‘Anxiety’, we hear this word so much today, ‘stress’… ‘worry’… ‘anxiety’… How often do we use these terms? Especially in the fast paced Northern Beaches. But do we really know what anxiety is, and can we recognise the difference between stress and worries, and anxiety? Anxiety is currently the most common mental health issue in

Being a mum is not only the proverbial hardest job you’ll ever love, as the slogan goes – it is also the hardest job you’ll ever do. Parenthood is tough, especially when you are on your own! One-parent families are the fastest growing type of family in Australia, with over 20% of all families with

With Mothers Day just around the corner, I thought I would write an article on the stresses and strains of modern-day motherhood. In a world where we are busier than ever, where “equality of the sexes” means that women are juggling the demands of home and work-life, and where we are bombarded with parenting advice, (which does nothing

Mindfulness is gaining popularity as a practice in daily life. In the past few years Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington, and Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone have declared themselves devotees. General Mills, the Cheerio’s manufacturer, has a corporate mindfulness programme with 700 members. In some business communities it is so popular that it is

What is stress? ‘Stress’ is defined as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.” In other words, stress is the result of an imbalance between the demands made on us and our personal resources to deal with these demands. Stress is often described as a feeling of

I can! My name is Nicola George and I’m a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with 13yrs experience of working in mental health settings. I have a lot of experience in treating OCD and many other mental health problems with psychological therapy. I specialise in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mentioned above. So, if you can relate

Treatment can help people manage obsessions and compulsions, to reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of OCD. Currently the most effective treatments are medication, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and community support and recovery programs. A combination of treatments, a skilled and experienced clinician, support and education are likely to produce the best outcome.

The causes are not fully understood. Research indicates that OCD may be related to chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. Genetic and casino pa natet hereditary factors may also play a role in the development of OCD. It is likely that each person”s OCD is the result of several interacting factors and is

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common mental health problem, with 2.3% of men and 3.2% of women in Australia experiencing OCD symptoms over the course of their lifetime. That is more the 450,000 Australians! OCD is an anxiety disorder that usually has two aspects; First, obsessions, which are characterised by the presence of intrusive