“Mood swings and irritability are commonplace in an adolescent’s behavioural pattern; however we are seeing a worrying increase in these symptoms escalating into more serious mental health issues. Academic pressure can cause high levels of stress and emotional disturbance in young people which needs to be recognised and treated before it becomes damaging to their emotional well being.”
Capio Nightingale’s holistic approach to treatment includes a unique range of complimentary therapies to help patients suffering from stress.
The hospital recently appointed specialists who focus on sleep and energy management, mindfulness, nutrition, fitness and self image- all key areas which will support the traditional psychological treatment programmes.
Sleep and Energy coach, Nerina Ramlakhan PhD helps patients to learn and develop sleep and energy coping strategies, practical techniques such as breathing, energising, nutrition, exercise, emotional and mental techniques, time management; all of which play a vital role in ensuring that the individual is performing at their optimum level.
With Capio Nightingale’s Mindfulness therapist, Cindy Cooper, patients learn relaxation techniques paying moment-to-moment attention to the breath, the body, the mind and the world around us. Instead of struggling to get rid of their difficulties, patients learn to simply be with their immediate experience, which helps to create a shift in awareness thus enabling the individual to address the problem freshly, wisely and with confidence. These are life coping skills which if adopted into routines can dramatically transform disordered minds and help individuals assert control over their lives.
We all experience stress from time to time, however over a sustained period, and when the feelings are not well managed, stress can manifest itself in a number of damaging psychological and physical ways. At Capio Nightingale we aim to raise awareness of the seriousness of mental ill health and we hope to draw peoples’ attention to the fact that there are specialists who can help them come to terms with these issues.
Stress levels soar during exam season warns Capio Nightingale
Jun 2008
While some of us await the arrival of the summer with great excitement the season also brings a sense of dread for those sitting their exams. As the temperature rises so do the stress levels as anxious students cram their weary minds with last minute revision.
Capio Nightingale, one of the UK’s leading mental health treatment providers, understands the emotional turmoil that pressured students and their families experience over the exam season and highlights the impact that exam stress can have on an individual’s overall health and wellbeing.
At a time when it is important to feel calm and assured, feeling stressed can impact heavily on performance levels as it causes changes in our physical wellbeing, mood and behaviour.
Physical effects of stress are commonly recognised as headaches and stomach problems however behavioural change and mood swings are not always detected as warning signs that the pressure is getting too much.
External signs of stress include irritability, anxiety and loss of appetite, however if these go unaddressed they can often escalate into more serious issues. By placing huge pressure on themselves to succeed, the fear of failure can be so powerful that anxiety can become paralysing and self worth can be damaged in the long term. Feelings of depression, hopelessness and fragility have become endemic amongst school age children, and this is leading to an increase in mental ill health in young people demonstrated in the escalating figures of adolescents who self harm or demonstrate suicidal behaviour.
Research by published by children’s charity NCH (National Children’s Home) made a clear case that emotional wellbeing in childhood is key in determining life chances and social adaptability in the longer term so it is vital that the problem is rectified at the earliest opportunity.
At Capio Nightingale, a specialist multi-disciplinary adolescent division is dedicated to providing high quality, flexible and accessible inpatient care for young people dealing with a serious mental health crisis.
Lead consultant psychiatrist in Capio Nightingale’s Adolescent Division, Dr Richard Corrigall comments on the increasing pressures on adolescents and the rise in mental ill health in young people: