Pupils at Wimbledon High School achieve some of the highest grades in the UK- but now they are being taught how to fail.

‘Failure week’ is about teaching young women that failing is an acceptable, normal and healthy part of life. They will learn how to cope with failure through a series of assemblies, workshops and activities, along with hearing stories from parents and tutors revealing their own failures.

Headmistress Heather Hanbury said: “Fear of failing can be really crippling and stop the girls doing things they really want to do.”

Overreactions to failure can cause severe anxiety and low self-esteem, which often has negative impacts on other aspects of life.

Ms Hanbury explained that her emphasis as headmistress was to promote resilience and robustness amongst her pupils, in the hope that they would take these important characteristics with them into the working world.

The fear of failing can prevent a person from taking risks, and leave them in a rut. Anxiety can cause a whole host of resulting health problems, including headaches, fatigue, obsessions, insomnia and heart palpitations.

Learning how to cope with failure from a young age could help prevent mental health problems later in life.

Find out more about how counselling can help people suffering from anxiety and low self-esteem by following the links.

View and comment on the original BBC News article. 

Chef Kevin Boyle, who filmed alongside Jamie Oliver in a Chanel 4 cooking series in 2002, killed himself last month after suffering from depression for 10 years.

Mr Boyle, 26 at the time of his death, was found in a wooded garden two miles from his family home in Purley. According to his sister Naomi Anderson, this was not the first attempt he had made to take his own life.

Now the 30 year old Accounts Manager has spoken out against the mental health system, which she believes failed to help her younger brother when he needed it most.

“Kevin had suicidal thoughts in 2010 and confided to friends and family, which resulted in him being sectioned, and his treatment was brutal. He was pinned down, sedated, with no compassion for his condition. It was a disgusting way to treat anybody,” she said.

One in 5,700 men commits suicide every year, making suicide the most common way for a young man to die.

Mrs Anderson believes that the lack of support available for men suffering with depression is shockingly low. There is a certain notion that asking for help is a sign of weakness. This means that many young men continue to struggle on through life without help.

She is now using her brother’s tragic death to raise awareness for male depression, and hopes that some good will come out of her devastating loss.

Dave Ahern, head chef of Ben’s Canteen in Clapham, has been so moved by Mr Boyle’s suicide that he has promised to help fight the stigma surrounding depression in the ‘macho’ restaurant industry.

On April 30 Mr Ahern will be hosting a charity dinner for 200 people in order to raise £70,000 for suicide prevention charity Calm. The dinner will be attended by 50 chefs, including Michelin-starred Russel Brown and MasterChef winner Mat Follas.

Depression is not something to be ashamed of. Seeking help is the first step towards getting better. To find out more about how counselling can help people battling with depression, please visit our Types of Distress section. 

View and comment on the original Evening Standard article.

A hospital has set up a number of 1950′s style rooms in a bid to help dementia sufferers remember lost memories.

The portable rooms which are approximately 5m by 3m feature retro style wallpaper, furniture, and even newspapers containing authentic fifties headlines.

In addition, patients are also played familiar songs from years gone by and are able to watch films from previous decades with the hope of offering some comfort and familiarity to those who are confused and suffering from memory loss.

Bristol Royal Infirmary is the first hospital to trial the rooms and have built and kitted them out using a £175,000 grant from WRVS.

The hospital hopes that the rooms will encourage patients to sit and talk to nurses about what they remember, hopefully bringing about a sense of calm.

The new scheme is also looking to integrate volunteers with the hospital ward team, and will be piloted across a couple of wards during the next six months before being rolled out across the city centre hospital trust if it proves a success.

For information about dementia, please visit our fact-sheet 

View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

According to a recent study, recommendations that were introduced across England and Wales during the past decade

The study in question has been published in health journal the Lancet, and has suggested that new interventions such as introducing a 24-hour crisis team for individuals who have refused treatment appear to have had a positive impact.

Whilst the way in which the study was carried out means that researchers cannot say whether it was the reforms that were responsible for the reduction or other changes in society – comparing figures from before and after the recommendations were introduced has left researchers feeling fairly certain that they did have an impact.

Speaking to the BBC, Professor Nav Kapur from the University of Manchester – where the study was conducted – has said that he and his team have estimated that there were 200 to 300 fewer suicides per year as a result of the measures.

The idea of the reforms came about in 2001, when a series of recommendations were made in a bid to reduce the number of suicides among individuals receiving mental health care.

Over a decade after the changes were introduced and it would seem that providing more intensive support to vulnerable individuals has actually helped to reduce the rates of patient suicides.

The findings have been welcomed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists: “We welcome this excellent study showing how local implementation of comprehensive mental health services reduces the number of people who die by suicide.” Commented director of public education at the organisation, Dr Peter Byrne.

“It proves the value of investing in safe psychiatric wards, close follow-up of discharged patients and specialised teams.” He said.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

Scientists at Imperial College London have been exploring the possible benefits of taking the Psilocybin Mushroom – better known to party-goers as magic mushrooms or ‘shrooms’.

The hallucinogenic effects of magic mushrooms have been known for thousands of years and even feature in cave paintings dating back to the Mesolithic era. Now research has shown that the fungus might also have anti-depressant properties similar to those of Prozac.

Robin Carhard Harris of the college’s medicine department, said: “We’re not saying go out there and eat magic mushrooms … But… this drug has such a fundamental impact on the brain that it’s got to be meaningful … it’s got to be telling us something about how the brain works.”

The drug is thought to alter two key areas of the brain. The first is called the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), associated with depression, and the second is called the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), which is associated with consciousness and self-identity.

The mushroom is though to suppress mPFC and have a similar effect to other approaches, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Researchers are assuming a cautious approach to the findings, due to the illegal and dangerous nature of Psilocybin mushroom- the use of which is not recommended.

If you are suffering from depression, you are advised to consider counselling techniques. To find out more about depression and how counselling can help, visit our page on Depression. Alternatively, use our advanced search tool to find a counsellor suitable for your needs.

View and comment on the original Medical News Today article. 

Last year Lauren Reed woke up from jaw replacement surgery headache-free for the first time in 20 years.

The 33-year-old music teacher described the pain as ‘unbearable’ and said: “I couldn’t sleep or eat properly. I just couldn’t function. It was like seeing the world through a grey fog. I was a miserable person.”

Miss Reed began to suffer from blinding headaches and jaw pain when she was a child.  She was diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder, which is pain or restricted movement in the jaw joint.

She had corrective surgery as a University student in her 20s, but the procedure was unsuccessful and left her in even more pain than before.

Eating became incredibly painful and she soon stopped going out with other people due to embarrassment of having to eat such tiny mouthfuls. Ten years went by where Lauren lived on painkillers and sheer willpower.

Eventually, her dentist referred her to a clinic at King’s College Hospital and London, run by maxillofacial surgeon Shaun Matthews. After examination, Mr Matthews convinced her that the only cure would be a complete jaw joint replacement.

Lauren accepted the procedure on the grounds that the pain was too much to live with and she didn’t care if it changed the way she looked.

The replacement itself was made from titanium and had to be shipped from Colorado in the USA. Using 3D scans of her head and jaw, the US team made a virtual model of Miss Reed’s bone anatomy to help Mr Matthews prepare for the complex 9 hour operation.

The new joint woks via a hinge process, whereby the patient is able to move their mouth up and down, but not side to side.

Lauren is now pain-free and enjoying her life. She claims that even her pupils have noticed a difference in the way she acts.

Chronic pain can be isolating and debilitating. If you think you are suffering from depression as a result of chronic pain, you may benefit from visiting a counsellor. To find out more, visit our Depression page. Alternatively, you can find a counsellor using our advanced search tool.  

View and comment on the original BBC article.

Nearly one in every 10 households spend a quarter of their annual income on unsecured loan repayments.

Debt charity the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) has revealed a huge divide between the north and south of England when it comes to debt repayments.

According to a recent report from the charity, the number of individuals who have contacted them for help has more than doubled between 2005 and 2010, with the north of England, Wales and Scotland seeing the most considerable increases.

CCCS chairman, Lord Stevenson has said that households are struggling up and down the UK, but it is the northern regions that are struggling the most.

Individuals who are having difficulty controlling their finances should not delay in getting help. The earlier action is taken to in terms of talking through options with creditors and consolidating debts the better.

CSSS advise individuals who are worrying about debts not to bury their head in the sand.

If you have credit card bills to pay off then you may be able to negotiate a freeze on the interest and reduced monthly repayments so you have more of a chance to catch up. Mortgage lenders will also have various options available which could help you to get on top of debts. For example, you may be able to spread your mortgage over a longer term or reduce your monthly payments.

Financial problems can often lead onto psychological issues such as stress, anxiety and depression. If you feel that your money worries are beginning to effect you on an emotional level, visit our debt page to find out how counselling may be able to help you.

For additional practical advice about debt, visit the CCCS website.

View and comment on the original Mirror article.

If you are married to your job and frequently find yourself in the office for more than 11 hours, you could be putting yourself at an increased risk of suffering from depression.

Experts have found that individuals who work for 11 or more hours a day are at double the risk of suffering from depression than their colleagues who work a standard eight-hour day.

The study in question followed over 2,000 civil servants for a period of almost six years, and revealed a clear link between regular overtime and depression.

The researchers found that employees working the longest hours were more likely to be men than women, married or living with a partner and generally exceeded the recommended alcohol limits.

Even when the above risk factors were taken into account, workaholics were still 2.5 times more likely to suffer from at least one major episode of depression after six years, despite all of them having no prior experience of mental health problems.

Chief executive of mental health charity Mind, Paul Farmer, has said that making employees work excessive hours is a false economy: “Not only are tired, unhappy workers less productive, but they risk developing mental health issues that if handled badly, can be costly to businesses. ”

If you are often in the office late or working overtime and you feel that your emotional well-being is starting to feel the effects then it is important that you address the situation as soon as possible. Discuss your workload with your manager or a colleague so that you can arrive at a solution together.

It may be that you feel the depression has already taken hold, or the first signs are appearing – if this is the case then talking to a counsellor in confidence may benefit you. Visit our depression page to find out more or use the search tool located on our homepage to locate a counsellor in your local area.

View and comment on the original Independent article.

It is thought that approximately 5 to 10% of people who use the internet are clinically addicted. To be addicted, the individual must find it impossible to control their use.

Henrietta Bowden Jones, consultant psychiatrist at Imperial College London and head of the UK’s only internet addiction clinic, said: “I have seen people who stopped attending university lectures, failed their degrees or their marriages broke down because they were unable to emotionally connect with anything outside the game.”

The press has recently reported a number of tragic cases related to internet addiction. A young man from Sheffield, who’d been accepted into the University of Leicester, died of a blood clot after spending up to 12 hours a day playing his Xbox. In the US, a toddler starved to death while her mother was busy playing online games for hours at a time.

With the rise of increasingly sophisticated games, we can expect to hear more stories like this. Henrietta Bowden Jones was careful to differentiate between real, detrimental internet addiction, and our naturally increasing exposure to internet attributed to the changing face of communication and work tools.

Researchers in China scanned the brains of 17 young people diagnosed with internet addiction disorder and compared them with MRI scans from 16 non-addicted adolescents. The results revealed an impairment of white matter fibres in the brain that connect to regions associated with attention span, decision making, emotional processing and cognitive control.

Similar impairments have been observed in other forms of addiction, such as alcohol and cocaine abuse.

If you would like help dealing with an internet addiction or any other form of addiction, you may benefit from seeing a counsellor specialising in this subject. For more information, please visit our Addictions page. Alternatively, search for a counsellor according to location, specialism, method or keyword. 

View and comment on the original Independent article. 

Last year, NSPCCs 25-year-old ChildLine launched an online version of its call-centre service.

Children who wanted to get in touch about a range of serious issues could now write an email, send a text, or start a live web chat with a volunteer counsellor.

The launch proved incredibly popular, with 60% of ChildLine’s counselling now taking place online.

ChildLine has been supporting struggling children since 1986 and since then, has spread to 150 countries and helped 2.6 million children.

The charity deals with all issues from parental divorce to abuse, cyber bullying and suicide.

ChildLine has taken care to keep up with the rapidly developing technologies and methods of communication in order to always be available for children who need support.

The NSPCC is keen to invest its energy into developing links with technology experts Genseys and its implementation partner ProtCall One.

Sue Minto, head of ChildLine, said: “By developing our online service we can reach out to more of these very troubled children who are struggling to cope with complex problems that are blighting their lives, and may not have contacted us without this new service.”

Research shows that children are now three times more likely to discuss self-harm through online chat or email as opposed speaking on the telephone.

Many counsellors listed on our directory offer long-distance services, including telephone calls, video calls and email. To contact a counsellor, please follow the link to our search facility.

View and comment on the original Call Centre Clinic article.