It’s not always easy to tell the difference between adolescent growing pains and teen depression but here’s how to recognize the many signs and to help your teenager when they actually need it. Begin by simply listening to them, rather than attempting to ‘fix’ them, is probably the best place to start with teens. Parents…
We are all born with a measure of awareness and a tendency to worry, but these are limited to our natural needs and usually well controlled. Extreme thoughts are the products of patterns that we adopt, or learn after we are born. Our psyche, viewpoints and cognitive distortions are a complex mix of how we…
In the gritty and captivating world of “Peaky Blinders,” Thomas Shelby, portrayed by the charismatic Cillian Murphy, is the mastermind behind the infamous Shelby crime family in post-World War I Birmingham. As the series unfolds, viewers bear witness to Tommy’s cunning, ambition, and struggles, including his high-functioning alcoholism. This article we look into how Tommy…
Recovery Direct hosts a free online course to help across a number of mental health and wellbeing life areas. Join in on our free live stream Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays over on our Facebook page here or see past live stream videos here. While Recovery Direct is rated one of South Africa’s top drug and…
South Africa faces a pressing public health concern regarding heavy alcohol consumption, which contributes significantly to the country’s high rates of non-natural death, disability, and economic burden. Despite alarming statistics that showcase the detrimental effects of alcohol on individual and societal levels, there remains a scarcity of data exploring the multitude of individual and contextual…
Studies on mental health in many previous disease outbreaks have shown that many individuals exposed to life-threatening diseases can also experience longer-term psychological aftereffects such as PTSD, anxiety and depression that extend far beyond the active infection. During these periods of prolonged stress and uncertainty, many changes can occur in the brain and to the…
In adherence to the global effort to manage and contain the spread of Coronavirus, Recovery Direct has put in place a number of precautionary measures to limit the risk for Covid-19 contaminations in or at the centre. The centre has implemented the best practices as suggested by WHO which include the implementation of increased, simple, practical…
Understanding Talk Therapy There is a broad range of psychotherapeutic styles that experienced therapists naturally use when in conversational talk therapy with their patients. Experienced therapists are able to shift and adapt between these styles automatically based on a number of indications reflected in the conversational dialogue. Each therapist interprets this feedback loop in their…
So the psychological effects of lockdown in South Africa are not limited to people that are addicted to substances, it runs far deeper than that. In many respects, even “normal relationships” function inside of assumed boundaries that include a wide range of seemingly harmless coping mechanisms. The status quo swings off balance when these “self-soothing”…
In the critically acclaimed television series “Shameless,” we find a fascinating character study in Frank Gallagher, portrayed brilliantly by William H. Macy. As viewers we are intrigued by the depth and complexity of Frank’s character, as well as how his role as the dysfunctional patriarch of the Gallagher family intersects with his addiction. The Gallagher…