I suffer depression and love my friends but often feel worse after seeing them – I question if I am strange?
MAKE use of pharmacies and the services they can provide.
Superdrug has just launched its new ear-wax removal service in 20 of its high-street stores, costing £30 for one ear and £55 for both.
It’s estimated that two million people in the UK need wax removed professionally each year, but sadly this was removed as a free NHS service.
Meanwhile, Boots is now offering the most “advanced eye test ever”, Optomap.
For £50, it gives patients an idea of their overall health, detecting early signs of conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
Pharmacists have long offered blood-pressure checks, and you should have one if you are over 40 years old and have not been checked for five years or more.
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Don’t forget, under The Pharmacy First scheme which has now been around for a year, pharmacists can treat seven conditions – sinusitis, sore throat, earache, insect bites, impetigo, shingles and urine infections – without you needing a GP appointment or prescription.
Here’s a selection of what readers have asked me this week . . .
SHOULD I GO BACK ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS?
Q) I SUFFER from depression and find social situations difficult.
I love my friends, and seeing them, but often feel worse afterwards because I feel too in my own “thoughts” to enjoy the occasions and question if I am being strange.
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I used to take antidepressants and felt well enough to come off them.
For around a year I have felt OK but sometimes I wonder if I should go back on them.
What should I do?
A) Social isolation can be a common issue with people who live with depression, as the condition can make it hard for people to navigate social situations.
They might feel they are being perceived incorrectly, which can leave people with depression worried.
There’s a sense of being a burden or being misunderstood, to the extent that often people with depression will avoid seeing their friends or even family because they perceive it’s “easier” to isolate than try to interact.
It’s worth remembering your friends are your friends because they love and care for you, no matter what.
They don’t just want a bright and bubbly version of you, they want the real you.
Take a second to think about how you would feel if one of them was in your situation.
Would you love or care for them any less? No, I suspect you would be there even more as a friend.
So if you can, explain to them how you feel and let them be there for you.
Going back on antidepressants is an option you could discuss with your GP, but the social anxiety-type symptoms you describe may respond well to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) too – you can self-refer for NHS talking therapies online.
Group exercise classes can also be just as effective as either antidepressants or CBT at treating mild to moderate depression, so sign up to with a friend.
BAFFLED OVER HOW TO SORT ADULT ACNE
Q) I HAVE adult acne, with spots that resemble cystic acne on my back and chin. I also want to improve the texture of my skin from scarring.
But there is so much advice out there, that I am stuck. I have read that your skin worsens when you try something new in skincare.
I don’t use many products on my face – I also have sensitive skin.
Though I have some control of my acne, my self-esteem cannot deal with my skin getting any worse, so I am frightened to do anything.
Even seeing a dermatologist scares me, as they might tell me to take Roaccutane, which would be too much for me. What’s your advice?
A) Adult acne is more common than you might think, with about three per cent of people aged over 35 being affected.
Firstly, while Roaccutane is a very valuable oral treatment for acne, several things should be tried before it.
The pharmacist can help with advising how to use over-the-counter treatments such as benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid and nicotinamide.
If these aren’t effective, your GP can assess you and talk you through the next stage of options.
These include medicines that can be applied to the skin, such as topical retinoids and antibiotics, and oral medicines including low-dose antibiotics and hormonal treatments in women. Topical treatments can cause mild to moderate irritation to the skin when initiated.
Some people experience breakouts and blocked pores, referred to as “skin purges” as the new regime is making the skin renew faster, dislodging underlying congestion.
This can sometimes put people off but it’s normal and, as long as it can be tolerated, it tends to settle after a few weeks and then the improvement starts.
One way to combat this is to start using treatment just every other day, and applying it sparingly.
Ensure you also look after your skin with a healthy diet, good hydration, a gentle oil-free cleanser and an acne-friendly moisturiser.
Q) ALTHOUGH I want to get fit and healthier, I cannot stand exercise.
I have no willpower and it’s just not an interest for me.
But I am aware it’s good for you. What should I do? I am 31 years old, female and overweight.
A) This is a great question and one that I know will resonate with a lot of people.
I’ve heard many, many accounts from people who have been put off exercise at some stage in their life, but I’ve also heard many stories of how people have reconnected with it later on.
Just the other day, I interviewed Sophie Power, a mum of three, who believed she would never be able to run a mile because of what was said to her in her school days.
She just broke the world record for the longest distance covered by a woman on a treadmill over 48 hours – clocking up more than 226 miles.
Often as women, our relationship with sport and exercise can be shaped by our school years.
It would be worth exploring the notion that you “cannot stand exercise”, and reflecting on where that comes from.
What about physical activity in general?
It’s worth remembering exercise doesn’t have to be intense. Is there anything you’ve tried previously that you did enjoy and wanted to do again, such as dance or sports like netball?
Moving your body while getting outside in nature, such as by walking, is great for mental health.
The mental health and social benefits and, ideally, the enjoyment of it, are much more likely to keep you motivated if you focus on these instead of weight loss.
The NHS Couch to 5k app has had incredible success at helping people get started and stay motivated.
To be honest, saying you don’t like exercise is a bit like saying you don’t like food or drink – the variety is endless so I would challenge you to keep exploring until you find something you like.
This year could be the one when you make a diary of all the different physical activities you try, to see if you find one that brings you joy.
TIP OF THE WEEK
COOKING on a budget? Look up Insta chefs such as the Sun on Sunday’s Miguel Barclay, who makes nutritious meals for £1, or Mimi Harrison (@beatthebudget).
There are also Healthy Start vouchers for some parents of young kids – check your eligibility at healthystart.nhs.uk/ how-to-apply.
HEADACHE SUICIDE RISK
SUFFERING headaches increases a person’s risk of suicide, a new study suggests.
While migraines and cluster headaches have already been linked to higher suicide risk, people with milder types, such as tension headaches, may also be affected.
The study found people who suffered headaches were twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who did not.
And the risk of dying by suicide was 40 per cent higher.
Scientists in the US and Denmark compared nearly 120,000 people with a headache diagnosis to 600,000 without one.
The team followed up with participants after 15 years.
Among people with a headache disorder, 0.78 per cent had attempted suicide compared with 0.33 per cent in the other group.
Some 0.21 per cent had killed themselves in the 15-year period, compared with 0.15 per cent in the non-headache group.
The study findings, published in JAMA Network, can’t prove cause and effect but the authors described the link as “robust and persistent”.
Rob Music, head of The Migraine Trust, said: “We often hear from people accessing our support services who are struggling with migraine, including those expressing suicidal thoughts.”
The researchers want treatment of headache disorders to include screening for signs of depression and suicidal thoughts.
TILTING THE AGE SCALE
EATING fish can help defy old age, according to a study which found that people over 70 who consumed at least a gramme of Omega-3 per day had a biological age four months lower after three years.
Experts from the University of Zurich believe it protects against DNA damage which accumulates over time.
Omega-3s are fatty acids that help to build and supply energy to cells inside the body, particularly in the brain and eyes.
We cannot make them naturally and must get them from our diet – with fish among the best sources.
One gramme is about equal to one cod liver oil supplement, or a 100g serving of fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna.
The trial involved 777 healthy, active people in Switzerland.
In the journal Nature Aging, Professor Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, the study author, wrote: “Our trial indicates a small protective effect of Omega-3 treatment on slowing biological aging over three years.”
She said it reduced biological age on three out of four “body clock” measures, and on the fourth measure when combined with exercise and vitamin D.
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Dr Mary Ni Lochlainn, an ageing expert at King’s College London, called the results “exciting”, adding: “While the study led to a relatively small improvement, it adds to growing evidence these simple and fairly low-cost interventions are beneficial and worthwhile for adults as they get older.”
Omega-3 was previously found to cut the risk of some cancers, infection and falls.