Do you often feel down, or view the world from a ‘glass half-empty’ perspective? Frequently feeling ‘fed up’ is certainly an unhappy way to go through life, but did you know, according to recent research, it could actually make a significant difference to whether or not you fall ill and even die prematurely?
Scientists at Oxford University tracked half a million people in the UK and studied the effects of a range of ‘modifiable’ environmental factors – meaning the harm could be prevented – on several diseases including cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, ovaries, colon, pancreas, liver, oesophagus and blood.
Some factors – such as smoking, poor diet, living in a deprived area and exercise levels – may come as little surprise.
But I was particularly struck that someone’s attitude to life can also affect them so profoundly that it can actually significantly increase their risk of premature death.
It’s well known that severe depression is a serious condition that ruins lives and requires medical help. Yet apart from this there are also a lot of people who, although not clinically depressed, find themselves nevertheless blighted by negativity they can’t shake off.
This is a condition known as ‘dysthymia’ – persistent, low mood that brings with it little interest in life, a general sense of unfulfillment and a lack of productivity.
Sadly, because it doesn’t tend to interfere with day-to-day life in the way that depression does, those affected often don’t seek treatment – and family and friends just dismiss them as being ‘a bit of a grump’ or a ‘misery’.
Rather like Eeyore from A A Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, everything always seems to be downbeat for them.
There are also a lot of people who, although not clinically depressed, find themselves nevertheless blighted by negativity they can’t shake off
They may not be classically depressed, but simply live their lives under a permanent shadow.
Yet this latest research underlines the vital importance of addressing low mood and the effects it can have on health, wellbeing and your lifespan.
But it’s all very well knowing that you need to change your attitude – it’s another thing being able to do it.
One effective way can be using cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT. This is a form of talking treatment, available on the NHS, that research shows can help people to alter their perspective on the way they live their lives by challenging and changing negative and unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
So, if you’re feeling down in the dumps and find life a grind, don’t put up with it –because help is at hand.
Your GP can refer you for CBT but in the meantime, here are some simple suggestions that I have found to be helpful for my own patients.
WRITE IT ALL DOWN ON PAPER
Writing your worries down helps you clarify what is on your mind. Make a list of everything that seems hard to deal with in one column – and in another jot down ideas that might help to address these or improve things.
You might not be able to come up with answers to everything but you should be able to find solutions that may help.
This will help dispel any feelings of hopelessness, which are a hallmark of negative thinking.
CHALLENGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
It can be easy to mistake negative thoughts for fact – so you need to challenge them.
If you start to think ‘I feel really depressed’, make an effort to challenge this by telling yourself: ‘It’s normal for moods to go up and down. This will pass.’
TRAIN YOURSELF TO THINK POSITIVELY
Thinking positively takes practice. As soon as you have a negative thought, make yourself pause and think of three positive things to counter it.
So, if you are served a dish you don’t like, rather than allowing yourself to dwell on it, concentrate on how nice it is to have someone cook for you, the pretty pattern on the plate and the delicious dessert you’ll be having afterwards.
If you keep doing this you’ll find that eventually more upbeat thoughts will come naturally.
ALWAYS COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
At the end of each day, look back over what happened and identify at least three things that went well.
We all have a tendency to dwell on our mistakes and the problems we encountered. But every day is full of good elements too, if we only train ourselves to look for them. Over time, it will become a habit and each day will start to appear brighter.
LEARN TO ACCEPT DISAPPOINTMENT
Having a positive outlook isn’t about being relentlessly upbeat. It’s normal to have disappointments in life, but what matters is how you approach them.
Accept that it happened and try to learn from it. One tip is to write down the disappointment, what happened and what was within your control to do differently. This will help you move on and put into perspective your own part in things.
Emma’s trauma is all too real
Emma Raducanu posted a statement on Instagram after being left in tears last Tuesday when a ‘fixated’ man was removed from the crowd during a second-round tennis match in Dubai, which she later lost.
Emma Raducanu had a frightening experience when she spotted a ‘fixated’ man in the crowd at a tennis match in Dubai
Although we know little about the background to the incident, the distress it caused to poor Emma was all too clear to see. It reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was bothered by a very persistent patient.
Although such incidents are often not pursued by the police, it is important to recognise that a pathologically intense focus on someone else can quickly escalate with consequences. That is because many of those who behave in this way have profound mental health problems and psychological difficulties.
The emotional toll on the victim can drag on for years, devastating all aspects of their lives.
The Government is cracking down on vape use and also conducting a social media campaign to dissuade people from taking it up.
But while it’s clear the habit isn’t good for children, it’s not so clear for adults.
In 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 2,807 cases of vape-associated lung injury(EVALI) and 68 deaths attributed to it.
But most EVALI cases were in people who had modified their vape to smoke THC (cannabis). I fear the move by the Government risks scaring adults off vapes – and back to smoking cigarettes.
Dr Max prescribes… learning a language
Being able to speak a second language increases the size of your brain
We have known for a while that people who speak a second language develop dementia over five years later than those who can’t.
A study has found out why – having another language increases the size of the brain, meaning it has greater reserves if it develops problems. Brain efficiency is also improved.
Despite worries about the efficacy of such schemes, NHS trusts are still recruiting DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion) staff.
Many are hired on twice the pay of a junior doctor. Yet the evidence for DEI is flimsy. How can the NHS justify this waste?
