Insights & Support

One of the things I often see around addiction is shame. People can feel ashamed of what they are doing, ashamed that they can't seem to stop, and ashamed that they have allowed things to reach this point. Sometimes that shame can become so strong that they hide what is happening from everyone around them. They may continue going to work. They may maintain their relationships. They may appear confident and capable. But privately, they can be struggling with something they fee

As a psychotherapist, I often think about the ways we learn to cope with difficult periods in our lives. We all have ways of dealing with stress. Some of us exercise. Some talk to friends. Some keep busy. Others watch television, scroll through their phones, have a drink, go shopping, work longer hours or simply try to distract themselves from what is going on. None of these things are necessarily problematic. In fact, having ways to give ourselves a break from stress can be

I often meet people who have been carrying a great deal of stress for a long time. Sometimes that stress comes from work. Sometimes it's family responsibilities, financial pressure, relationship difficulties or the feeling that there are simply too many things demanding their attention. Often, it's a combination of all of them. When we are under pressure for long enough, most of us will start looking for some form of relief. That might be completely harmless. We might watch t

In my work as a psychotherapist, I often come across people who find it surprisingly difficult to rest. They may have finished work for the day. There are no urgent emails to answer and nothing that immediately needs their attention. Yet instead of feeling relaxed, they feel guilty. They might be watching television, spending time with their family or simply sitting down, but there's a voice in the back of their mind telling them they should be doing something else. Checking

In my work I sometimes meet people who tell me that they've just come back from a holiday, yet they still feel exhausted. They may have spent a week or two away from work. They've had time away from emails, meetings, deadlines and the daily pressure of their job. And yet, within a few days of returning, they feel exactly as they did before. Sometimes, they can even feel frustrated with themselves. They think, "I've just had a break. Why don't I feel better?" For me, this is o