If only it was sex, drugs and rock and roll: the Modern Dilemma.
Mental health disorders are common in children and adolescents. As GPs we see an increasing number of teenagers with symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It is a good thing that these young people present for help and recent mental health promotion and increasing recognition and acceptance of these illnesses has helped make it easier for people to seek help.
Don't Die of Embarrassment
As doctors we have all seen patients who have avoided seeking medical help out of a fear of embarrassment. Rashes in the groin, sexual problems, problems with urination, bowel issues, lumps in unusual places, fears of sexually transmitted diseases, emotional concerns, abuse at the hands of others and many more fall into this category.
Post Natal Depression
All new parents will experience fatigue and extremes of emotion at some point but how can you tell the difference between simple tiredness and Postnatal depression (PND)?
It is common for new mothers to experience the baby blues in the first few weeks after birth. This can be crying and feeling low, but if these symptoms persist after the first month, or occur in the year after birth, this may be postnatal depression.
RUOK
RUOK is a suicide prevention charity in Australia, reminding people that having meaningful conversations with mates and loved ones could save lives.
Staying connected and having meaningful conversations is something we can all do. You don't need to be an expert - just a great mate and a good listener. So, if you notice someone who might be struggling - start a conversation.
One of the more common presentations to General Practitioners are complaints of tiredness without any particular other symptoms to suggest a cause. People will just say they feel tired all the time and don’t know why.
Most often no physical illness can be found and the tiredness is related to work/life balance issues, lifestyle factors such as insufficient sleep, life stresses and sometimes mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Through out history, people have tried to explain illness and how it affects the workings of the body. A major philosophical advance came with the work of a French philosopher, Renee Descartes, in the 17th century. He believed that the mind and the body were separated from each other.