Beating Insomnia

Stress is the load put on a structure. Strain is what happens when the load either exceeds the tolerance of the structure or when the stress is applied in a direction or manner for which the structure isn’t designed.

Weak, cynical, lazy, manipulative or selfish people don’t tend to suffer from stress. People around them do but

Identifying these problematic thoughts and compensatory actions are the basis of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a much-used therapeutic strategy for insomnia

our parents, teachers and peers fail to teach us that ‘I’m OK and the world is OK’, we tend to lead our lives fearfully, expecting the worst and constantly guarding against

This may be because there is only a small effect in most people, or because the results are good but only in a few. Being a scientist, I’m bound by methods which have a solid evidence base, either from research or from wide clinical experience.

Strive to be at ease with the person you are. Even if you are a parent,

you need when you’re trying to recover from depression. If you do go on a z-drug, zopiclone is probably the best option, being the least addictive and sufficiently long-acting to get you past the characteristic early morning waking pattern of depressive illness, though a few people take the ultra-short-acting zaleplon not last thing at night but wh

Punishment doesn’t work, leading only to powerlessness and apathy; and insulting yourself for your mistakes and shortcomings is a punishment. Avoid double standards here. Ensure that you only ever

Ever-increasing demands with ever-diminishing resources and influence is a common lament in my consulting room. One stress or demand