Sleep is a daily topic in my practice. Whether my patient has struggles with their marriage or mood or just life in general, sleep gets affected. There is so much pressure around sleep. Arianna Huffington leads a “Sleep Revolution” and claims that lack of sleep will make us seriously ill and not functioning at our best. Research has shown that people with insomnia function as well as people without insomnia. We somehow manage to pool our resources when we need it most. There is a big difference between insomnia and sleep deprivation. You are sleep deprived when you desperately need…
The torture of sleep deprivation
A couple came to see me as the last stop before initiating divorce proceedings. Since the birth of their son 18 months before, their home had deteriorated into a war zone. Their baby had colic and was a particularly bad sleeper. Typically, the baby would squawk, and mom would jump up to try to settle him before he woke properly. Inevitably, he did wake and then stayed awake for hours. Mom would become tearful and desperate. Knowing this, dad would also jump up when baby stirred because he wanted to support mom. Both parents were exhausted. Mom was in a…
Multivitamins: To have or not to have
When I make a diagnosis and start treatment, many patients want to know “are there any vitamins I can take to support my getting better?” I love this question because it tells me that the patient wants to be an active participant in their recovery. They don’t just believe that medication will make it all right. Multivitamins and other supplements are multimillion-rand industries. Just walk into any major pharmacy and view the confusing array of vitamins. Time magazine in 1992: I have fallen for the hype too. My son can be a bit of a picky eater, I feel like a…
Greenspaces: Our brains’ call to the wild
I love it when evidence comes out to support my favourite theories. Patients in my practice often discuss the healing nature of nature. Of how the curved lines and gentle sounds are the perfect antidotes to our jagged plugged-in modern day lives. The poets and writers have always known it. John Burroughs wrote: “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” Over the last few years, science has concurred that the healing power of nature is more than just whimsy. Architects and city planners are taking heed, with thought going into…
Inflammation: the brain on fire
A patient came in very upset. She was suffering from headaches and joint pains. She had been to various physicians and had several tests done. She was told that her pain was due to her mood disorder. She felt that she wasn’t being taken seriously, that her doctors wrote it off as “all in her head”. The reality is that mental illnesses can make you physically ill, and physical illnesses can trigger a psychiatric illness. The common pathway is inflammation Inflammation is your body’s response to insult and injury. It is normal and necessary. It’s when a part of your…
The Exercise Prescription
We all know that we need to get more exercise. In today’s technologically driven world we sit too much and move too little. Being a working mom, I am well aware of how I am always rushing around, but not physically moving very much. It is hard to find the time (and inclination) to exercise with dedication. Doctors have been telling their patients to exercise more since Hippocrates said: “walking is man’s best medicine”. A medical prescription is very clear as to the dosage, duration and frequency that is needed. The recommendations on how much and how often to exercise…
Going straight for the gut
I am taking a break over the holidays. For the next four weeks, I will be republishing a few of my favourite blogs. 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…
Let’s talk about food
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.…
Exam time: the outer rim of hell
It’s the time of the year when I, as a psychiatrist, find myself writing letters motivating for extensions, deferments and more time. Nobody likes exams; it’s hard work and the feeling of being evaluated can be unpleasant. But for some people exam time becomes a psychic hell. A patient came to me having continuous panic attacks. She was incapable of sleeping or studying. She had been procrastinating with exam preparations; once she started, she was overwhelmed by the sheer volume. She started working non-stop, breaking only to refill her coffee or buy some cigarettes. Initially, she made good headway. The problem began when she was…
The Adolescent Brain- a treacherous frontier
My 10-year-old son is the sweetest, most easy going child. Recently, very occasionally and out of the blue, he has had a few moody days. It has been such a shock to me that I have been carefully listening to my friends and patients to hear what it is like to parent an adolescent. It seems as if most times adolescents are just wonderful. They are passionate, enthusiastic and eager to earn. But parents of adolescents also tell me of the dark side. The times when the teenager is moody, eye rolling and door slamming. When they push boundaries, lie and…