. Also it takes a huge amount of concentration and processing to hold onto



Try to keep some energy in reserve for social activities – it is an important part of growing up – perhaps just as important as school.

conversations with friends; most of which are fast paced, tangential – going in one direction

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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any event, and fatigue and tiredness

General Strategies:



can be common amongst teenagers

Try to include physical exercise across the week. (Although it is difficult when





you are constantly tired, if they are

Chill out and relax

activities that your child naturally

Being able to chill out and relax is an

enjoys, it may not feel like such a battle)

important strategy to help reduce fatigue

Remember to “chunk” all activities to

and aid restorative sleep, so make sure

include a rest, and at home as well as at

you also include this as part of a

school

managing fatigue.

Sometimes young people with an ABI lack the insight to know when they are

Help to chill out by:



Laying on a bed and listening to music

fatigue, and know when to stop for a



rest.



Encourage restorative sleep patterns



Remember some medications may have a sedative effect and take this into

and aromas



Simply just lie down in the bedroom



Go for a walk and take in the world around you

account as well when planning the day/



week



Learn relaxation techniques

Try to ensure stress levels are managed



Relaxing from Head to Toe. Scrunch

within the home, and at school



Taking a bath with relaxing bubbles

Also remember that during adolescence young people's sleeping habits change in

up every muscle in your body from the tips of the toes to the top of the head; then, gradually relax each tiny set of muscles starting at the tips of

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Relationships

tired; help them to recognise the signs of



your toes, through the feet, into the a n k l e s , t h e c a l f mu s c l e s , k n e e s , t h i g h s ……… r i g h t t h r o u g h t o t h e muscles in the face and the top of head….



Mindfulness. This is a method where a person tries to block out all the input from their surroundings – noises, sights, etc, and concentrate purely on breathing, and reducing the speed of their breathing, blocking out all other thoughts.

For some children their fatigue will reduce over time as their rehabilitation continues, and they regain their physical strength, although sometimes the effort in finding new routes to do the things the child used to do, may always cause mental fatigue.

For further help and support on issues relating to fatigue please contact: The Child Brain Injury Trust Helpline 0303 3032248 or email helpline@cbituk.org

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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“A Parents Uncertainty”



Blame



Denial



Feelings of loss for how their child was before their injury

“Families’ needs may change at



others

different stages of the ‘journey’ of TB / ABI”

Anxieties about the reactions of



Guilt at what’s happened, guilt for resenting the changes the injury has brought about

Parents may experience one set of feelings at the hospital, and another set entirely when

Anger and frustration



Isolation – parents may lose time to spend with friends as their priorities change

Parents experience difficulties with their child’s behaviour plus anxieties about how



Changes in roles

siblings are coping with the changes Friends, neighbours and relatives not understanding

Parent's experience

the financial strain. Perhaps a parent has given up work, or there are extra costs for transport

It is of utmost importance that parents

or care

remember to look after themselves. This needn’t be something you have to do on

On top of the practical circumstances, there

your own. It’s thought that a positive and

may be these emotional ones:

supportive family environment can make a positive difference to a child’s progress.



Shock

However if you are concerned about the

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Relationships

their child returns home.



way stress is affecting you or anyone in your

Parents may experience these feelings more

family, you can speak to your GP.

keenly

at

particular

times,

perhaps

the

anniversary of an accident, or the date they Parents whose children have an acquired brain

would have started college.

injury talk about the wide range of emotions they experience. Some talk about their

Denial

feelings at different ‘stages’ of the journey.

Coming to terms with any kind of difficulty

Parents – understandably – find it difficult to

can take time, and the feelings people

hear that their child now has a disability.

experience are best understood as a process.

Sometimes, parents may question the diagnosis.

Everybody’s experience is different, but

They may challenge what the healthcare

generally people experience some similarities.

professionals have said, which may get in the way of treatment. Children often make speedy

Feelings of loss

improvements in a short space of time, before this improvement begins to slow down, and this

The changes to a child’s behaviour and

can make things very difficult for parents.

circumstances place great strain on parents.

However it isn’t for anyone else to say how a

Some say the experience is almost like

family should be thinking or feeling, and it isn’t

mourning, in that they grieve for the child as

for anyone to tell a parent to ‘accept’ their

they were before the brain injury. A child may

situation. Everyone must be allowed to move at

be very different, and while the family may be

their own pace.

experiencing feelings close to mourning, it may not necessarily be easy for others to understand.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Progress may not always be rapid. And

Guilt and blame

some parents may face a tough time if the These

feelings

may

be

particularly

speed of progress slows down over time.

pronounced if a child has been involved in an accident. A parent may wonder if it was

These things can place a great deal of

preventable, or they may blame someone for

strain on parents. They may also have the

the injury.

uncertainty of not knowing if all of the effects of the brain injury have come to the surface. However with all this

even the child. Guilt and regret are very

uncertainty there may also be great

common and are agonising emotions for

possibility. The medical teams may not be

parents to experience. It’s natural for parents

able to guarantee the level of recovery, or

to think “if only” this had happened or that

commit to anything definitive regarding

hadn’t happened. Don't play the what if game!

progress but neither can they rule out the

You can waste a load of time and effort

improvements some families witness.

thinking about "if things were different I

When speaking to neurologists they have

would be able to do this"

some patients that they are still seeing improvements ten years post injury!

Uncertainty Therefore there is still hope that things There is no single ‘cure’ or treatment for brain injury, no ‘silver bullet’ and some children may never fully return to the way they were

will get better and even if this is a small percentage

it’s

better

improvement at all!

before their injury.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 15

than

no

Relationships

This may be the driver of a car, themselves, or

was put into an induced coma. When coming

“Living With a Brain Injury”

out of the coma I was unable to speak and remember my family by name. This was quite frightening but after several weeks I found my

My accident happened on 15 May 2004. I

memory was returning. I stayed in hospital/

suffered from a broken leg, arm, fractured

rehabilitation for 3 months in total. I was told

pelvis and a serious head injury. I previously

by the doctors that my recovery was helped

paraglided with my husband, Lee, but this was

due to my fitness. I was an aerobics instructor

the first time that I had para-motored. Para-

and eat a balanced diet.

motoring is where someone has an engine

“This didn’t go too well as I couldn’t

attached to them to keep the wing flying.

remember what they had asked for” We went to a para-motor flying site in Derbyshire. I was the passenger to someone else who was the pilot of the para-motor. We took off after one failed take-off and were at about 200ft when there was a problem with the equipment. We started to spiral round and crashed down in the field. My husband saw this happen and I was unconscious, 999 was called and an air ambulance came for me.

After spending time at the Queens Medical I was taken to hospital in Derby and was then moved

to

Queens

Medical

Centre

in

Centre High Dependency Unit and the DRI in Derby I attended a rehabilitation hospital

Nottingham who specialise in head injuries. I

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 16

called Kings Lodge in Derby.

I underwent

really register that this wasn’t normal.

various treatments to teach me to walk again

Once I left and went home it took a long

and different treatments to help my head injury.

time to get back to normal. I wanted to

I had many friends and family visit me so I

get back to some sort of normality and so

was told to ask them what they wanted to drink

I went back to work as a Legal Secretary

and try and remember what they had asked for

part- time. It was really far too early to

and make the drinks.

go back to work but it was very important to me to be able to start living the life I had before the accident. I really

what they had asked for. At the time I felt

struggled with work and I was trying to

quite cross that I had to do such simple things

act and feel the same as I was before but

when I thought that I was absolutely fine.

this is impossible to do when suffering

Looking back twelve years on now, I was

from a head injury.

really upset that I had been placed in a rehabilitation home with other people who were clearly not well and normal when I felt that there was nothing wrong with me.

I can

remember being very agitated and annoyed. I obviously wasn’t ok and needed to be there.

I was ok in the day time because I always had family with me or I was undergoing walking lessons but it was when I was on my own that I felt confused and upset. In the night time I would often wet the bed. At the time this didn’t

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Relationships

This didn’t go too well as I couldn’t remember

“My place of work was not very

thing to remember is that what ever happened

understanding�

to us we are still here to tell the tale and enjoy life.

My place of work was not very understanding

Jackie lives in Derbyshire and continues to

and I was called to a disciplinary hearing

improve and recover even though her accident

because I wasn’t working the same as I was

was ten years ago.

before. I ended up leaving the job. I then trained to be a nail technician and passed all my exams. I set up my own business from home/mobile.

We moved into a new house in Ashbourne and went on to have a baby in November 2008 and although I suffered from a head injury I have been able to study, take exams, run my own business and go out to work. The most

Jackie Rockach

challenging area of all is to have a baby and bring her up. I still suffer from bad short term memory and I do tend to get more agitated and annoyed than I used to but it helps to have someone close to tell you to take some deep breaths and calm down.

Family life is always very busy and we all have pressures and stressful times but the

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 18

A transient ischaemic attack or TIA is

Statistics and Awareness

also known as a mini-stroke. It is the same as a stroke, except that the symptoms last for a short amount of time and no longer than 24 hours. This is

What is a stroke?

because the blockage that stops the blood getting to your brain is temporary.

A stroke is a brain attack. It happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off.

What causes stroke?

Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to

be damaged or die. This damage can have different effects, depending on where it happens in your brain. A stroke can affect the way your body works as well as how you think, feel and communicate.

As we age our arteries become harder and narrower and more likely to become blocked.

However,

certain

medical

conditions and lifestyle factors can speed up this process and increase your risk of having a stroke.

Different types of stroke

Can you recover from stroke?

Most strokes are caused by a blockage cutting

All strokes are different. For some

off the blood supply to the brain. This is an

people the effects may be relatively

ischaemic stroke. However, strokes can also

minor and may not last long. Others may

be caused by a bleeding in or around the brain.

be left with more serious problems that

This is a haemorrhagic stroke.

make them dependent on other people.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 19

Improving Awareness

your brain. Without blood your brain cells can

Unfortunately not everyone survives – around one in eight people die within 30 days of having a stroke. That’s why it’s so important to be able to recognise the symptoms and get medical help as quickly as possible. The quicker you receive treatment, the better your chances for a good recovery. Make sure you know how to recognise the symptoms of stroke.

If you’ve been affected by stroke, whether you’re a stroke survivor, a member of your family or a friend has had a stroke, you work with people affected by stroke, or you want to know how to prevent a stroke, please get in touch by telephoning the UK Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100 or email at info@stroke.org.uk

The Stroke Helpline is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, GMT: 9.00am to 5.00pm.

You can write to Stroke by Post: Stroke Information Service, Stroke Association, Life After Stroke Centre, Church Lane, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 8RA.

Textphone: 18001 0303 3033 100 Social Media: Visit the Stroke Association's Facebook and Twitter

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 20

emotional support when things get tough. Right from the moment you’re diagnosed, through your treatment and beyond, we’re a When you have cancer, you don’t just

constant source of support to help

worry about what will happen to your

you feel more in control of your life.

body, you worry about what will happen to your life. How to talk to those close to you. What to do about work. How

professionals,

volunteers,

campaigners and people affected by cancer. Together we make sure there’s always someone here for

At Macmillan, we know how a cancer

you, to give you the support, energy

diagnosis can affect everything. So

and inspiration you need to help you

when you need someone to turn to,

feel more like you.

we’re here, because no one should face cancer alone.

We are all Macmillan.

For support, information or if you

We can help you find answers to questions about your treatment and its effects. We can advise on work and benefits, and we’re always here for

just want to chat, call us free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or visit macmillan.org.uk

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 21

Improving Awareness

you’ll cope with the extra costs.

We are millions of supporters,

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 22

Headway Essex is an independent charity,

education and help with health and social

established in 1985 to provide support for

issues faced by adults with acquired brain

adults with acquired brain injury and their

injury and their carers and families. We

carers and families in Essex. The service was

also

born from the needs of adults who had

Headway Centre in Colchester which

acquired a brain injury and their families who

offers day services that encourage a

could

who

progressive transition to independence by

understood the unique issues faced adults with

accessing a number of social physical and

a brain injury and their families post hospital

educational activities.

not

find

any

organisation

provide

support

through

the

discharge.

Our key aims are that:

Supporting the Carers:





People with acquired brain injury can live as independently as possible and fulfil their potential.



support helpline



Carers are informed and supported to manage their caring role and maintain



The wider community has an increased



Coping and compensating strategies



Home visits and assessments looking

brain injury.

Service

is

Information and education on all aspects of brain injury

awareness of the causes and effects of

The

Information and advice on all aspects of the caring role

their own health and wellbeing.



Brain injury advice and carers

at the whole family’s needs delivered

through

our

Community Support Service that operates across Essex to provide both emotional, practical and crisis support, brain injury



One to one support of a community support worker



Carers support group meetings

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 23

Improving Awareness

Headway Essex Services



Respite

from

the

cared-for

person

attending Headway’s specialist facilities



Support group meetings



Support with educational, vocational and



Counselling



Support with benefits



Counselling



Support to pursue their own interests and/



Signposting and referrals to other support

volunteering opportunities

or balance work with a caring role



agencies as required

Signposting and referrals to other support

If you would like to talk to someone about any

agencies as required

aspect of your brain injury or come along to one of Headway’s Support Groups please

Supporting the survivors of brain injury:



Information and education on brain

01206 768797

injury and its effects



Information and advice to cope and compensate with the effects of brain injury, including practical and financial aspects



Neuro Physio exercise



Adult

education

contact The Community Support Team on

and

life

skills

–

Or visit www.headwayessex.org.uk for more information

If you are not in Essex please note that Headway is a UK-wide charity that supports people affected by brain injury.

For further information or support, or to find your nearest Headway group or branch, visit www.headway.org.uk

relearning lost skills



IT training

or contact the free phone helpline on 0808 800 2244



Communication and social interaction

E-mail: helpline@headway.org.uk

activities



Health and self-care advice and support



Social and sporting activities in the

Headway Essex is affiliated to

community

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 24

young and old, some in wheelchairs, others with walking aids, others unsteady on their feet. Some have restricted use of an arm, or have trouble speaking. But they all have one thing in common - they make every effort to live their lives to the



Have you had a Stroke?



Do you know someone that At the Stroke Club we try to help our

has? 

full.

members re-establish themselves in a social situation and make use of the

Maidenhead area?

abilities they have. Our members enjoy drinks and snacks, and those that want to

The Maidenhead & District Stroke Club, affiliated to the Stroke Association, is a social group for people who have had a stroke, and is

can join in other activities such as crafts, quizzes, board games and light sporting activities.

run by volunteers with the objective of helping our members re-establish themselves in social situations and make use of the abilities they have. The club has been serving the local community for over 25 years.

As well as running the club meetings, donations have enabled us to help vulnerable members with home security, home

improvements

maintenance, The Stroke Club meets once a fortnight in Maidenhead. Our 50 strong membership consists of people from every walk of life -

and

garden

contributed

physiotherapy and aromatherapy,

to and

enabled garden centre and shopping trips, river boat cruises, pub lunches and have

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 25

Improving Awareness

Do you live in the SL6/

fun and stimulating activities at the club - such

always welcome a carer or family member to

as singing and music, gardening, lunches, bird

attend with them if they wish.

and animal interactions and arts and crafts.

If you are interested in joining, or know Enabling these activities - which many able

someone who may benefit from joining the

bodied people would take for granted - is

club, please do get in contact:

essential as it helps our members re-assert their own independence and abilities.

maidenheadstrokeclub@gmail.com or our Facebook Page:

We understand that some people who have

www.facebook.com/maidenheadstrokeclub

suffered Stroke may prefer not to come on their own, or may need support to get to and from the club, or whilst they are there - so

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 26

without

A Mechanism for the possible Cause of Parkinson’s

always

having

to

consult

voluminous textbooks or articles on just one subject.

My search took me into well-studied My

research

into

Parkinson’s

(or

phenomena such as neurotoxins found naturally

in

plants,

curious as to why we couldn’t figure out what

produced within the body, most notably

causes Parkinson’s despite the extensive

by fungi living inside the body.

To

knowledge we have concerning the biology,

physiological

as

physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of the

hypotension (low blood pressure) as well

human body. It seemed to me that we indeed

as

had all the pieces of the puzzle (all the

hypothyroidism, and even disorders of the

relevant information) but were unable to

adrenal glands such as adrenal exhaustion.

successfully fit the information together to

I didn’t start to make any real progress

form the picture that is Parkinson’s.

until I focused on the neuron itself.

Initially I started by consulting medical and

Specifically, the neurons associated with

biology textbooks but it was taking way too

Parkinson’s as well as neurons in general.

long to extract relevant information, so I

My first real clue came when I noticed a

turned to internet searching and finally

connection between Alzheimer’s and

Wikipedia which was much, much faster.

Parkinson’s. I noticed that people who

Wikipedia was indispensable in my research

suffer from high blood pressure have a

because it allowed me to jump from relevant

tendency towards Parkinson’s and people

topic to relevant topic quickly and efficiently

who suffer from low blood pressure

endocrine

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

to

conditions

disorders

Page 27

neurotoxins

such

such

as

Improving Awareness

Parkinsonism) started out as a curiosity. I was

(hypotension)

have

a

tendency

toward

Thus it was natural to try to apply this idea to

Alzheimer’s. I thought that maybe the two

the

aforementioned

bodies

(the

amyloid

were just two sides of the same coin and

plaques and Lewy bodies).

perhaps there was a physiological connection

general chemistry and I remembered that a low

between the two. Unfortunately, this didn’t

oxygen environment produces lactic acid build

take me as far as I hoped it might. So I looked

-up within a cell, unless cleared away.

A little more

for similarities between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and remembered that both form

There are many factors that can cause hypoxia

bodies in their end stages. In Alzheimer’s, it’s

(low oxygen within a cell) or hypoxemia (low

amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles,

oxygen in the blood). The most common are

and in Parkinson’s it’s Lewy bodies.

hypothyroidism, hypotension, and anemia, of which hypothyroidism is the most common.

Then out of curiosity I studied some general chemistry concerning

of

Thus we can arrive at our possible mechanism

Hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach

for the cause of Parkinson’s (as well as

during digestion, and remembered that the first

Alzheimer’s) that involves hypoxia (low

step

oxygen), lactic acid build-up and accumulation

in

the

the breakdown

production

of proteins

is

denaturation (the unfolding of the structure of

of denatured proteins.

proteins) which occurs naturally in a high acidic environment.

So, the basic mechanism for the cause of Parkinson’s is:

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 28

This explains why L-DOPA is of limited

proteins can then form cross-links and

efficacy. It is because no amount of L-DOPA

other unwanted bonds.

can make-up for damage or loss of function

proteins can accumulate if not repaired or

within the neuron.

cleared

away

accumulation

“In theory this mechanism makes

fast of

Also denatured

enough.

damage

can

This cause

gradual loss of function of the neurons and if enough neurons are damaged or

sense “

lose function there can be an eventual appearance of symptoms of Parkinson’s.

In theory this mechanism makes sense because the proteins that became denatured were

form of neurotubules or neurofilaments.

overuse of neurons that may cause this damage. The old maxim, “use it or lose it”, applies to neurons as well.

During times of mental exertion lactic acid tends to build-up within neurons just as lactic

Both

underuse and overuse of neurons are usually accompanied by hypothyroidism.

acid builds up within muscles during physical exertion. In most people, this excess lactic acid is easily cleared away and damage to the neurons is minimal.

The fact that both underuse and overuse can lead to damage points to the importance

of

oxygen,

heretofore

overlooked. You would expect some kind In a continued low-oxygen environment combined with continued mental exertion, lactic acid can accumulate or not be cleared away fast enough and then the damage to proteins in not minimal.

of damage after years of operating in a low-oxygen environment and the fact that we see this kind of accumulated damage is consistent with our premise that

These denatured

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 29

Improving Awareness

already there within the neuron, usually in the

Ironically, it is both the underuse and

hypoxia (whatever its cause) can indeed lead

Substantia Nigra area of the brain responsible

to Parkinson’s.

for coordinating movement, tend to be overused.

Over time, underuse of these

neurons can also lead to the same result.

“This could explain why some people get Alzheimer’s and others get Parkinson’s.“

Thus Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have the same root cause and the only difference is the neurons affected.

The mechanisms leading to hypoxia, however, can be subtle. For example, during physical

Stopping or slowing the progression of Parkinson’s possibly involves two key steps:

exercise the body has the ability to restrict blood supply to certain parts of the brain. This is normal. However, when you combine this with any underlying pathology, such as hypothyroidism or hypotension, then the blood supply, and hence the oxygen supply, is



1. Clearing-away excess lactic acid



2. Addressing the underlying pathology (usually hypothyroidism)

greatly reduced. This can lead to hypoxia (an undesirable condition) and sometimes lead to

Your body (and brain) naturally clears away

damage of neurons over time.

lactic acid. However a longer-term solution would be gentle, cardio-vascular exercise after

This could explain why some people get

first getting guidance and permission from

Alzheimer’s and others get Parkinson’s.

your medical doctor.

In

Alzheimer’s, the neurons associated with memory tend to be overused, and in

Addressing the underlying pathology means

Parkinson’s the neurons located in the

you should get checked for hypothyroidism,

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 30

high or low blood pressure, and anemia, and

There is evidence that if you give your

then follow your doctor’s recommendations

body (and mind) enough time to rest and

and instructions.

recover, it can not only clear-away excess lactic acid, but also repair the damage

“Could the color of skin have any impact ?”

done to the denatured proteins and thus slow down or stop the progression of Parkinson’s

(and

Alzheimer’s)

and

possibly restore remaining function.

The fact that hypothyroidism is the most common cause of low oxygen within cells

to Parkinson’s than Black people.

Black

people, because of genetics, are more prone towards hyperthyroidism (and high blood pressure), while White people; because of genetics;

are

more

prone

towards

hypothyroidism (and low blood pressure, and

Marcos Benitez marc2benitez@yahoo.com

even anemia).

It was previously thought that more melanin production was the key difference, but that is only partly true. Melanin does provide some protection in the form of (mild) anti-oxidant activity, but by far the most predominant factor is hypothyroidism.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 31

Improving Awareness

may explain why White people are more prone

understanding amongst a young person's peers then this sense of being alone will only be

Mental Health

exacerbated and could lead to worsening the issue.

Figures

have

shown

that

early

intervention in a mental health crisis, or even

“Early Intervention - Why educating young people is vital in promoting a greater understanding of mental illness!”

Mental illness touches many lives across the world, whether it is through receiving a diagnosis or having a loved one go through a mental health crisis. There is no exception for those

under

18,

with

current

at the start of an illness, has a much better prognosis for recovery. If a strong education regarding mental health were rolled out in schools, youth clubs, or even through social media campaigns; it could result in a someone recognizing symptoms in a friend, or even themselves, and help being rectified much earlier.

statistics

estimating that one in ten children between the

Ongoing campaigns that are in place to battle stigma such as ‗Time for Change‘ do fantastic

ages of one and fifteen has a mental disorder.

work, and seem to be having a brilliant effect; This

is

a

concerning

figure,

and

is

unfortunately on the rise - in the past 25 years, rates of depression and anxiety amongst teenagers has risen approximately 70%.

however, there is still something whispered about mental illness, it is at times the elephant in the room. There are moments when the mass media does not help this situation, and in fact only serves in making preconceptions about

Having a mental health issue can be isolating for anyone, and if there is a lack of

mental illness even stronger. Use of words such as 'psycho', 'crazed', or highlighting a mental health issue as the sole reason for some

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 32

misdemeanour

negative

from education regarding mental illness

associations with mental health, and can result

is inspiring people to talk about their

in further feelings of isolation. If someone has

experiences. Hearing about someone else

a

are

going through the same thing is often

statistically more likely to be the victim of

helpful in connecting with people, and

violence than to perpetrate it themselves, yet

working towards a recovery. Inspiring

some newspapers seem at times to do nothing

anyone to talk should only be a good step

more than directly link violent attacks to

towards greater understanding of mental

mental illness. The media has a direct impact

illness, even if this is simply through

on young people especially. Thus of even

social media input, the word still gets out

greater importance that education is put into

there.

mental

only

health

furthers

diagnosis,

they

Mental Health

place. If someone is already knowledgeable about mental health, then there is more of a chance that they would not react to the nefarious claims that newspapers make.

Unfortunately, some negative misconceptions about mental illness can lead to bullying often due to a lack of understanding of the problem at hand. Clarity on what constitutes a mental illness, how it will impact the person, and what will happen could be vital in cutting rates of bullying within schools and institutes

Rebecca Wicks

of education.

Twitter @thebibli0phile

One of the positive factors that could arise

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 33

advantages of platforms such as Facebook,

anxiety & social media....

Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat to name just a few, without becoming too involved in what goes on beyond your computer screen. This is particularly crucial if you already suffer from mental health issues which leave you more susceptible to stress.

It is difficult to imagine a world without the existence of social media. Although in the

“A lot of what we see is illusion�

grand scheme of history it was not that long ago, in contrast the role this virtual platform

Appearances can of course be very deceptive.

now plays in many people's everyday lives can

A social media profile can be completely

be vast. The internet is broadly seen as a

tailored and even altered to suit personal

positive innovation, as online connections can

preference and present a particular ideal. Try

be made far and wide. It can put us in touch

not to take anything you see too seriously. I am

with people in other continents and from

very guilty of this myself. It is very easy to

distant cultures and provide us with the means

compare your own life to a news-feed or

to learn and discover alternative ways of life

timeline full of happy details, relationship

that are very different from our own. However,

updates, job promotions and overall successes,

there are also various drawbacks to social

especially when already struggling from low

media, in particular when the use of it

self esteem. I can only describe this as

becomes less of an opportunity to discover and

becoming lost down a rabbit hole, hopping

more of a way to retreat and hide from reality.

from one profile to another of people I do not even know in meaningless jumps that reflect

It is important to try and focus on the

and clash against my own already deflated

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 34

sense of identity. I have to pull myself back

difficult to back out and retreat, but it is

out with the reminder that we are not given as

possible. Stepping away is the only way

much access to the downtimes, the strain and

to deal with this and prevent such

the hardship, the raw unedited photos that are

clashes.

deleted from smart-phones.

“Remind yourself that you do A lot of what we see is illusion and it can't be relied on as an accurate representation or

not owe anyone a response�

anything you should mark yourself up against.

Remind yourself that you do not owe Thinking before you type is a hugely valuable

mostly relevant on Twitter where posts are limited to 140 characters and appear instantly with one click of a button but can be blown up

keep engaging. Take five minutes away, ten even, then reconsider your response with a more rational head. Breathe.

Distract yourself.

into extreme proportions. It is understandable that in times of high emotion, when you are feeling upset or angry, that you may be pushed to react to someone else in a way that

If you do happen to have an unexpected reaction to something you post online, or receive personal attacks or bullying there are various ways of protecting yourself.

you might later regret.

Most social media outlets have a block There are also certain tones such as sarcasm that don't always translate online and so you can easily be misunderstood. Once you get into an argument with someone it can be

function, and you can tailor your content or stick to safer spaces with content that does not feel threatening or triggering.

Turn off your Twitter notifications and

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 35

Mental Health

lesson with regards to social media. This is

anyone a response if you do not wish to

don't let unhelpful voices intrude. If you need

social media as a bridge that can link yourself

to, rely to those around you within close reach

back into actual human contact; a place to be

for support. Words can be powerful and

heard when speaking out loud about personal

hurtful and it is okay to feel moved by them,

experiences is too much of a challenge. But in

it does not make you weak. Equally try to

turn, it can also become exhausting to deal

grasp on to the fact that the views of strangers

with problems beyond your own, and you

should never define you and "real life"

need to put boundaries in place so that you do

influences are far more important. Some

not become overwhelmed in helping others.

people like to argue for the sake of it and they will try to provoke a reaction in you; which is

Even mental health professionals are not

cowardly and all too easy to do from behind a

expected to be on call all day every day.

screen.

Everyone, including you needs breaks. If there are moments where you feel you can't reply to

“it can also become exhausting to deal with�

It is natural to make meaningful connections with people you interact with on social media websites and want to be there for them as they are for you. My own experiences have shown me that online relationships can be hugely rewarding and a lifeline when you are struggling with public social interaction.

Rather than relying on it permanently, think of

everyone you'd like to and when the mental strain feels too much then there is no need to feel guilty.

If

all

else

fails,

deactivate.

Becoming

emotionally distraught or overly caught up in the stresses of social media is simply not worth it. I recently made this decision myself with regards to Facebook, for a little over a month until I felt ready to return. It was refreshing to have a break and I did not miss it. Instead it was a relief not to be bombarded

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 36

with

the

goings

on

of

old

school

acquaintances, petty gossips or political disputes, the influx of baby photos, not to have a bright laptop screen be the first thing that greeted me in the mornings after my coffee. Inevitably I went back, if only as I realised I was missing friends' birthdays, but I am staying vigilant and having regular hours away each day.

Consider it if you find yourself becoming

taking away from you more than it is giving you, and if the answer is yes then do not hesitate.

Claire Kearns

ashbourne-taxis@hotmail.co.uk

Ashbourne TAXIS offers a door to door taxi service. Specialist in providing transfers to and from the doctors office / hospitals / airports.

Co-ordinating with airport special assistance and hospital porters so that both your destination and pickup is stress free. When making a booking please specify that you would like special services included and quote reference “health� and we will be only happy to help make sure you get to your destination with ease.

@_shewrites_

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 37

Mental Health

overwhelmed, ask yourself if social media is

informed choices. The Infoline gives

Mental Health help and support services

information on types of mental distress, where

If you are experiencing mental health problems or need urgent support, there are lots of places you can go to for help.

network of nearly 200 local Mind associations

Samaritans

to get help, drug treatments, alternative therapies and advocacy. Mind also has a

providing local services.

Saneline

Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call) Email: jo@samaritans.org Website: www.samaritans.org

Telephone: 0845 767 8000 (6pm-11pm) Website: www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/ support/helpline

Provides

non-judgmental

Saneline is a national mental health helpline

emotional support for people experiencing

providing information and support to people

feelings of distress or despair, including those

with mental health problems and those who

that could lead to suicide. You can phone,

support them.

confidential,

email, write a letter or in most cases talk to someone face to face.

Mind Infoline Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-5pm Monday to Friday) Email: info@mind.org.uk Web site: www.mind.org.uk/help/ advice_lines Mind provides confidential mental health information services. With support and

ChildLine Telephone: 0800 1111 Email: http://www.childline.org.uk/Talk/Pages/ Email.aspx Website: www.childline.org.uk ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of nineteen.

You

can

contact

a

ChildLine

counsellor for free about anything - no problem is too big or too small.

understanding, Mind enables people to make

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 38

“How to KEEP Motivated?”

Challenge you therapist !

You don't have to be medically trained to ask the following questions:

of change or trying something new or ‘cutting edge’ as Mr Michael Jenkinson (Consultant Neurosurgeon, The Walton Centre,

Liverpool,

UK)

“Research,

Research, Research”

Perhaps it's time to mix things up?

Are we doing the right things?

It doesn't mean you have to change

choices available to you? Things are changing rapidly in the medical profession almost every week and is your therapist up to date with the latest techniques and skills?

therapist you can just try something new!

After all if you keep repeating the same things over and over again you will keep getting the same results. This is not an effort to defy or prove the medical community wrong, it’s working with them

Perhaps there is another method?

Not everyone knows everything! With this level of change every week in the industry it's impossible to keep up! Perhaps someone with

to ensure you recover quicker and become as good as you can be.

Are we things the right way?

Are doing then well?

a different perspective that may have an alternative view or experience. Don’t be afraid

Ask for a method to measure your progress. Ensure that the measurement is

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 39

Mental Health

Have you really explored all the options and

a numeric metric rather that an opinion which can be subjective. Keep it simple so it's easy to understand and everyone can interpret it easily. A good example is measuring balance with the Berg balance assessment, it's not sensitive enough to measure everything but can be appropriate for many scenarios.

For speech and language measurement try recording your voice periodically and see if there any changes over time!

For occupational therapy there are many point scoring systems that can be used to track progress particularly with brain training applications which start with a baseline and then over many weeks are able to accurately detail your results using graphs etc.

See http://mybraintraining.com for more details Usually your therapist will know the best way to measure your progress but don't be afraid to push and challenge a little!

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 40

Exercise, “Maintenance for your body !”

Are you seeing what is there?

“Evidence is not the enemy of informed certainty. However the two should never be juxtaposed. We find what we find, and we believe what we believe.”

Before we start, have a look at this square.

were Christ, to be housed together in the Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, USA, in what became known as the Ypsilanti experiment. But far from the stormy encounters he expected, these men got along well, each coming up with complex and often absurd explanations

patient,

Joseph

Cassel,

accurately

observing that the other two ‘were insane What colour is it? We will come back to this later.

whilst confidently maintaining their own delusions. This story was detailed in a

In the late 1950’s a psychologist named Milton Rokeach was inspired by an article he had read about two women both having the delusional belief that they were the Virgin Mary.

and belonged in a mental institution’)

He decided to replicate this and

arranged for three men who believed they

book The Three Christ’s of Ypsilanti by Milton Rokeach in 1964.

This classic psychology study is bizarre but anecdotal. Clearly these men were delusional and, when confronted with clear evidence, they refused to accept the obvious

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

reality

but

Page 41

instead

twisted

Therapy

for the beliefs of the other two, (with one

everything around to keep their delusion

they had even finished?

intact at all costs. The question is, how much

often been found to stop asking symptomatic

do we do the same every day? Few of us

or historical questions because they reached an

claim to be the Messiah, but when it comes to

early conclusion, thus failing to unearth key

protecting our beliefs, decisions and first

information.

impressions, psychological research is pretty

reinforcement is known as anchoring bias -

clear: none of us is much better than the men

once the human mind has made a decision we

in Ypsilanti hospital.

are very reluctant to reject it for another

This

form

Medical staff have

of

confirmation

(Wallsten, 1981; Larue, 1995).

Based in rationality and Bayesian-reasoning as the scientific and medical worlds are, us

So how can we overcome this? Well, it is not

human actors within them are still human,

easy, and there is no perfect solution.

and carry these behaviours along with us.

Klein’s extensive review provides a few

Alas, those of us educated in these fields

pointers:

seem to be very capable at rationalising

1) Be aware of base rates;

cognitive biases, actually believing they are

2) Consider whether information is truly

the result of a logical thought process. This

relevant, rather than just salient;

often manifests as confirmation bias, with

3) Seek reasons why your decisions may be

potentially serious implications for our

wrong, and entertain alternative hypotheses;

patients. In taking medical histories, medics

4) Ask questions that would disprove, rather

often ask questions that solicit information

than confirm, your current hypothesis;

confirming early judgments. Have you ever

5) Remember that you are wrong more often

listened to a patient tell you the first few

than you think.

symptoms, then make a diagnosis in your

(Klein, 2005)

mind, and decide upon a treatment before

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 42

But

In many areas of research into overcoming

obviously it is yellow. Except of course,

biases and avoiding simple errors, the act of

it isn’t. It isn’t if you are reading this post

writing the presenting factors down, or

on a computer screen or your phone,

working through checklists, repeatedly comes

tablet, or television.

out as a significant factor. This is common

never seen yellow light on any of these

practice in professions such as pilots, military

devices. No one has.

personnel

and

nuclear

reactors

In fact you have

control.

Adopting a similar practice in surgery has

You see, screens do not emit yellow light;

halved the error rate (Cohen, 2003).

they are made up of red, green and blue elements

that

emit

light

at

these

But of course, we all listen to our patients,

wavelengths in varying relative amounts,

and see the world as it is. We are not insane,

referred to as RGB.

and unlike the men in Ypsilanti hospital what

specific proteins in the cone cells of your

we witness is objective and real.

Well,

retina, themselves only responding to

remember at the start I asked you to look at

certain wavelengths, sending a signal to

this?

your visual cortex that decides that a

The light hits

yellow, and tells your conscious mind that that’s what colour it is. A more detailed explanation of this phenomenon can be seen here

(https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=R3unPcJDbCc) or with white light here And I asked you to keep in mind what colour

(https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=uNOKWoDtbSk).

it was? Well, it is yellow isn’t it? Quite

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 43

Therapy

certain pattern of RGB light equals

Oncologists and primary care physicians' If your brain is lying to you constantly about

attitudes toward pain control and morphine

something as simple as what colour you are

prescribing in France. Cancer 1995;76: 2375-

looking at, how can you be sure that your first

2382

impression about that patient you saw or that

Cohen BJ. Theory and Practice of Psychiatry.

theory you believe in is correct? The answer

2003; Oxford University Press, 1st Ed. ISBN-

is that you can’t. Every one of us is in thrall

13: 978-0195149388

to classical confirmation, recall and anchoring

Muller S & Patel HRH.

biases. And if you’re still thinking this doesn’t

checklists: lessons learned from the aviation

describe you, then scroll up to those squares.

industry. Journal of Surgical Simulation.

They’re still yellow, aren’t they?

2013;1:1–4

“Careers do not come with instructions.

BBC

There are no ‘hard and fast’ rules. This is

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7825780.stm

News,

14 th

Jan,

Safe surgery

2009;

http://

because you will work for - and with - other human beings, and people are complex and

Suffered an injury?

confusing creatures.”

Book an appointment with TG Physiotherapy Care today.

Wallsten TS. Physician and medical student bias in evaluating diagnostic information.

Med Decis Making 1981;1: 145-64.

Klein JG.

Five pitfalls in decisions about

diagnosis and prescribing. BMJ. 2005;330:

TG Physiotherapy Nottingham

Care

has

venues

in

You can contact us on: Tel: 07866-464-385 (Within the UK) Tel: +44 (0) 7866-464-385(Outside the UK) Email: tripti@triptigyan.com

781–783 Larue F, Colleau SM, Fontaine A, Brasseur L.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 44

Speech Matters “It was as if the word was on the

immediately tidies up the beginning and end of words.

tip of my tongue�

This helps you to be

understood by other people. It is better to take 1 or 2 seconds longer over saying

Verbal communication is a very complex process which we master to varying

a sentence rather than being asked to repeat a garbled message 3 times over.

degrees after years and years of practice. It seems slow to start, our first word is usually uttered after we have been hearing words

our 20s we are still learning about the nuances of communication.

than you think. Just listen to politicians delivering speeches: some of our most gifted communicators hold the attention of hundreds and thousands for minutes at a time whilst using lots of pauses to let

After a major trauma to the brain, our

their message sink in.

communication can seem a whole lot less effective

and

a

whole

lot

more

2. Find a quiet spot

effortful. Here are my top talking tips: Filtering background noise from speech 1. Slow down

is a very tiring process. Finding a quieter room, turning off the TV or radio will

Taking some---very short---- pauses----between

----groups----

of

really help.

words

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 45

Therapy

and interacting for about a year. Even in

You can get away with being a lot slower

3. Get ahead with a script

a present, get it wrapped before they arrive, not as you're giving it.

No

one

going

If you know you have a particular point to

You may be apprehensive about

get across, get it ready. This might mean

speaking to new people because your

writing down some bullet points and

talking is harder to understand or the words

practicing saying the sentences before the

take longer to find....but you have an

conversation.

wrong.

likes

communication

advantage....you know it is going to be tricky. Get ahead of this by having a little

Knowing WHAT you want to say allows

explanatory script ready to help the person

you to pay more attention to HOW you want

you are speaking with.

to say it.

You can say it or have it written down.

5. Can you say that again please?

Example: Conversations happen quickly but brains “Hi, I'm Bill. My speech sounds different

recovering from trauma tend to work a bit

since my car accident.

slower.

I can still

You might find yourself getting

understand you if you say 1 or 2 sentences

confused in conversations as you are trying

at a time.

to understand what is being said and plan

If I get confused I'll let you know.�

what you want to say.

It is OK to ask

someone to repeat, slow down or ask a 4. Wrap your present

question to clarify.

When we speak to someone, we 'give' them

Tim Hardman is a Senior Speech and

information. Imagine your message is like

Language Therapist in Derby hospital.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 46

awkward about asking for help.

Top tips for



Communication 

is not great it might still be helpful.

Find a good place to communicate in somewhere quiet without distractions is best.



Take your time, don't rush your

communication. Especially on the phone, maybe

helpful

to

When face to face use gestures and

with

the

person

that

you

repeat your phone number back to you!



Be aware that some people find it

easier to use real objects to communicate but photos and pictures can really help too.

If the person wants to take you to show you something, go with them.

Watch the person – they may tell you things through body language and facial expressions.

Learn from experience – you will need to be more observant and don't feel

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 47

Managing Your Condition

Check



facial expressions.

they can comprehend you. Ask them to



your

Be aware that some people may find

understand what they are saying and that



explain

challenges before your conversation.

difficult.





it

talking or listening in a large group



Try drawing – even if your drawing



“Importance of Nutrition”

Coffee

physical

boosts

your

performance.

Have a cup of black coffee about

Pro’s and Cons of coffee

an

hour

before

workout

and

your

performance can improve by 11-12%.

Coffee has been both praised and scorned for

Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in

a long time so what are the actual,

your blood. Adrenaline is your body’s

scientifically proven pros and cons of coffee?

“fight or flight” hormone which helps you to prepare for physical exertion.

Caffeine,

the

most

widely

consumed



substance in the world, is the best known

contains

ingredient of coffee. Its beneficial effects on

regulating

well, mainly by coffee manufacturers which

benefits.

potassium,

blood

sugar

levels

and

and snacks.



Coffee helps you burn fat. Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as

effects and suggest that it’s not the caffeine that is responsible for most of coffee's health

and

reducing your craving for sugary treats

leaves you somewhat skeptical of the Intel

caffeinated coffee may have the same health

magnesium

which helps the human body use insulin,

the human body has been researched quite

provided. Some studies argue that decaf and

Coffee may help you lose weight. Coffee

fuel for training.



Coffee helps you focus and stay alert.

Moderate caffeine intake can help you focus and improve your mental alertness.

Research on coffee and it's pros and cons for humans is nowhere near finished, but here is a list of what we know at the moment:



Coffee reduces risk of stroke. Reasonable consumption of coffee is associated with

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 48





coffee can have a lot of impurities in

Coffee reduces risk of Parkinson’s

it,

disease. Studies have shown that regular

headache or a general bad feeling.

coffee

of

This can happen if your coffee is

Parkinson’s disease by 25 %. There’s

made from beans that have been over

evidence that coffee causes activity in

ripped or otherwise ruined. Even one

the part of the brain affected by

ruined bean can make your cup

Parkinson’s.

toxic. If you invest and buy high

Coffee protects your body. Coffee

quality, specialty coffee you don’t

contains a lot of antioxidants.

have to worry about this.

drinking

decreases

risk

can

cause

sickness,

Coffee protects your brain. High caffeine levels in your blood reduce the risk of



Coffee can kill you. Yes, if you drink 80-100 cups (23 litres) in a short

Alzheimer disease. It also lowers risk of

session. This dose is lethal and will

dementia.



which

amount in 10-13 grams of caffeine

Coffee brightens your mood and helps

within your body. Before you reach

fight depression. Caffeine stimulates the

this

central nervous system and boosts

point,

however,

you'll

be

vomiting most of it out since 23

production of neurotransmitters like

liters of any liquid is a lot. Even

serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline,

drinking 23 liters of water can kill

which elevate your mood.

you.

Disadvantages and Risks of Coffee Drinking 

Bad coffee can be toxic. Bad quality



Coffee can cause insomnia and restlessness. Again, it's the caffeine working here. If you’re caffeine-

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 49

Managing Your Condition



lower risk of stroke.

sensitive, be careful with coffee. You are

bedwetting. One survey reported that

probably already aware what amount and

caffeine consumption of 5-7 year old kids

what kind of coffee suits, or doesn't suit

may increase enuresis (bedwetting).

you.



Don’t drink more than one cup a day if

So, is it good or bad for you?

you’re pregnant. Studies on coffee's effect on a fetus have been controversial,

If you have high cholesterol or you are caffeine

but one thing is sure: if you drink coffee

sensitive, pregnant or a child (or a parent of

when pregnant, caffeine will also reach

one), you should pay attention to coffee

the fetus, and your baby is highly

drinking.

sensitive to caffeine. So, if you’re a



heavyweight coffee drinker and can’t

For others, reasonable / small amounts coffee

stop drinking it while pregnant, at least

can be good for you. It can prevent serious

reduce your coffee intake to one cup a

diseases, boost your mind and muscles, and

day.

even help you with weight loss. Remember, as

If you have high cholesterol please

long as you drink toxin free, specialty coffee

choose filtered coffee. Coffee beans

and brew it with care, you can and should be

contain cafestol and kahweol, two

enjoying it knowing it's good for you.

ingredients that appear to raise LDL cholesterol levels. Filtering the coffee traps most of the LDL, but cafestol and kahweol are found in espresso, turkish coffee, french press and scandinavian style “cooked coffee”.



Coffee

for

kids,

may

increase

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 50

Managing Your Condition

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 51

Brain Training “Each issue will include exercises to strengthen your brain!”

The rules of brain training: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Try and do a minimum and maximum of thirty minutes each day.

Try and commit to doing for ten weeks. This duration requires that you set time to one side to complete this.

It has to be challenging to work. If it’s to easy there are no benefits.

To keep motivated set yourself rewards. If you complete an exercise give yourself a reward, something to look forward to!

As well as doing exercises on your own work with others to increase your social skills.

Word Search Exercise For The Brain Diet Exercise Nutrition Fitness Yoga Protein Carbs Breakfast Water Muscle

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 52

Brain Training Applications “A selection of applications that are fun but will also improve cognition�

This maze is much more complex than usual. You start on the left hand side and have to escape to exit on the right hand side.

However there are multiple dead

ends and only one solution!

Perhaps time yourself to see how long it takes you, take a note of the time and try it again a few weeks later. Have fun!

Improve Cognition

START

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 53

“MyBrainTraining - the Online-Fitness-Center for your brain!”

MyBrainTraining Professional

approximately

10%

of

patients

with

schizophrenia commit suicide.

(proven effective in study with Schizophrenia Patients

Depressed schizophrenia patients are at particularly high risk for suicide the first

conducted by University of Hamburg, Germany, Prof. Steffen

few months after diagnosis and after hospital discharge. The University of

Moritz)

Hamburg Approximately

25%

of

schizophrenia

patients experience course-related depression. Depression in patients with schizophrenia is linked to reduced social

and

vocational

functioning,

increased likelihood of psychotic relapse and

Re-hospitalization,

and

other

problems. Depression in patients with schizophrenia also has been linked to undesirable life events, especially “exit events” such as losing people in their lives, as well as suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, Overall,

and it

has

completed been

suicides.

noted

that

utilized

MyBrainTraining

Professional in a study with a total of 90 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia and

participated

in

a

randomized-

controlled study executed via the Internet.

All subjects were either former patients or have

participated

in

online

forums

pertaining to psychotic disorders. Various control

measures

ascertain

their

were

disorder

employed with

a

to high

probability, e.g. checks for plausibility. After a

baseline

evaluation,

subjects

were

randomly assigned to three treatment groups:

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 54

cognition treatment arm at time of (1) MyBrainTraining

Professional

(standard version).

(2) MyBrainTraining

follow-up. This indicates that patients have become more conscious about

Professional

–

their problematic cognitive strategies

including a meta-cognitive extension

leading to altering of decision making

(now part of the standard version)

patterns.

(3) Control Group. The frequent use of MyBrainTraining

Notably, subjects showing reluctance to make decisions could, per current

Professional led to improving symptoms

readings, be an important indicator for

of depression; the correlation between

avoiding

using MyBrainTraining Professional and

symptoms of psychotic disorders and

the reduction of feeling depressed was

harmful behavioral consequences.

or

reducing

recurring

To The frequent use of MyBrainTraining

learn

more

www.MyBrainTraining.com

Professional with metacognitive extension (assessment

of

confidence

in

please

one’s

judgment; feedback on mistakes when being overly confident or responding too hastily) led to a significant reduction in premature/hasty decision making (i.e. reluctant decision making – measured by the so-called “Fish Test”) and high confidence in own judgment in the meta-

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 55

go

to

Improve Cognition

significant.

How friendly is it?

The Tower

Easy for all ages to pick up and play but does require reasonable co-ordination as the game increases in difficulty What phone/system is it compatible with?

Available on Google Play and iTunes Review of application and rating

Build the tallest tower in the world to reach the sky with a power of one-tap game play!

Beat your friends, unlock new towers, dis-

We give this a ★★★ rating.

Its

very

good

and

simple

to

use

plus it’s free and highly addictive

cover all locations.

What will it do?

May improve focus and concentration. Good for co-ordination and processing speed as you have tap the screen at the right time.

To avoid getting frustrated with this game it is best to play frequently but for short periods of time as some practice is required.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 56

How friendly is it?

Crossy Road

Easy for all ages to pick up and play but does require reasonable co-ordination as the game increases in difficulty What phone/system is it compatible with?

Available on Google Play and iTunes Review of application and rating We give this a ★★★★ rating. very

good

and

simple

to

use

plus it’s free and highly addictive. It’s Crossy Road for people age over forty is

slightly easier than the tower game

similar to the video game frogger from 1981,

reviewed on the previous page hence we

all be it n updated version. The object of the

rate it a littler higher.

game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one by crossing a busy road and navigating a river full of hazards

The same tip also applies to this game so to avoid getting frustrated with this game it is best to play frequently but for short

What will it do?

periods of time as some practice is

May improve focus and concentration. Good

required.

for co-ordination and processing speed as you have tap the screen at the right time.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 57

Improve Cognition

Its

speed as you have tap the screen at the right

Glow Hockey

time.

How friendly is it?

Easy for all ages to pick up and play but does require reasonable co-ordination as the game increases in difficulty What phone/system is it compatible with?

Glow Hockey delivers a new style of hockey game. Easy to play, hard to master. Challenge

Available on Google Play

yourself with the computer opponents!

Review of application and rating



2-player mode (on the same device).

We give this a ★★★★ rating.



Colourful glow graphics.

The same tip also applies to this game so to



Smooth and responsive game play.

avoid getting frustrated with this game it is



Realistic physics.



best to play frequently but for short periods of

Quick play mode (single player), challenge yourself with 4 difficulty levels (easy to insane).



4 selectable paddles and pucks.



Vibrate when goal.

time as some practice is required.

This is a great game in single player mode bt loads more fun is to be had when playing against someone else

What will it do?

May improve focus and concentration. Good for co-ordination and reaction / processing

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 58

Book Review A Hard Chance about by a terrible car accident are wonderful.

He weaves in and out of time in masterly way.

By

contemplating

"before"

and

"now"

vignettes of life, we can see the emotional devastation this tragedy brought to the author's wife and to him.

This incident and its immediate effects are A delve into the impact of an instant life

earth shattering, the hospital stage is in

shattering trauma on relationships and love.

retrospect, the "easy" part of a journey into

After deciding to separate from each other, the

what were well known, but now are uncharted

author and his wife are involved in a tragic car

waters.

accident which leaves her at death's door with profound disabilities.

Rehabilitation, no matter how spectacular, cannot erase the event and its consequences.

The role of caregiver is very difficult to define. Is it based on love, obligation,

We give this book a ★★★★ rating

responsibility? Perhaps elements of all three?

The authors description of what might be called the "acute" stage of the crisis brought

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 59

Movie Review Concussion Over the next few years, Omalu discovers that three other deceased former NFL players, Terry Long, Justin Strzelczyk and Andre Waters, had symptoms very similar to Webster's. He finally persuades newly appointed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to present his findings before a committee on player safety. However, the NFL In 2002, former Pittsburgh Steelers centre

doesn't take Omalu seriously; they don't even

Mike Webster is found dead in his pickup

allow him to be in the room for the

truck. Pennsylvania coroner's office, handles

presentation, forcing Bailes to give it for him.

Webster's autopsy, and discovers that he has

Amid growing scrutiny from Congress, the

severe

ultimately

NFL is forced to take the concussion issue

determines that Webster died as a result of the

more seriously. This film clearly identifies the

long-term effects of repeated blows to the

pitfalls of a billion dollar business verses the

head. With the help of former Steelers team

ethical concerns surrounding safety that are

doctor Julian Bailes, fellow neurologist

still being debated today.

brain

damage.

He

Steven T. DeKosky and county coroner Cyril Wecht, Omalu publishes a paper on his

We give this film a ★★★★ rating of “must

findings, which is initially dismissed by the

see” as it will appeal not only to sports

NFL.

enthusiasts but also to also people in with head injury.

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 60

Print & e-Magazine Subscriptions For Patient Waiting Room Reading!

Simply send a blank email to subscribe@healthisyourwealth.co.uk OR Click Here!

Copy and paste the web address below or type the www address into you web browser.

NOTE The E-Magazine is FREE!!!

And can be printed out for your patients to read.

www.healthisyourwealth.co.uk and click on Subscriptions Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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Key Contacts Sales/ Advertising Carolyn Wright Director of Sales Telephone: +44 (0) 1332 416131 E-mail: cw@healthisyourwealth.co.uk

Positive Mental Attitude

Website / BLOG for: www.HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

PMA@HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

webmaster@HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

Feedback / Comments / Testimonials feedback@HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

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Editor: Editor@HealthisYourWealth.co.uk

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

Page 62

This publication helping increase awareness for these organizations:

Health is Your Wealth Magazine

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