Summer?

So, what has happened to the summer?

​Obviously being fortunate enough to visit Greece we were lulled into a sense of false security.  Therefore, I have not been impressed with having to put on woolly socks a couple of evenings recently… and then the next day it is 25 degrees.  The whole world is going mad and out-of-control.

Actually, whilst away, although I did look at the news headline and the weather reports, it was noticeable how the incessant updates create – for me – a real feeling of doom-and-gloom.  Whilst it is probably best to have some idea of what is going on in the world, I think I am going to avoid it as much as possible! 

​On the day we returned from Kefalonia I attended an online ‘counselling’ session run by the NHS.  My doctor directed me to the service because the last few months, as you know, have proven to be rather “challenging”.  There are various easy-to-use, standard questionnaires / assessments that can be used as a springboard for treatment:

• Patient Health Questionnaires PHQ-9  measures response to treatment and the severity of DEPRESSION [result = moderately severe symptoms]
• Generalised Anxiety Disorders GAD-7 measures levels of ANXIETY. [result = severe symptoms]

I also did a WSAS assessment – which is a Work and Social Adjustment Scale which indicated “significant functional impairment but less severe clinical symptomatology”. Basically, implying that work has been making me feel rather unwell!

The weekly sessions that I am attending are via Let's Talk 2gether. (click on the link) but funnily enough - there is no talking from the patients whatsoever!  The professionals present different topics and practices as well as exercises and homework, and then all other communication is via the bubble-chat [type] options.  I just think that it's quite funny to call it 'Let's Talk'.

Hmmm… but food for thought nevertheless!