Did you know that mental health medication can affect you in the heat?

With this in mind, temperatures in the UK reached over 30 degrees Celsius over the past few weeks. It’s essential to know how medication can affect our mental health.
Some of us love the heat, but it’s different to going abroad, and I certainly didn’t enjoy working in the heat or working out in the hot sunshine.

For people like myself who take strong mental health medication in a country not used to these temperatures, this weather is certainly no fun.

Then, we can add that I have bipolar disorder and take a daily medication- if not managed correctly, it can send my blood and body toxic. This has never happened as I have avoided excessive exercise and drink lots of water in the heat.

I take Lamictal for Bipolar 2, where Patients experience an itchy skin rash on the skin exposed to sunlight. Lamotrigine is prescribed to treat several forms of epilepsy and bipolar disorders.

Studies have shown that those with mental illness are at higher risk during heat waves. A 2012 Wisconsin heat wave study, which killed 27 people, found that more than half of those who died had a mental illness, and half were taking psychiatric medication.

Lithium, a mood stabilising medicine in the heat, is relatively well known. It is a natural salt dehydrating the body, so if you don’t drink enough water or eat enough salt, the level of Lithium in the blood saturates and becomes too high- toxic.

Signs of lithium toxicity include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech, increased thirst and lack of coordination of muscles. Severe toxicity signs are blurred vision, painful muscle spasms, seizures and coma.

For those who take Quetiapine, this stops sufferers from developing mania and psychosis. This, taken with other medication, can impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.

By writing this blog and highlighting these side effects, I hope more people will be aware of what affects people with bipolar, schizophrenia/ schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, depression and other illnesses where anti-psychotic meds are used.

Stay safe in this heat! Do your meds affect you?

With an almost limitless amount of information available to us 24/7, it has become common to self-diagnosing mental illness through the web.

However, while in theory learning more about potential symptoms may help ease a person’s mind, the risk of self-diagnosing looms large.

A Statista survey found that 68% of British adults diagnose themselves through the web at least every few months – if not more regularly.

The issue with self-diagnosis is that it may deter people from visiting a doctor.

Without medical expertise, self-diagnosing can often become misdiagnosed. Together, with Jonjo Hancock-Fell at private health cover provider Westfield Health, we look at the critical issues with self-diagnosing using the web.

1. Inaccurate information from self-diagnosing

One of the most significant problems with self-diagnosing is that it can often be based on inaccurate information.

In the case of online searches, unregulated sources of medical information on the web can be highly unreliable. With limited medical knowledge, it’s not always easy for a patient to determine the information’s credibility.

This is why it’s crucial to ask for professional help when something’s not right. A doctor will spot what is causing an issue and give safety advice.

With years of training, qualifications, and experience under their belt, they should always be the first port of call.

What’s more, physicians have access to a patient’s medical history, which provides them with a clearer picture and a better understanding of the potential causes of symptoms.

This also means that they can prescribe safe medications and solutions, considering existing conditions and whatever other medication the patient is taking

2: Overlapping symptoms of self diagnosing

It is fair to say that many conditions have similar symptoms. Weakness, pain, and fatigue are generally the most predominant, and they can be linked to an extensive range of possible health issues.

Therefore, it is often tricky to formulate a diagnosis alone based on these common symptoms.

Doctors have the knowledge and equipment to rule out possible illnesses and identify the actual cause of discomfort.

A quick and accurate diagnosis is vital, as some conditions will need further treatment – a door that self-diagnosis cannot open.

Occasionally surgery may be required to treat your condition correctly. For faster access to surgical treatment, you can get private health insurance, helping you avoid lengthy waiting lists for surgery and getting you on the road to recovery quicker

3:Over or under-diagnosis

Of course, another risk with self-diagnosing is overestimating or minimising symptoms.

Confusing a headache for a much more severe condition can lead to unnecessary distress, but in the same way, dismissing a pain with reassurance from the internet could cost a patient their critical early diagnosis window

4:Self-diagnosing can cause stress

There is no denying that self-diagnosis can be anxiety-inducing. Based on online information, a person may start to feel worried and anxious, believing that their health is worse than it is.

This is particularly true for people suffering from cyberchondria, a condition that induces a person to both seek medical information online and feel very nervous about the intimidating diagnoses they find.

Self-diagnosing can hide an array of potential risks and dangers.

There are many downsides to trying to self-diagnose, from inaccurate sourcing information to miscalculating the gravity of symptoms.

Therefore, we hope this article shines a light on the importance of seeking medical help and advice, which can instead provide founded answers and – hopefully – some much-needed peace of mind.

According to research, the UK is the only European country that saw alcohol consumption rise during the pandemic.

The rise in Alcohol consumption occurred as the UK was more stressed than other countries as the nation experienced higher death tolls and financial instability. 

This number is in line with previous reports of Britain getting drunk more often than 35 other nations and having higher levels of binge drinking than many other countries.

However, that being said, some have reduced their alcohol intake in the pandemic.

Those people are now looking for ways to live a healthier lifestyle. 

One in three people increased their alcohol consumption during lockdown; many opted for sobriety and jumped on board the “sober curious” trend.

What is sober curious and what it is?

The hangovers, fuzzy heads, and nausea after a night out often make us feel like drinking isn’t worth it. 

Not only can drinking affect our bodies, but it can even leave us feeling anxious, which has been dubbed “hangxiety”. 

More people are deciding to stay sober without meeting the criteria for alcohol dependency or disorders – they just prefer to live a sober life out of personal choice or for wellness reasons.

If you’re starting to wonder whether becoming teetotal might have a positive impact on your life, you’re not alone.

There is a growing number of “sober curious” people cutting Alcohol out of their lives.

What is encouraging sobriety?

It seems that there are more younger people abstaining from Alcohol than there are older people. 

There are several reasons why fewer people are drinking.

 A prime one may be economic factors, with young people having less time and money to spend on Alcohol.

Furthermore, we are becoming more aware of the health risks of Alcohol and the benefits of looking after ourselves.

Particularly after living through a pandemic, many of us are taking our wellbeing more seriously and eliminating things from our lives that may compromise our immune systems and general health.

Plus, there are more non-alcoholic drink options available than there once was, helping encourage sobriety without making it difficult or unenjoyable.

 We’ve all experienced the disappointing and flat soda gun at pubs and bars. 

Flat cola and limited options make the thought of not drinking Alcohol undesirable, but now there are more and more drinks out there to try. 

Instead of a boring drink, you can choose from exciting flavours like rose lemonade or elderflower.

How you can go sober

Choosing to go teetotal doesn’t mean you have to give up your social life – far from it. 

Here is an easy guide to balancing it with your newfound wellness.

Firstly, if you want to join your friends at the pub, suggest going somewhere you know has great non-alcoholic or mocktail options.

 You can buy craft-style sodas with natural ingredients and unique flavours, or botanical mixers that can be enjoyed on their own. 

Check out menus online to see what you can sip on while staying social with your friends.

Take up a new hobby in something that interests you, like sports or crafts.

 Here, you might find like-minded individuals who will be up for hanging out without the addition of Alcohol. 

If you’re not drinking for health reasons, you could take up some cooking lessons to make the most of your meals and get all the nutrients and nourishment you need.

You’ll find that your weekends will seem longer and that you have more free time, so focusing on yourself and your personal development are great ways to make the most of these newfound sober perks.

For some individuals, going sober can be the best option. 

The sober curious movement could be just the thing you needed for your social life, development, and wellbeing!  

With the NHS at breaking point and little funding available to treat the number of people in the UK suffering from mental health, this article looks at whether online therapy is the way forward.

Online Therapy provides a quicker solution to waiting for counseling or GP appointments.

It also saves time and is often more convenient, particularly with people who don’t want to leave their homes, have no transport, or who are too busy to visit a counselor.

I was given CBT, by Outlook South West and I found that the information they were telling me to read was printed straight from the internet and that I could read the website myself.

If this is the case why are so many of us put on a waiting list only to be handed a few sheets of paper?

An article in Wired says that a whole host of services providing therapy via video conference and app-based support will help make it easier for people to access care when they need it.

However, online therapy be successful in helping to fill the gap in mental health care opened up by years of NHS budget cuts?

Healios is an online service that lets people connect with therapists over a video link and is already being used by 20 NHS trusts, providing support for 14 different conditions, including anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

People with a serious mental health condition who are referred by their GP to a secondary health service may be given the option to receive therapy through the Healios platform.

After enrolling with Healios, a person can directly book video consultations with a clinician who will provide support and coaching, helping them manage their condition.

People can attend the remote sessions whenever and wherever they want and also invite their family to join in if they like.

Others, such as TalkSpace, let people exchange instant messages with licensed therapists.

The company, which has one million users, has plans to allow clinicians to prescribe medicines through the app.

With lots of apps, Podcasts, YouTube videos, and self-help websites more and more people could be turning to online therapy.

Have you or a loved one ever experienced online therapy?

Let us know your thoughts and feelings about this, in the comment section below or over on our social media channels.

You may or may not have read the news and found out that Byker Grove, Saturday nights take away, and I’m a celebrities Ant McPartlin has confessed that he is suffering from painkiller addiction.

The 41-year old actor, singer and television presenter shot to fame in the late 80s starring in the teenage television programme Byker Grove, before becoming a pop singer and one-half of the duo “PJ and Duncan alongside his best friend on and off-screen Declan Donnelly.

Last weekend, Ant confessed to his best friend and the media that he is suffering from depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and as a result of this has entered rehab.

Unfortunately, most ordinary people who suffer from depression and painkiller addiction aren’t able to afford to check into the Priory, so most of them get pushed from pillar to post by the NHS who have no money, and their system doesn’t work correctly.

For example, one area of the country has more money to spend on mental health so that they will get more money and better psychiatric nurses and doctors.

People from more impoverished rural areas don’ get so much help due to lack of funding.

So the only way they can hope to improve is by going private.

Which costs a lot of money?

McPartlin, 41, told The Sun on Sunday: “I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that, I am genuinely sorry.

I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this challenging time.

“I’ve spoken out because I think it’s important that people ask for help if they’re going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery.”

McPartlin is believed to have checked into a rehabilitation facility, where he will remain for up to two months for treatment for issues the paper reported as having stemmed from failed knee surgery two years ago.

Many people who suffer from injuries can become depressed, especially injuries that affect your social pattern and your mobility.

However, the shame and stigma can leave you feeling alone and turn to drink and drugs.

This can be difficult to tell people about because many people are in denial and those who recognise they have a problem try to ignore it and as a result of this can find themselves going to the deepest and darkest demons of substances to help them cope.

I took codeine for years daily because of a bulging disc in my back.

The pain was so bad that it affected my mobility and I was left almost crippled.

I also gained weight due to this, and I was very frustrated because physio failed and four-hour trips to the hospital and back to see a specialist didn’t help either.

I was given a spinal block, which also didn’t make a difference.

I was lucky enough to be able to come off tablets.

However, no one is exempt from painkiller addiction, and you may not realise you are addicted until you run out of pills because your intake becomes much higher.

The TV presenter is said to have started taking prescription drugs to cope with the pain.

An unnamed source said that alcohol had also become a cause for concern among the presenters’ friends.

While many people including other celebrities praised Ant for being brave by speaking out, it doesn’t solve the fact that many people in the UK can’t even get a proper diagnosis, let alone counselling and medication.

Prince William, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton encouraged people to speak out about their mental health struggles; however, when people eventually do speak out, they are put on an NHS list which can take months.

They are often taken off the list before they can get a diagnosis. This is because it can take years to get a diagnosis, and the NHS doesn’t have the facilities to keep the forever growing list of people for that long.

If you or a loved one is suffering from pain killer addiction or any other addiction you can talk to organisations who can help.

To discuss this blog post, please comment below or join in the discussions on our social media pages.