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Mental health

Why am I so tired?

Health

I am not talking about feeling weary. I am talking about bone crushing fatigue even after a good night’s sleep or a relaxed holiday. The body is a wonderful structure. If something is a bit off kilter, it will tell us, we must just listen. Fatigue is a terrific teacher. We have no choice but to slow down and review.  If we take heed and make corrections, then the body will restore itself. It wants to be well and function optimally. So, if you are feeling tired all the time, it’s worthwhile trying to figure out why. The bulk of the…

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Going straight for the gut

Diet

We have always known that our mood affects our guts. My anxious patients complain of diarrhoea and my depressed patients of constipation. I could never have imagined how much of a role the gut microbiota plays in communicating with the brain and modulating behavior. I never took “gut feeling” literally! Our gut, the small intestine and the large intestine, is filled with over a kilogram of bacteria, the gut microbiota. That’s almost the weight of an average brain. These bacteria carry more than a hundred times the genes of the human genome. It is comprised of 150 common bacteria and…

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Let’s talk about sleep

Health

Almost all of my patients struggle with sleep problems. It stands to reason, a symptom of many mental illnesses is disturbed sleep. Furthermore, sleep disturbances destabilise mental illnesses and makes them worse.So, for many of my patients addressing sleep problems is a serious priority. It should be for you too. 40% of South Africans are not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is linked with chronic illnesses like hypertension, heart disease and stroke. It drops your immunity, so you end up with constant colds and flus. Being sleep deprived makes you moody, depressed and leads to cognitive decline and memory problems.…

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Let’s talk about exercise

Health

In continuing thoughts about self care, let’s talk about exercise. Exercise makes us live longer. Exercise makes us healthier. Exercise improves our sex lives. It improves our energy. It makes us happier. It makes us look good. It helps us sleep well. It is the elixir of the gods. The neurobiology around exercise is amazing. It reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin; making us calmer, more focused, more able to cope. It opens serotonin, dopamine and noradrenalin channels; boosting our sense of well being and even treating depression and anxiety. As our skeletal muscles work they release Brain…

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Let’s talk about self care- introduction

Family

We are biological beings. At a basic level everybody knows that for a plant to flourish it needs water, nutrient rich soil, air and sunshine. Human beings aren’t that different. To thrive and avoid disease we need at minimum a healthy diet, exercise, fresh air and like our chlorophyll infused friends- sunshine. It seems obvious, doesn’t it? When we are hungry, we should eat. When we are tired, we should rest. Yet, for many in my practice, meeting these basic biological needs seems like an indulgence. An unobtainable luxury. Success is often driven by grit, determination and a high threshold…

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Let’s talk about food

Diet

I am taking a break over the holidays. For the next four weeks I will be republishing a few of my favourite blogs. In continuing with thoughts about selfcare, I would like to talk about food. I hosted a dinner party the other night and there was a vegetarian, someone who was Banting-it and a gluten intolerant guest. We generally agreed that Trump was a disaster, wailed about corruption in SA politics and lamented the drought. But when we got to food, the opinions clashed and arguments got heated. I bet that Mrs Cavewoman host did not have these problems.…

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Please note my new address: 1 Denbigh Rd, Constantia

Mental health

I am a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who work to prevent, diagnose and treat mental illnesses. As such, we can prescribe medication to restore balances within the brain. The brain is an organ, like any other in the body and is not exempt from getting sick. It is not just an organ. It is also that amorphous construct, that which we call mind. The mind can make the brain sick and the brain can influence and alter the mind. Accessing the mind is tricky. That is why psychiatrists have a sound understanding of psychology and possess psychotherapeutic skills. Being…

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