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Recommended Books:
Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., and John J. Ratey, M.D. This book is one I enjoyed so much because it is easy to follow and can be enjoyed by both clients and health care professionals. It is a book that describes ADHD and how it can be experienced by a myriad of different people at different stages of life. It describes the best ways to deal with ADHD and forms a psychoeducational resource I know I will be referring back to within my practice of counselling. What I want to talk about: How Autistic interests shape my life. by Pete Wharmby I couldn't actually put this down and I finished it in 4 days (which is amazing for me). Pete talks about autistic special interests along with the joys and challenges these have brought him. It was wonderful to read what his special interests brought to him in ways of inner peace in a hectic environment and it was a really lovely shout out to those who are fans of Warhammer 40k. 100% recommend! |
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Useful Links and information:
Wanting to get assessed for ADHD and/ or Autism?
If you are suspecting that you may be Autistic and/ or have ADHD it might be useful to talk to those closest to you that you trust to ask if they have noticed anything that may be an indicator. If you don't feel comfortable with this you may find it useful to fill in some pre-diagnostic assessment questionnaires and keep a journal of why you feel you have ADHD or are Autistic. You can share these with your GP and ask to be referred for a diagnostic assessment, it may be good to ask how long the waiting lists are as these may be for some years. In this case you can ask for the 'Right to Choose' pathway. Organisations such as Psychiatry UK conduct ADHD and Autism assessments normally at a quicker rate than local NHS services. To find out more, you can follow the link below. In the mean time if you feel that counselling would help you process how you feel about this and need help navigating why you feel you have ADHD/ Autism, a specialist counsellor might be the option for you. Please get in contact if counselling is an option for you.
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/
https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/
Is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) making you feel out of control?
Having a premenstrual disorder can make life challenging and give you mental health problems you can really live without. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD is a negative reaction within the brain to natural hormonal changes in the luteal phase in a woman's menstrual cycle. Usually this causes a decrease in serotonin which is why sufferers feel depression/ low mood, apathy, sluggish and lose all interest in things you would normally find fun. It can also cause irritation, anger and anxiety which adds further to feeling absolute rubbish. There are physical symptoms too such as fatigue, struggles in concentration, brain fog, aches and pains in muscles and joints. This normally last anywhere from a few days to the full 2 weeks of the luteal phase and for some during the first day of their cycle but usually completely disappears once the new cycle has properly started. if you feel you have PMDD it's important to to track your symptoms and talk to your GP, for some with severe PMDD they may have suicidal thoughts and keeping safe should be immediately put into action. If you have any thoughts of harming yourself or thoughts of suicide please go to A&E, call 999 or someone your trust for support.
To find symptom trackers and further information you can go to the links below for more:
https://iapmd.org/
https://seeherthrive.com/
Wanting to get assessed for ADHD and/ or Autism?
If you are suspecting that you may be Autistic and/ or have ADHD it might be useful to talk to those closest to you that you trust to ask if they have noticed anything that may be an indicator. If you don't feel comfortable with this you may find it useful to fill in some pre-diagnostic assessment questionnaires and keep a journal of why you feel you have ADHD or are Autistic. You can share these with your GP and ask to be referred for a diagnostic assessment, it may be good to ask how long the waiting lists are as these may be for some years. In this case you can ask for the 'Right to Choose' pathway. Organisations such as Psychiatry UK conduct ADHD and Autism assessments normally at a quicker rate than local NHS services. To find out more, you can follow the link below. In the mean time if you feel that counselling would help you process how you feel about this and need help navigating why you feel you have ADHD/ Autism, a specialist counsellor might be the option for you. Please get in contact if counselling is an option for you.
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/
https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/
Is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) making you feel out of control?
Having a premenstrual disorder can make life challenging and give you mental health problems you can really live without. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD is a negative reaction within the brain to natural hormonal changes in the luteal phase in a woman's menstrual cycle. Usually this causes a decrease in serotonin which is why sufferers feel depression/ low mood, apathy, sluggish and lose all interest in things you would normally find fun. It can also cause irritation, anger and anxiety which adds further to feeling absolute rubbish. There are physical symptoms too such as fatigue, struggles in concentration, brain fog, aches and pains in muscles and joints. This normally last anywhere from a few days to the full 2 weeks of the luteal phase and for some during the first day of their cycle but usually completely disappears once the new cycle has properly started. if you feel you have PMDD it's important to to track your symptoms and talk to your GP, for some with severe PMDD they may have suicidal thoughts and keeping safe should be immediately put into action. If you have any thoughts of harming yourself or thoughts of suicide please go to A&E, call 999 or someone your trust for support.
To find symptom trackers and further information you can go to the links below for more:
https://iapmd.org/
https://seeherthrive.com/
