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Meditation is a centuries old experience that can help to generate feelings of inner peace and clarity and promote physical relaxation and optimal health. In recent times meditation has been pushed into the spotlight under the umbrella term of mindfulness which has become popular in psychology and counselling circles. Meditation involves bringing your attention firmly to your body or your mental processes. It invites individuals to focus on what they are experiencing on a physical or psychologi[...]

We all experience stress and anxiety from time to time, it’s an unavoidable component of living in a global society infused with sophisticated technology and focused on material acquisition that runs at breakneck speed 24 hours a day. How are stress and panic different? However panic attacks and panic disorder are very different from transient periods of intense stress. They are by nature [...]

Symptoms of Depression Depression is one of the most common mental health problems facing the western world. In Australia, approximately 1 in 5 adults are experiencing depression at any one time. When people hear the word "depression" they typically associate it with what the DSM classify as major depressive disorder. The symptoms associated with depression include: loss of enjoyment of previously pleasurable activities unable to sleep (insomnia) or staying asleep for much of th[...]

We live in a world where we are bombarded with images and messages about our bodies. If our bodies don’t look a particular way, there is an implication that there is something fundamentally wrong about ourselves that we should address. If after having a baby we aren’t back in a bikini within a few months, we are labelled as lazy. Dieting is part of modern life I think it would be hard to find an adult, male or female, who hasn’t dieted at some point in their lives. For short periods of time, dieti[...]

OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder is a crippling and horrific experience. It involves intense anxiety and afflicted individuals often feel ruled by the disorder. OCD includes obsessive or recurrent thoughts, images or impulses which generate psychological unease, fear and worry. Compulsive acts to ward off the psychological disturbance often follow or can occur independently and typically include checking, hand-washing, hoarding, counting or ritualised procedures. However the nature of the compulsions can lead [...]

Have you been phubbed yet today? Have you phubbed someone without realising it? Phubbing refers to an individual using their mobile electronic device either sporadically or continuously when they are in the company of others. Given society’s obsession with facebook, twitter, my space, texting, emailing and instant responding, it’s no wonder this process has been given a name all of its own. Why, when you are hanging out with your best friend, your kids or your partner, would you end up phubbing such important people? The answe[...]

Yes people, especially women, can become dependent on chocolate; but it is important to understand that chocolate is not an addictive substance itself. A dependency on chocolate can occur however, but as a result of more complex combinations of physical and psychological reasons and in the physical, are thought to be more commonly connected to additive ingredients. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine which are both addictive compounds, while the high fat and carbohydrate content in chocolate stimulates gre[...]