The number of people seeking professional help for a gambling addiction increased by more than 20% last year according to a charity that supports compulsive players, reports the Guardian. GamCare is an advisory body that helps those with gambling addictions and is partly funded by the betting industry. They deal with around 100 people a read more »

A new multi-million pound strategy put in place by the government, aims to increase access to “talking therapies” in England and should cover up to 75% of the country by March, reports the BBC. It has been estimated that six million working age adults suffer from depression or anxiety at any one time, resulting in read more »

Today the Counselling Directory Team took part in the Walk for Wellbeing, raising over £500 for the charity Together. A big thanks to everyone who took part in the walk and to those of you who donated to the worthwhile cause. Together is a leading UK Mental Health Charity working alongside each person with mental read more »

In a recent poll a quarter of nurses have reported that anti psychotic drugs are being wrongly prescribed to dementia patients on general hospital wards. The survey, which polled 650 nurses and 450 nurse managers revealed that the widespread use of these powerful drugs is often just to control ‘difficult’ patients. In relation to this, read more »

UK doctors are trialling a new scheme which sees psychiatric patients receive cash for taking their medication correctly, reports BBC News. 68 patients suffering with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia are participating in a new scheme in which they are rewarded with £15 for every jab of anti-psychotic drug they take, giving them a possible annual read more »

In a recent article featured on Times online, it has been suggested that surfing can help sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to recover. West Cornwall based Rich Emerson has been battling against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of serving in Operation Desert Storm. Since his discharge he has experienced all the classic read more »

Being constantly stressed for a year or more can increase the risk of having a stroke, reports The Guardian. In a research study funded by the Swedish research council and the Swedish Stroke Association, researchers found that out of the 566 stroke patients asked about stress in the past five years, most of them acknowledged read more »

It is likely that in years to come drug tests before exams will become routine for student reports The Independent. ‘Smart drugs’ as they have been coined are claimed to enhance academic performance by increasing focus, concentration and stimulation. Those who are desperate to succeed are now turning to drugs such as Ritalin which is read more »

The families of those who are suffering with dementia are often not receiving the care and support they need until a crisis occurs, reports BBC news. As a response to the UK health department’s effort to develop policies that will respond effectively to dementia as the number of cases grow, Gordon Brown has proposed the read more »