Alina Ivan

Ever heard the saying that the gut is your second brain? We’ve all experienced feeling emotions in our stomachs. From excitement to stress and anxiety, emotions can cause us to have butterflies, feel nauseous and sometimes affect our digestion. Our brains often send signals to neurons (the cells responsible

Deciding to seek support can be difficult in itself. Congratulations for taking this important step! Now you’re left to face navigating the range of mental health support. Should you speak to a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, therapist or a coach? Perhaps your friend has had psychodynamic therapy or Cognitive Behaviour

Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) is a form of neurodiversity - a difference in how the brain is hard-wired when compared to neurotypical individuals. If you are frequently hyperactive, restless, have trouble concentrating, have a wandering/foggy mind, act on impulse or have difficulty controlling emotions, you may have ADHD.

Deciding to go into therapy can be hard enough, but deciding which type is best for you can present another obstacle, given the vast array of styles of therapy styles. To demystify the process and give you insight into different kinds of therapy, in this post we’re going to

Deciding that it’s time to seek support from a psychiatrist can be hard enough, but accessing the right private support can present another obstacle. Whether you are looking to see a psychiatrist online or in person, the Augmentive community offers a range of psychiatrists who are able to help

While therapy can be hugely beneficial, it's not the only way in which you can support your mental health.Creativity provides an outlet for both trauma and grief – people can process how they feel without necessarily having to put those feelings into words. Whether you’re interested in exploring creativity

Schizophrenia is a complicated mental health condition with which one in one hundred of us will be diagnosed in our lives. Schizophrenia can present itself in different ways, and each person may experience unique symptoms. However, some common symptoms that someone might experience include: A lack of interest in thingsFeeling

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of adults in Britain with depression doubled during the pandemic. This is just one example of how the pandemic has taken its toll on people's mental health. UK therapists are seeing an increase in patients with anxiety, depression, and other mental

At the height of the pandemic, we were only entitled to one walk per day. Back then, many of us rediscovered the joy of being out in nature. While we know, instinctively, that spending time in nature is good for us, we often underestimate the real extent to which it

Alcohol is part of the fabric of our society. Here in the UK, 80% of us enjoy an alcoholic drink from time to time (although thanks to younger generations these numbers are now falling). We drink at big life events and social occasions. We drink to unwind after a busy

Christmas is a time of celebration, yet seeing others surrounded by families and friends can often bring up feelings of loneliness and isolation, which may be even further heightened by the change in circumstances brought by the Omicron variant. According to data from the Office of National Statistics in 2017,

Are you familiar with any of the following: Feeling like you are losing control or needing to take control of your life, or having difficulty relaxing;Mood swings;Trouble sleeping;Uncharacteristic mistakes;A sudden lack of confidence;Feeling sad or down;Crying for no apparent reason;Feeling worried or anxious;

Dr Chetna KangTo honour World Mental Health Day, last Thursday we hosted our first hybrid (online & in person) event in collaboration with Dr Chetna Kang. Cheta spoke about what we should expect good mental health to look like, as part of an interactive and energising evening talk, breaking down

We’ve all got a pretty good idea of what it means to be physically healthy. But defining good mental health can be a little trickier. What does it really mean to be a mentally healthy person? What does good mental health look like? Answering these questions will help you

Earlier this year, Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey created The Me You Can’t See, a documentary series about mental health and emotional wellbeing. As part of the programme, Harry revealed that he had undergone EMDR therapy to help him process his mother’s death. What is EMDR therapy, who

We all feel anxious occasionally. It’s a normal part of life. But for someone with an anxiety disorder, feelings of fear or worry are with them most of the time. Anxiety can look and feel different to different people. Severity also varies. However, there are a few common symptoms