Mind

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The pain of being misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's

<p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__intro sics-component__story__paragraph">Martin can recall, all too clearly, the day he received the devastating diagnosis of advanced Alzheimer's. He left the consultant's office, trying to understand how profoundly his life was going to change.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">It is 10 years since Martin, who "does not want to use my full name in case people who do not know me well start wondering if I really am all right", had become anxious enough about his forgetfulness and short-term memory loss to go to his GP.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">He was referred to the dementia clinic under a consultant at a London teaching hospital and in 2010 began two years of regular brain scans, while a psychiatrist performed detailed yearly cognitive tests.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">He was reassured by the knowledge that if something serious was taking place it would be identified. But during this time, Martin, 74, and his wife agree, his memory and cognitive ability did not seem to deteriorate.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">The consultant who had been monitoring his condition said she wanted to put Martin on galantamine, medication that is supposed to slow the progress of Alzheimer's, but is not a cure. In order to do this she had to give a formal diagnosis: "She said my hippocampus was riddled with sticky plasma of the kind indicating Alzheimer's, and I felt I had to trust her judgment."</p> <div class="sics-component__ad-space sics-component__ad-space--storybody "> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Martin and his wife asked to see the scans showing how the disease had progressed so they could understand. The consultant said she did not have the equipment to show them. At this point, Martin said he wanted a second opinion, but, while he waited for a referral, his wife remembers he "became depressed and withdrawn; neighbours commented on it, too. I can see now what a profound effect the diagnosis had on him psychologically."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">He adds: "From the moment I saw myself as an Alzheimer's patient, I began to dismantle my life and my dreams of the future."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">He retired from publishing three years early and cut back on plans he had made, from voluntary work to adventurous holidays.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">It was several months before his first appointment with consultant neurologist Dr Catherine Mummery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London – when things changed quite dramatically. "She spent an hour talking with me, discussing a range of topics, and asking other testing questions. At the end, she said she did not believe I had Alzheimer's."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">As the hospital's clinical lead for dementia services, Mummery "quite regularly" sees people who have been misdiagnosed with dementia. Alzheimer's, she explains, is only one form of brain disease causing dementia and globally there is misdiagnosis of between 20 and 30 per cent of dementia cases.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"Alzheimer's can be a complex condition to diagnose and there are no clear national figures on misdiagnosis," says Mummery. "Nor is there such a thing as a 100 per cent test. Martin was given a diagnosis on the basis of a PET scan of his brain; however, there are a number of conditions from menopause to depression or schizophrenia, where changes may take place in brain metabolism, so caution is needed.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"If someone comes to me with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, I believe in doing my own tests and making my own judgment," she says. "Individuals will often not question the diagnosis they are given, as they expect the doctor to be accurate, due to their expertise. I would estimate that we see several cases a month where the diagnosis [should be] of another dementia, or where we have to retract the dementia diagnosis [altogether]."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">In Martin's case, she says: "I saw him three times and there were no changes, so I felt confident telling him categorically he did not have Alzheimer's. I continue to see him and there are no changes six years after the initial diagnosis."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Unhelpfully for those living in the shadow of the disease, post-mortem diagnosis is still the "gold standard for providing definitive evidence of Alzheimer's", Mummery explains. Yet, as no cure or effective treatment for the disease exists, early diagnosis is essential because some drugs can delay its progress and help preserve quality of life for as long as possible.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Dr Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, says that with "only 60 per cent of those estimated to be living with dementia having a formal diagnosis, and rates varying across the UK, it's important that healthcare professionals understand the signs. Memory tests, brain scans and spinal fluid samples taken by lumbar puncture can reveal changes linked to the early stages."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">It is estimated that by 2025 there will be one million people in the UK with dementia, and it is the thing over-60s fear most, which means the importance of investment into improving diagnosis of Alzheimer's cannot be overstated, says Dominic Carter, senior policy officer at the Alzheimer's Society.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"We have made big progress in getting accurate diagnosis, but there are not enough of the best clinical tools for getting the most accurate information," he says. "And further research is needed into how we approach misdiagnosis with all the distress it causes."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">In 2016, researchers from St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, revealed the results of a preliminary study of inconsistencies between clinical and autopsy diagnoses in more than 1000 people listed in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"Even with all the latest diagnostic methods, the discrepancy between the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and the pathological diagnosis is about 20 per cent," said adjunct scientist Dr David Munoz, the senior researcher.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">He and his colleagues found that 78 per cent of the patients they studied had a correct diagnosis in the clinic, which was confirmed in an autopsy of the brain. Nearly another 11 per cent didn't have a formal Alzheimer's diagnosis, yet were found to have had the disease. Roughly the same percentage of those diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the clinic did not actually have the disease.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">A false positive diagnosis can occur when, for instance, someone has depression and exhibits symptoms very similar to Alzheimer's. Others may have brain markers of Alzheimer's but never go on to develop the disease.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Distress doesn't begin to describe the despair Martin felt at his diagnosis, but nor, he says, did having it revoked instantly make everything all right. "In one sense it was a relief, of course, but in another I just didn't know what to think. Could I really trust that Dr Mummery had it right?" he says.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"I felt very bewildered, unsure of everything and my mood remained low, which is not like me. I've always been very upbeat, busy, interested by life."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">When Martin's confusion and sense of being psychologically displaced did not lift, Mummery referred him on to a clinical psychologist, with whom he has rebuilt his confidence and faith in a good future. "She helped me see that when something like my diagnosis happens, you have to regain the ability to be the person you were before."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">It was tough for his wife as well: "I felt a sense of relief but I had also had to adjust to the idea that Martin would become less and less of the man I knew. A diagnosis like that is such a weight to bear."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">A weight that has been lifted sufficiently, at least, for the couple to be taking a special holiday next month. A full stop at the end of an ordeal, it is, they say delightedly, "a celebration of getting back a life we thought had been taken away".</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph"><em>Written by Angela Neustatter. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/107159531/the-pain-of-being-misdiagnosed-with-alzheimers">Stuff.co.nz</a>. </em></p> </div>

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5 types of food to increase your psychological wellbeing

<p><em><strong>Megan Lee is an academic tutor and lecturer at the Southern Cross University and Joanna Bradbury is a lecturer in Evidence Based Health Care at the Southern Cross University.</strong></em></p> <p>We all know eating “healthy” food is good for our physical health and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28427311">decrease our risk of developing</a> diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease. What is not as well known is that eating healthy food is also good for our mental health and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26317148">decrease our risk of depression and anxiety</a>.</p> <p>Mental health disorders are increasing at an alarming rate and therapies and medications cost <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673613616116">$US2.5 trillion dollars a year globally</a>.</p> <p>There is now evidence <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28431261">dietary changes</a> can decrease the development of mental health issues and alleviate this growing burden. <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/208/4/royal-australian-and-new-zealand-college-psychiatrists-clinical-practice">Australia’s clinical guidelines</a> recommend addressing diet when treating depression.</p> <p>Recently there have been <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y">major advances</a> addressing the influence certain foods have on psychological wellbeing. Increasing these nutrients could not only increase personal wellbeing but could also decrease the cost of mental health issues all around the world.</p> <p><strong>1. Complex carbohydrates</strong></p> <p>One way to increase psychological wellbeing is by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26109579">fuelling brain cells correctly</a> through the carbohydrates in our food. Complex carbohydrates are sugars made up of large molecules contained within fibre and starch. They are found in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains and are beneficial for brain health as they <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24020691">release glucose slowly into our system</a>. This helps stabilise our mood.</p> <p>Simple carbohydrates found in sugary snacks and drinks create sugar highs and lows that rapidly increase and decrease feelings of happiness and produce a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12415536">negative effect</a> on our psychological well-being.</p> <p>We often use these types of sugary foods to comfort us when we’re feeling down. But this can create an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05649-7">addiction-like response in the brain</a>, similar to illicit drugs that increase mood for the short term but have negative long-term effects.</p> <p>Increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates and decreasing sugary drinks and snacks could be the first step in increased happiness and wellbeing.</p> <p><strong>2. Antioxidants</strong></p> <p>Oxidation is a normal process our cells carry out to function. Oxidation produces energy for our body and brain. Unfortunately, this process also creates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4290164/">oxidative stress</a> and more of this happens in the brain than any other part of the body.</p> <p>Chemicals that promote happiness in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin are reduced due to oxidation and this can contribute to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29215971">decrease in mental health</a>. Antioxidants found in brightly coloured foods such as fruit and vegetables act as a defence against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain and body.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29339318">Antioxidants</a> also repair oxidative damage and scavenge free radicals that cause cell damage in the brain. Eating more antioxidant-rich foods can increase the feelgood chemicals in our brain and heighten mood.</p> <p><strong>3. Omega 3</strong></p> <p>Omega 3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are involved in the process of converting food into energy. They are important for the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21279554">health of the brain</a> and the communication of its feelgood chemicals dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.</p> <p>Omega 3 fatty acids are commonly found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, leafy vegetables, eggs and in grass-fed meats. Omega 3 has been found to increase <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21279554">brain functioning</a>, can slow down the progression of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27063583">dementia</a> and may improve symptoms of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29215971">depression</a>.</p> <p>Omega 3 are essential nutrients that are not readily produced by the body and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21279554">can only be found in the foods we eat</a>, so it’s imperative we include more foods high in omega 3 in our everyday diet.</p> <p><strong>4. B vitamins</strong></p> <p>B vitamins play a large role in the production of our brain’s happiness chemicals serotonin and dopamine and can be found in green vegetables, beans, bananas and beetroot. High amounts of vitamins B6, B12 and folate in the diet have been known to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22251911">protect against depression</a> and too low amounts to increase the severity of symptoms.</p> <p>Vitamin B deficiency can result in a reduced production of happiness chemicals in our brain and can lead to the onset of low mood that could lead to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25644193">mental health issues</a> over a long period. Increasing B vitamins in our diet could increase the production of the feelgood chemicals in our brain which promote happiness and wellbeing.</p> <p><strong>5. Prebiotics and probiotics</strong></p> <p>The trillions of <a href="https://jphysiolanthropol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40101-016-0101-y">good and bad bacteria</a> living in our tummies also influence our mood, behaviour and brain health. Chemical messengers produced in our stomach <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27466606">influence our emotions, appetite and our reactions</a> to stressful situations.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27509521">Prebiotics and probiotics</a> found in yoghurt, cheese and fermented foods such as kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi work on the same pathways in the brain as antidepressant medications and studies have found they might have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27466606">similar effects</a>.</p> <p>Prebiotics and Probiotics have been found to suppress <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26645350">immune reactions</a> in the body, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23474283">reduce inflammation in the brain</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24888394">decrease depressed and anxious states</a> and <a href="https://jphysiolanthropol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40101-016-0101-y">elevate happy emotions</a>.</p> <p>Incorporating these foods into our diet will not only increase our physical health but will have beneficial effects on our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24468939">mental health, including</a> reducing our risk of disorders such as depression and anxiety.</p> <p><em>Written by Megan Lee and Joanne Bradbury. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation.</span><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101818/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></strong></a></em></p>

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New science quiz: Are you smarter than a teenager?

<p>A tricky new science quiz promises to challenge even the brightest brains.</p> <p>The 10-question quiz challenges your knowledge on various areas of the body, putting even the smartest biology buffs to the test.</p> <p>Creator Terry Stein, who shared the quiz on <a href="https://www.playbuzz.com/terrystein10/no-one-can-score-10-10-in-this-high-school-biology-test-and-its-driving-the-internet-crazy-human"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Playbuzz</strong></em></span></a>, claims it is so difficult that only four out of 100 students managed to receive a perfect score.  </p> <p>Take the test yourself:</p> <div class="playbuzz" data-id="e0341173-0026-4305-81f4-bdbc269a8493" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div> <p>How well did you score? Let us know in the comments below. </p> <p> </p>

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Prince William gets candid about his mental health struggles

<p>Although he has grown up in front of the world and is second-in-line to the British throne, Prince William has candidly opened up about his own struggles with his mental health.</p> <p>The Duke of Cambridge vulnerably discussed his experience while launching a website that aims to improve mental health in the workplace. </p> <p>William partnered with the initiative after hearing that only two per cent of employees in Britain feel comfortable discussing their mental health to their HR departments.</p> <p>Recalling his time as an air ambulance pilot, William explained: “I took a lot home without realising it. You see [so] many sad things every day that you think life is like that."</p> <p>The royal spent two years as an East Anglian Air Ambulance pilot and admitted that while serving, he battled to deal with the emotions that were impacting his personal life.</p> <p>"You're always dealing with despair and sadness and injury,” he continued.</p> <p>"The attrition builds up and you never really have the opportunity to offload anything if you're not careful.”</p> <p>William explained that many who are struggling with their mental health are “suffering in silence” due to the lack of resources available.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">"If we are going to improve the mental health of our nation, we need to improve things at work.<br /><br />People spend more time there than almost anywhere else, yet research shows that it's also the place where we're least comfortable talking about mental health." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MentalHealthatWork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MentalHealthatWork</a> <a href="https://t.co/v3Cv6Nn1xy">pic.twitter.com/v3Cv6Nn1xy</a></p> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1039527432519340032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>"You're human and a lot of people forget the battles, you have shut it off to do the job—but ultimately something pierces the armour," he noted.</p> <p>Prince William, Duchess Kate and Prince Harry first became mental health ambassadors when they launched Heads Together in 2016.</p> <p>The website William launched, Mental Health at Work, is a free portal for employers and employees in the UK where they can access resources on mental health.</p> <p>Earlier this year in March, the 36-year-old expressed his determination to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace.</p> <p>"Just starting a conversation on mental health can make all the difference," Prince William said at the time.</p> <p>"When you talk about something you have less reason to fear it and when you can talk about something you are much more likely to ask for help."</p> <p>Yesterday, he emphasised his view once again, saying: "It just takes one person to change the way a company thinks about mental health."</p>

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Why my trip back home unexpectedly filled me with pain and confusion

<p><strong><em>Ray Thomas left his family farm in South Australia when he was in his 20s and moved to New Zealand. He has always loved writing short stories and watching sport. He married an amazing woman 16 years ago and they both retired three years ago. They love family life, travelling, spending time in their large garden and fostering young children.</em></strong></p> <p>It all began innocently and without warning. On a recent trip to my home state of South Australia, I had visited a niece and her family, and then my older sister, in the same day. Surrounded by the once familiar countryside, now almost drought-like after months of virtually no rain, pain and confusion slowly began to build within me. Initially, it felt like a small fire that I thought would soon burn itself out.</p> <p>After spending time with family, I began to realise the importance of being around family members. It started simply by talking about family members and loved ones, both past and present, which were reinforced when looking at old photos. Memories of family members I had not thought about for decades suddenly became very real, and for some reason, extremely important to me.</p> <p>Why now? Why after leaving the country of my birth more than 45 years ago? I didn’t have the answers, and to this day I still haven’t, but I knew the confusion to be real, the pain had not yet set in.</p> <p>Little did I know that during the remainder of the trip, the fire would not extinguish. Rather, it was like a wind had caught it and began to totally consume me. Staying with very dear and close friends, and spending time around my beautiful home city of Adelaide, did nothing to quell the fire. In fact it only inflamed it even further.</p> <p>A short time later, we were staying at my brother’s house at Port Elliot, and spent many happy days there, and nearby Victor Harbour, both places I knew really well and enjoyed. It was here that the pain began. The pain of possibly never again spending time in that part of the state with its magnificent scenery and memories was very real.</p> <p>Then we visited my parent’s graves at Mundalla and a chance to “talk” to them and former friends/neighbour who are resting nearby. Suddenly, an absolute realisation I was home and the pain and confusion really began which I could not understand but knew to be genuine and real. Now, I knew and accepted that the bushfire which had been burning strongly within me was totally real which while being frightening at times, also contained a sense of inner peace. Several precious days with my elderly, frail brother, his amazing wife and several members of their family, capped off an amazing trip.</p> <p>Upon returning to New Zealand, I have accepted the trip had a profound effect on me, left me feeling confused, with a very strong sense of being called home. The pain of wanting to return home is palpable, as is the confusion of knowing what to do next.</p> <p>Do I allow time to take its course, with the possibility that the strong feelings will disappear? I sense not, but this is a remote possibility.</p> <p>What I would like to do, is not rational, and totally unfair on my amazing wife. I could visualise us buying a house in Victor Harbour close to, or with views of the beach. A house with a large garden, because we both love gardening, would be ideal for us. We would obtain a cute, little dog which we would take for daily walks, along the many beautiful, picturesque walkways.</p> <p>However, realistically at our age to suddenly move to another country with all the associated issues involved with shifting, and adjusting to the scorching summer heat would be difficult, but problems we could overcome. The biggest issue for my wife would be moving away from her very close family, friends which would not be fair on her. As much as I would love to return to live, realistically I have to acknowledge that it is highly unlikely to happen.</p> <p>So what options do I have? There are several, but none that totally resolve the problem. Until this has happened, with me being an Aussie but now married and happily living in NZ has never been an issue, but now it is. I love everything about New Zealand. Over the years, it has been very good to me, including marrying my amazing wife. I love the magnificent scenery the snow-capped mountains during the winter time, the lakes and the comparative short distances between towns and cities.</p> <p>Driving across the South Island is approximately the same as driving from Adelaide-Bordertown. To drive from one end of the island to the other takes approximately the same amount of time of driving from Melbourne-Sydney. There is nothing NOT to love about this beautiful country, but it is NOT home. I usually describe Australia, in a general sense, as being “too flat, too dry, too boring, you travel great distances, to get anywhere”, but it is ultimately home.</p> <p>Many years ago, I purchased a plot at the local cemetery, near to where my wife will lay next to her first husband… the “love of her life” and the father of their two incredible children. The thought of resting reasonably close together has always been comforting for both of us. Now, however the pain and confusion becomes very real, not only to me, but my amazing wife.</p> <p>Do I forsake that or consider the option of having my ashes returned home to be close to loved family members? The thought of not being with my wife pains me a great deal, as does the thought of not returning home and being close to family.</p> <p>I have discussed my pain and confusion with her, and although she has not said a great deal, and doesn’t want to influence my decision, I sense she understands my desire to return home but saddened that after countless years of happy marriage, our final resting places may be separated by a great distance, rather than the close proximity we had always envisaged.</p> <p>With time, hopefully I will obtain total clarity and know what to do. Thereby my pain and confusion will cease, and allow my fantastic wife and I to live our (hopefully) long and precious lives together.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><u>A few weeks later</u></p> <p>Time is not necessarily a great healer, but it does allow a chance to reflect. At the time, my pain and confusion was very real, to the point that it was affecting me mentally, and physically.</p> <p>I have looked at possible alternatives regarding my burial, but have decided to not pursue that, at least for now, because it is too painful to think about and where there seems to be no perfect solution.</p> <p>It has become obvious, that returning to South Australia to live is no longer a viable alternative. The time has come, not to entirely forget about the pain and confusion, but not allow it to totally consume me, like it did for several painful weeks.</p> <p>I have needed a distraction, something else to focus my life on, and with the help of my amazing wife, we are about to do just that. We are both excited about what the future holds for us.</p>

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Grant Denyer opens up about his most emotional year yet

<p>Grant Denyer has opened up about his rollercoaster year that saw him recover from a car accident, start his first radio gig, finish up on <em>Family Feud</em>, win a Gold Logie, <strong><u><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/domestic-travel/grant-denyer-s-heartbreaking-plea">campaign for Rural Aid</a></u></strong>, and start a new show, <em>Game Of Games</em>.</p> <p>"I've only ever lived life pedal to the metal!" Grant tells <strong><em><u><a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/tv/grant-denyer-tv-week-close-up-october-issue-51049">TV Week</a></u></em></strong>.</p> <p>After eight nominations during his 21-year career on television, Grant finally won his first golden gong this year.</p> <p>"I just didn't stop," Grant recalls of Logies’ night.  "I was jumping in the crowd with this permanent grin that would just not leave my face."</p> <p>By his side was wife and Mummy Time blogger Cheryl "Chezzi" Denyer.</p> <p>"I just kept saying to him, 'Live and breathe every minute of this,'" Chezzi says. "This is just amazing."</p> <p><strong><u><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/grant-denyer-teary-gold-logie-win">Grant's emotional acceptance speech</a></u></strong> – in which he spoke of dark periods in his career when he felt "sad and lost”– immediately made headlines for his sincerity and honesty.</p> <p>"I really wasn't sure if I'd ever work again or if I wanted to," Grant said as he accepted the Gold Logie.</p> <p>"I wasn't particularly in a very good place. I wasn't very well. I was in a bit of a hole. I was pretty sad. I was a bit lost and Family Feud came along and I was very unwell at that particular time. And Family Feud gave me a ladder out of that hole. And I've very lucky to have had it.”</p> <p>Reflecting back on the emotional night, Grand says he is in a “better headspace”.</p> <p>“To be honest, the last couple of years, I think I was afraid to win it. The idea of standing up there in front of your peers and trying to entertain a room of entertainers has almost been too daunting to want to try to achieve,” he tells the publication.</p> <p>"So there was a part of me that was talking myself out of not wanting to win, like previously. Now, I'm just a little bit more at peace with things and with myself, and I think it made the moment a lot more enjoyable."</p> <p>Even so, Grant says he hasn’t re-watched any footage of his speech and he doesn’t play to.</p> <p>"It was overwhelming when it happened, just too magical to want to revisit it," he says. "I can't improve on it, so why go through it again?"</p>

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Spence bravely opens up about depression battle on The Block: "It all builds up"

<div class="domain-article-share-panel is-top" data-sticky-id="0"> <div class="domain-article-share-link domain-article-share-pin">It was a week of reality television that mimicked reality far more accurately than the shiny production usually does.</div> </div> <div class="domain-article-content-body "> <p><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/the-block/"><em>The Block</em></a><span> </span>– usually a showcase for design talk and deadline drama – was punctuated by conversations around mental health as contestant Spence spoke freely of his battle with depression and anxiety while on the show.</p> <p>“We’ve found it extremely hard dealing with this,” he said on Wednesday’s episode. “It’s an experience on it’s own, being a contestant on<span> </span><em>The Block</em>. There’s nothing you can ever imagine that is going to compare to this.”</p> <p>Later, Spence admitted he underestimated the taxing nature of the show and, in turn, underestimated how that would affect his emotional wellbeing.</p> <p>“I’ve had a lot of depression over the years and get a lot of anxiety, and I have been shown coping mechanisms to deal with it. But I never expected what happened to happen; I never expected that complete shutdown. The thoughts that go through your head are super-dark thoughts. It all builds up and builds up and builds up and then it’s just, snap, I need to get out of here.”</p> <p>While<span> </span><em>The Block</em> contestant experience isn’t a common one, the renovation experience is. Likewise, while the pressure-cooker environment the show breeds is an anomaly, the stress of an everyday renovation isn’t.</p> <p>According to Melbourne Clinical Psychologist and commentator<span> </span><a href="http://www.drmelissakeogh.com.au/">Dr Melissa Keogh</a>, renovating can have a hugely harmful impact on our mental health.</p> <p>“Renovating can be harmful to our mental health because of the stress associated with such a life event and in my clinical experience, stress can have a detrimental effect on our emotional wellbeing.</p> <p>“Renovators can have overly high expectations about what they can achieve, how smoothly the project will run and can underestimate the cost.”</p> <p>Dr Keogh says for those, like Spence, with existing mental health conditions, the danger of not looking after yourself intensifies during a renovation.</p> <p>“When we are stressed, from a psychological perspective, the body can go into flight-or-fight mode because we perceive we are being threatened or are in danger. The heart starts thumping, hands are clammy, muscles tighten and its easy to lose perspective. Over time, sleep, mood and appetite can be affected and any underlying mental health issues such as depression and anxiety can be exacerbated.”</p> <p>However, Dr Keogh emphasises it’s not only those with existing conditions who need to care of their minds while undertaking such a task.</p> <p>“People also have a myriad decisions to make on a daily basis and can often disagree with their partner about preferences. A lot of the time, things are out of the control of the renovator and poor planning can see tempers flare and relationships tested.”</p> <p>Dr Keogh suggests there are three things to consider when renovating to prioritise your mental and emotional wellbeing:</p> <p><strong>Don’t take on too much at once</strong></p> <p>“The mistake I often see people making is taking on too many different things at the same time,” Dr Keogh says. “We can have unrealistic expectations about, for example, being able to plan a wedding and renovate a kitchen all at once. I would advise taking things more slowly instead and pacing yourself, as stress can be overwhelming.”</p> <p><strong>Get enough sleep</strong></p> <p>One thing<span> </span><em>The Block’s<span> </span></em>Spence noted on the show was how lack of sleep exacerbated what was already a highly stressful experience.</p> <p>“You don’t even have time to think about your own mental health in there, because it’s just so physical,” he said on Wednesday’s episode. “You’re so exhausted, you’ve got a goal and you’ve got people you can’t let down – people are relying on you. So you just keep pushing through. But the more tired you get from no sleep and the physical work, the worse it gets.”</p> <p>Dr Keogh says we shouldn’t be looking to the renovation shows on our screens for realistic and reasonable expectations of renovating.</p> <p>“While pulling an all-nighter might be the norm in reality TV renovations, sleep deprivation can make it difficult to think clearly and can affect emotional wellbeing. It can also lead to accidents. It is my professional opinion that renovators, particularly those with underlying mental health conditions, need to maintain adequate sleep while renovating.”</p> <p><strong>Practice gratefulness</strong></p> <p>“Being able to renovate means we are in a fortunate position to begin with: It means we have an apartment/house/property and the resources to renovate it. It’s good to keep this in mind and focus on the positives as much as possible,” Dr Keogh says, adding if anyone is sensing their mental health is being comprised while renovating, they should seek help immediately.</p> <p>“Don’t wait too long to get help. Speak to your GP about seeing a psychologist or search the Australian Psychological Society’s<span> </span><a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/Find-a-Psychologist">Find a Psychologist</a><span> </span>database for a practitioner.”</p> <div class="social-stick"> <div class="domain-article-content-body "> <p><em>If you or anyone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="content-wrap ad-space"> <div class="hpg-driver-text"><em>Written by Zara McDonald. Republished with permission of <u><a href="https://www.domain.com.au/living/it-all-builds-up-how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-while-renovating-20180905-h14yqt-761958/">Domain.com.au.</a></u></em></div> <div class="hpg-driver-text"></div> </div> </div>

Mind
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The important health issue going untreated in older Australians

<p>Poor mental health is going undertreated in older Australians, who should be having the time of their lives.</p> <p>Contrary to popular perception, grumpiness is not a natural part of getting older. Rather, it can be a sign of anxiety and depression at a time of life when people should in fact be at their happiest, says Macquarie Associate Professor Viviana Wuthrich.</p> <p>“This idea that older people are somehow more worried or anxious or grumpy because they are unhappy with their lives is not actually true,” says Wuthrich, who is deputy head of research in the Department of Psychology.</p> <p>“The research done in our team has confirmed that older adults often have less anxiety and depression, and actually are more resilient and cope better with some of the later-in-life challenges, such as bereavement, health issues, transitions like retirement, and financial stress,” says Wuthrich.</p> <p><strong>Resilience is key to ageing well</strong></p> <p>Research shows that older adults have wisdom they can draw upon so they are better able to solve the problems that face them – what is often called a positivity bias, says Wuthrich, as they tend to view even negative situations more positively. “In other words, they can often see the silver lining in the cloud.”</p> <p>However, another part of Wuthrich’s research is focused on older adults who are not so resilient and not doing well in ageing, “and we do know for those older adults, the impact of poor mental health seems to be even worse than it is for younger people,” she says.</p> <p>Just one in 20 Australians over 65 suffer clinical anxiety and depression. While that proportion is less than in other age groups and may sound small, as the population continues to age it will translate into growing numbers of people, Wuthrich says. </p> <p><strong>Dementia risk may increase</strong></p> <p>Research shows older sufferers of anxiety and depression experience more disability, medication use and visits to hospital than younger sufferers, putting stress on the medical system as well as individuals and their families.</p> <p>And emerging research suggests that poor mental health among older people may increase their risk for dementia, or speed up the trajectory of the disease.</p> <p>“We really need to get smart about how we treat anxiety and depression; it’s quite undertreated when it comes to older adults who are not getting the help they need,” Wuthrich says.</p> <p>Depression can “look a bit different” in older people and in adolescents, says Wuthrich, because, while people in other age groups will look sad and talk about being sad, older and younger people talk about feeling irritable, which is one of the hallmark features of depression.</p> <p>“We know there are barriers related to professionals being able to recognise anxiety and depression in older people, so again they also dismiss it as ‘he’s grumpy because he’s old’ or ‘she’s worried because she has a health condition’, instead of recognising that those things are not normal - it’s not normal to be anxious and depressed – and so they don’t make adequate referrals.”</p> <p><strong>Never too late to learn resilience</strong></p> <p>Macquarie Distinguished Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow Ron Rapee describes resilience as people’s ability to recover quickly, or to maintain good functioning, in the face of life’s adversities. However, some people don’t face those adversities as well as others, and can end up with problems as a result.</p> <p>“We just don’t know what really causes one person or one couple or one organisation to be more resilient than another – we’ve got a lot of hints, we know some of the issues, but we don’t really know for sure,” says Rapee.</p> <p>What the research does show, however, says Rapee, is that being more resilient will reduce anxiety, depression and anger issues, as well as reducing stress on, and breakdown of, relationships. “Being more resilient will have broad flow-on effects for a lot of different components of what broadly leads to quality of life,” he says.</p> <p>And the good news is that resilience can be learned – at any time, Rapee says: “We think you can learn it right to the end of your life.”</p> <p>Explains Wuthrich, “What we do know about psychological interventions and in particular skills-based interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), is that the skills people are taught can help them to become more resilient.”</p> <p><strong>The benefits of social connection </strong></p> <p>Wuthrich’s team at Macquarie has received two grants from the NHMRC and Beyond Blue for projects that will look at ways to improve the detection and treatment of anxiety and depression in older adults. One will compare different models of therapy, while the other will measure the impact of increased social participation on mental health outcomes.</p> <p>“We’re trying to increase community involvement, and looking at the benefits for the individual’s mental health and also whether, by improving this social participation, we have this extra societal cost benefit because then these older people are more engaged in the community; they’re volunteering more, they’re participating in child care, all those things that people with anxiety and depression don’t do,” Wuthrich says.</p> <p>“We need to be encouraging older people to keep getting involved in all the social activities that they do because they are a fantastic resource and it’s really good for their mental health.”</p> <p><em>Written by Sarah Maguire. This article was first published on the <a href="https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/"><strong><u>Macquarie University Lighthouse.</u></strong></a></em></p>

Mind
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Test your knowledge: How much do you remember from history class?

<p>From major conflicts to the significant world leaders, a new multiple choice quiz is testing player’s trivia on world history.</p> <p>The test, shared on <a href="https://www.playbuzz.com/codycross10/youll-never-score-10-10-in-this-confusing-mixed-history-quiz"><strong style="font-style: inherit;"><u>Playbuzz</u></strong></a>, challenges history buffs to recall notable dates, names and places.</p> <p>This quiz creator, Cody Cross, claims that the questions are so difficult that it will require more than one attempt to ace every question.</p> <p>So how well do you know your history?</p> <div class="playbuzz" data-id="0eff6bab-0aa9-4995-aedf-33bb8e35c19b" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div> <p>How well did you score? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Mind
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Tricky new quiz: How well do you know your geography?

<p>From capital cities to the names of major rivers, a new quiz is putting player’s geography trivia to the test.</p> <p>The test, shared by <a href="https://www.playbuzz.com/michaelrogers11/answer-these-15-geography-questions-and-your-iq-is-in-the-99th-percentile"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong style="font-style: inherit;">Playbuzz</strong></span></a>, covers all corners of the globe and asks 15 multiple choice questions.</p> <p>Although it may look straightforward, the creator of the quiz claims only those with an IQ in the top 1 per cent worldwide will get every answer correct.</p> <p>So can you ace this geography quiz?</p> <div class="playbuzz" data-id="b80994b0-c2ee-4548-9f7c-dd87e4f23344" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div> <p>How well did you score? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

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Billy Connolly and wife slam Michael Parkinson's claims: “He’s a daft old fart”

<p>Billy Connolly and wife Pamela Stephenson have slammed UK TV host Michael Parkinson's claims Connolly can no longer recognise him. </p> <p>According to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/comedians/michael-parkinson-mistaken-billy-connollys-illness-say-friends/"><em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Telegraph</em></a></strong></span>, the Scottish comic refuted Parkinson's claim on Sunday that, the last time they saw each other, he wasn't sure if Connolly knew who he was or not. </p> <p>Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 after a fan warned him his walk showed "distinct signs" of it. On the same day as his Parkinson's diagnosis, he also learnt he had prostate cancer, which he was later given the all-clear from.</p> <p>In spite of the claims by Parkinson – that Connolly's "wonderful brain is dulled" – Connolly told <em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Telegraph</em> his friend was mistaken.  </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Mike Parkinson is a daft old fart - doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Billy’s doing great and still funny as hell</p> — Pamela Stephenson (@PamelaStephensn) <a href="https://twitter.com/PamelaStephensn/status/1031544889941614593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>"I would recognise Parky if he was standing behind me – in a diving suit," he said. </p> <p>Connolly's wife, Kiwi Pamela Stephenson, also slammed the idea, posting a succinct rebuttal to Twitter:</p> <p>"Mike Parkinson is a daft old fart – doesn't know what he's talking about. Billy's doing great and still funny as hell."</p> <p>Producers working on TV projects with the Scottish comedian also denied Parkinson's description of Connolly. </p> <p>"We have been busy filming with Billy over the summer and can report happily that he's on top form – as sharp and hilarious as ever," producers at Indigo Television said in a statement. </p> <p>On Sunday, Parkinson – affectionately known as "Parky" in the UK, by those close to him and the wider public - told <em style="font-weight: inherit;">Saturday Morning with James Martin</em> that Connolly's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/mind/billy-connolly-s-sad-new-battle"><strong><u>"wonderful brain has dulled".</u></strong></a></p> <p>"To know someone as long as I knew and loved Billy [...] it was an awful thing to contemplate, that [recognising a friend] had been taken from him in a sense," Parkinson said. </p> <p>While he is best known as a stand-up comedian, Connolly has featured in a number of movies, including Lemony Snicket's<em style="font-weight: inherit;"> A Series of Unfortunate Events</em>, <em style="font-weight: inherit;">Brave</em> and <em style="font-weight: inherit;">The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies</em>.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz"><strong><u>Stuff.co.nz.</u> </strong></a></em></p>

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Billy Connolly’s sad new battle

<p>Comedian Sir Billy Connolly is suffering from the dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p>Close friend of Connolly, Sir Michael Parkinson, revealed in an interview on <em>Saturday Morning with James Martin </em>that the star “no longer recognises close friends”.</p> <p>The Scottish comedian announced his Parkinson’s diagnosis five years ago, but now one of his oldest friends confirmed that the disease is beginning to have an impact on his mind.</p> <p>During the interview, Michael recalled a recent catch-up with the 75-year-old, revealing they shared an “awkward dinner”.</p> <p>He said: “The sadness of Billy now is that wonderful brain is dulled.</p> <p>“I saw him recently — he’s now living in America — and it was very sad, because I was presenting him with a prize at an awards ceremony.</p> <p>“We had an awkward dinner together because I wasn’t quite sure if he knew who I was or not.</p> <p>“But we were walking out after the presentation to go down and have our picture taken, and he turned to me and put his hand on my shoulders.”</p> <p>Connolly was diagnosed with the long-term degenerative disorder in 2013, after having surgery for prostate cancer.</p> <p>Side affects of Parkinson’s include involuntary shaking, stiff muscles, slow movement, memory problems and balance issues.</p> <p>Sir Michael Parkinson became close with Connolly after the comedian made multiple appearances on his chat show.</p> <p>Michael added: “To know someone as long as I knew and loved Billy … it was an awful thing to contemplate, that that had been taken from him in a sense.</p> <p>“He was just a genius and the best thing that happened to me on the show.”</p> <p>Last year, Connolly was knighted for his contribution to the entertainment industry as well as his charity work, which has involved raising awareness for Parkinson’s disease in recent years.</p> <p>At the time the comedian revealed: “When I’m in front of people and performing, I don’t give it much attention.</p> <p>“And I perform despite it. That’s why I put on the song A Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On — just to stick two fingers up to it.</p> <p>“There’s a whole lot of shaking going on. It’s kind of weird, this instability,” he said.</p> <p>“The only time it stops is when I’m in bed and then I can’t roll over. I’m like a big log.</p> <p>“It’s the first thing I think about in the morning because getting out of bed is quite hard.”</p> <p>Previously, the 75-year-old explained to a British documentary the moment he received his diagnosis.</p> <p>“The doctor said to me, ‘You realise this isn’t curable?’ and I thought ‘What a rotten thing to say to somebody.’</p> <p>“I always thought he should have said, ‘You realise we are yet to find a cure?’ to put a little light at the end of the tunnel. There’s a lot to be said for that.”</p>

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Quiz fail: How this contestant’s hilarious mix-up cost him $100K

<p>A contestant on a US game show has made people scratch their heads after they witnessed what could go down as the most embarrassing quiz fail ever.</p> <p>Brooklyn comedian Evan Kaufman faced internet scrutiny after he made a terrible attempt at answering a seemingly simple question on the ABC’s <em>The $100,000 Pyramid</em> on Sunday (local time).</p> <p>Playing for $50,000, Kaufman was asked to name someone who has the surname, Obama. Mr Kaufman panicked and blurted out the name of former Al-Qaeda leader – Osama Bin Laden.</p> <p>What followed was <em>Saturday Night Live</em> alum Tim Meadows sitting across from Kaufman, stunned and unable to register what he had just heard. Alongside the backlash from those on social media.</p> <p>With some people laughing at the seemingly innocent mistake, many were labelling Kaufman as a racist for not knowing the difference between Obama and Osama.</p> <p>One Twitter user asked: “What kind of idiot would think, ‘People with the last name Obama’, would think Bin Laden?”</p> <p>The video, which has now gone viral, has prompted the comedian to respond to the backlash via his Twitter account.</p> <p>In a series of tweets, Kaufman explained that he and his partner had just recently welcomed a baby and the exhaustion had gotten to him.</p> <p>“Let me tell you the story about perhaps the most embarrassing moment of my life,” he starts off by saying.</p> <p>“The first square flips. I breathe. I read, ‘People Whose Last Name is Obama.’ I freeze. There’s only one. BARACK OBAMA. The man I would have voted for three times,” he wrote.</p> <p>“What I should have said was, ‘Michelle, Sasha, Malia, Bo! The PORTUGUESE WATER DOG BO!”</p> <p>But what seemed to be a mind blank quickly became one of the most unforgettable moments of Kaufman’s life.</p> <p>“Here’s what my brain decided. Who is associated with Obama? Who did he kill? What sounds like Obama!” he admitted.</p> <p>While he didn’t take home the top prize, Kaufman walked away with a cool US$8,500 (A$11,740) and managed to leave plenty of laughs behind.</p>

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“I’m really battling”: Grieving father of murdered children reveals heartbreaking struggle

<p>The father of four children who were killed in a murder-suicide near Margaret River has revealed he is struggling to get through the days.</p> <p>Three months on from the tragedy that shocked Australia, Aaron Cockman said he has been in constant pain since his daughter and three sons were killed.</p> <p>“To be honest, I’m really battling, really battling. I make it halfway through the day and I think I only have half more to go – and then the next day comes,” Mr Cockman told Sunrise on Thursday morning.</p> <p>“I really miss the kids. I even miss Katrina.</p> <p>“The sadness that I am going through, it should never have happened … as soon as the lawyers got involved, everything went downhill really really fast.”</p> <p>On May 11, Mr Cockman’s estranged father-in-law Peter Miles, 61, shot dead his 58-year-old wife Cynda, 35-year-old daughter Katrina and her four children – daughter Taye, 13, and sons Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn, 8.</p> <p>Mr Cockman is preparing to meet with Health Minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday about changing Australia’s family legal system, warning of the potentially devastating consequences of court involvement in family separation.</p> <p>“Things just began to spiral out of control,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.</p> <p>“There was no turning back. I backed away because I could see the enormous strain she [Kat] and the family were under.</p> <p>“We need to find a better, safer way of dealing with family separation than the family court,” Mr Cockman said.</p> <p> </p>

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Oprah's sleep doctor shares his best sleep hacks

<p>Oprah Winfrey's sleep doctor Dr Michael Breus has revealed the sleep hacks that really work and busted the myths that don’t.</p> <p>Universally lauded as the world’s leading sleep doctor, Dr Breus has a PhD in clinical psychology, certified in clinical sleep disorders, and is a practicing doctor who treat sleep patients with apnoea, narcolepsy and insomnia. So, he knows what he’s talking about.</p> <p>If you find yourself constantly tired during the day and need a quick pick-me-up, Dr Breus recommends a “nap-a-latte”.</p> <p>It involves “taking a cup of black coffee, cooled down with three ice cubes and drinking it quickly”.</p> <p>“Immediately take a 25-minute nap after drinking the coffee,” he told <strong><u><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6030053/Oprahs-sleep-doctor-bust-biggest-shut-eye-myths-hacks-really-work.html">Daily Mail Australia.</a></u></strong></p> <p>“The caffeine then blocks the sleep-inducing factors and the little 25-minute nap will give you enough sleep to feel better.”</p> <p>Dr Breus also advises you to get out into the sun for 15 minutes each morning “which helps to discontinue the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone”.</p> <p>He explains: “You might not think that light first thing is what your sleepy body needs, but the internal body clock - the circadian rhythm - runs on a 24-hour schedule and functions best when you are exposed to a regular pattern of light and dark.”</p> <p>If you struggle to fall asleep at night, Dr Breus recommends this simple trick: “Count backwards from 300 in increments of threes.”</p> <p>“It's so complicated that you can't think of anything else, while it's so boring that you're out like a light,” he said.</p> <p>The sleep expert also swears by a “banana tea” recipe for good sleep: “Take a chunk of organic banana, peel on, cut it in half and with the stem and trip removed, brew it in boiling water for four minutes.”</p> <p>He explained that the water is “loaded with magnesium, which is very calming and is a great replacement for camomile tea”. </p> <p>As for sleep myths, Dr Breus said that it is completely false that you can make up for “sleep debt” on the weekends.</p> <p>“Many people build a sleep debt during the week – a growing deficit between the sleep you need and the actual amount of sleep you get,” he said.</p> <p>“Research shows that after sleep deprivation, weekend makeup sleep doesn't completely restore attention, focus and other measurements of cognitive performance.”</p> <p>The other sleep myth the expert is keen to debunk is that you can get by on fewer than six hours sleep.</p> <p>“Sleep needs do vary person to person, but nearly everyone suffers deficits to health, well-being and performance when they regularly get less than six hours of sleep a night,” Dr Breus said.</p> <p>“Only a very small fraction of the population can function well and maintain good health on a sleep routine of fewer than six hours per night.”</p> <p>Oprah's sleep doctor said that you should ideally aim for around seven and a half hours, which is the “sweet spot” for slumber.</p> <p>“The average sleep cycle is 90 minutes long and a typical night of sleep includes five full sleep cycles,' he said.</p> <p>“So, if we apply some simple maths, 90 x 5 is 450 minutes - or 7.5 hours.”</p>

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Even 'supermums' like Serena Williams suffer from the guilt of motherhood

<p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__intro sics-component__story__paragraph">At the beginning of last month, when Serena Williams stepped back on to Wimbledon's Centre Court less than a year after giving birth, she was hailed a "torchbearer" for her sex and a "wonder woman".</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">However, after losing the final to Angelique Kerber, the seven-time Wimbledon winner was asked by an interviewer if she was, indeed, "supermum" – to which she shook her head and replied: "Just me. To all the mums out there, I was playing out there for you today and I tried."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">After pulling out of last weekend's Montreal tournament citing "personal reasons", Williams went on Instagram to explain to her 9 million followers that her inability to compete was down to feeling as though she was falling short – both professionally and personally.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">In a post that will resonate with working mothers everywhere, torn between baby-proofing their careers and being there for their children, Williams said: "Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmJ3KMzFRZw/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 37.4537037037037% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmJ3KMzFRZw/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom. I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal. It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week--it’s ok--I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/serenawilliams/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank"> Serena Williams</a> (@serenawilliams) on Aug 6, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"I read several articles that said post-partum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends lets me know that my feelings are totally normal." She added: "It's totally normal to feel like I'm not doing enough for my baby. We have all been there."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">We certainly have. Like most of my friends, the latter part of my 30s has been spent occupied with childcare and working an office job – and the endless battle to balance the two dominates almost every conversation.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Those friends who have continued their careers with scant pause – usually the lawyers and management consultants – face large childcare costs, and even larger amounts of guilt for never being at pick-up, sports day, cake sales or bedtimes.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">The ones who quit work after their first or second child (usually the second, which is very often the tipping point in terms of childcare costs and logistics) say they sometimes feel unfulfilled, worried the working mothers they know are sneering at them, and fearful of being left behind when their children are older and they're left to pick up the remains of their careers.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">The likelihood of finding an interesting, well-paid profession that allows for a 10-year break is not, naturally, something many can rely on. And then there are the ones like me, who have gone freelance or part-time since having children, and worry they're not doing a good enough job at either home or work.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">When I gave birth to my first daughter in 2010, I remember my own mother saying: "The minute you give birth, you start to feel guilty about every single decision you make." And I did: breast or bottle feeding, time working, time spent apart from them – something you crave, and then feel guilty about.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Though the days of mothers not mentioning the struggles of parenthood are fading – it was less than a decade ago that a long-time fellow freelancer confided she hadn't told her editor she'd given birth because she didn't want to appear unprofessional – it has taken, as it so often does, a celebrity contingent to shine a light on the issue.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Today I say Olympia fall... but she got back up. She fell again almost immediately.... and almost immediately she got back up again. She always had a smile on her face. I learned a lot from Olympia today. Thank you my baby love. <a href="https://t.co/pn0iUCZG6Q">pic.twitter.com/pn0iUCZG6Q</a></p> — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1020051496849719297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2018</a></blockquote> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Now, thanks to the likes of Williams, Victoria Beckham, who admitted to taking just one proper week off following the birth of daughter Harper before spending the rest of the summer working "with my boobs out, breastfeeding", and Beyonce, who in next month's issue of <em>Vogue</em> in the US explains that a traumatic labour with her twins last year led her to spend six months giving "myself self-love and self-care" rather than rushing to return full-pelt, there seems to be less stigma around new parents asking for flexible working. Or admitting they've barely slept.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">This week, UK cyclist Laura Kenny picked up her second gold medal at the European Championships in Glasgow, less than a year after the birth of her first child, Albie. "I was up five times last night – and he didn't actually fall asleep until nine o'clock, the little sod," she joked after the race.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"But you get used to it," the 26-year-old quadruple Olympic champion continued. "I don't even feel like I've had a lack of sleep any more – I just come in and get on with it. I was thinking I didn't want to leave Albie for nothing because he wasn't very happy this morning. [But] I'm glad I've got another medal to take home to him.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"If you'd asked me [when I was younger] if I'd be a mum with four Olympic and 12 European gold medals I would have said no, that's not the way my life is going to pan out."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">But for every heartwarming story like Kenny's, there are plenty more like Williams who, in the middle of last month's Wimbledon championship, berated herself for missing her daughter's first steps.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"I was training and missed it. I cried," she wrote on Twitter – an acute portrayal of the reality so many working parents experience.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">She took her first steps... I was training and missed it. I cried.</p> — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1015514300490960896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"Those early years are the hardest for guilt," agrees Neom founder and mother of two Nicola Elliott.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"In those early days, especially after your first child, new mums are on that hamster wheel of trying to be all things to all people but feeling like they're failing at everything. We feel we should be having these amazing careers, but we also feel we should be at nursery pick-up every day, or with our children all the time. The guilt is exhausting."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">By the time my second daughter arrived in 2013, I was, like most second-time mothers, less anxious and more confident in my decisions. And as I watched my daughters grow into confident, bright little girls, I realised three days a week in childcare had done them no harm whatsoever – and enabled me to continue in a profession I truly enjoy.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">The guilt is still there at times, and I still have days where I look at a mother on Instagram, enjoying midweek sunshine with her little ones, and feel a pang of guilt that I'm sat in an office. However, like the pain of childbirth, this also fades as your children get older and more independent.</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">"Like Serena, I did feel guilty when my children were younger and in childcare," says Elliott, "but now they're older and they need me less and love going to after-school clubs and seeing their friends, and I have a career that I love. So the pay-off does come."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph">Or as Alexis Ohanian, Williams's husband, said after her Wimbledon defeat: "She'll be holding a trophy again soon – and she's got the greatest one waiting at home for her."</p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph"><em>Written by </em><span><em>Maria Lally. Republished by permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/mums-life/106127146/even-supermums-like-serena-williams-suffer-from-the-guilt-of-motherhood">Stuff.co.nz</a>.</em></span></p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph"> </p> <p class="sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph"> </p>

Mind
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Why stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases are more likely for those with poor mental health

<p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-statistics/health-welfare-services/mental-health-services/overview">Four million Australians</a>, including our friends, family members, co-workers and neighbours, are living with mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.</p> <p>A<span> </span><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration/publications#chronic-diseases">new report</a><span> </span>from the<span> </span><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/australian-health-policy-collaboration">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</a><span> </span>has found these four million Australians are at much greater risk of chronic physical disease and much greater risk of early death.</p> <p>Having a mental health condition increases the risk of every major chronic disease. Heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and cancer are all much more likely to occur among people with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>More than 2.4 million people have both a mental and at least one physical health condition.</p> <p>For the first time in Australia, this report quantifies the extent of this problem. For example, people with mental health conditions are more likely to have a circulatory system disease (that is, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke). The likelihood increases by 52% for men and 41% for women.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230716/original/file-20180806-119602-1aouvik.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>More than a million people are affected by both a circulatory system disease and a mental health condition. These diseases are Australia’s biggest killers.</p> <p>For painful, debilitating conditions such as arthritis and back pain, the numbers are even higher. Arthritis is 66% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 46% more likely for women, with 959,000 people affected.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230717/original/file-20180806-119615-1mpdy9d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>Back pain is 74% more likely for men with mental health conditions, and 68% more likely for women, with more than a million affected.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230718/original/file-20180806-119602-zuqx7p.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>The gender differences are significant. Women with mental health conditions are much more likely to have asthma than women across Australia as a whole (70% more likely), while men are 49% more likely to have asthma with a mental health condition.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230719/original/file-20180806-119615-1sh4s9r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>The biggest gender difference is cancer. Men with mental health conditions are 84% more likely to have cancer than the general population, and for women the figure is 20%.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230720/original/file-20180806-119612-1v7b4l3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"></a><span class="caption"></span><em><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Health Policy Collaboration</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></em></p> <p>As more women live with mental health conditions than men, overall, women are 23% more likely to be living with both a mental and physical health condition than men.</p> <p>The report shows having a co-existing mental health condition and chronic physical disease generally results in worse quality of life, greater functional decline, needing to use more health care and higher healthcare costs.</p> <p>These people require more treatment, use more medications, and have to spend more time, energy and money managing their health. People with a mental health condition are also<span> </span><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60240-2/abstract">more likely to be poorer</a>, less likely to work, less likely to receive health screening and, sadly,<span> </span><a href="https://www.rethink.org/media/810988/Rethink%20Mental%20Illness%20-%20Lethal%20Discrimination.pdf">more likely to receive substandard care</a><span> </span>for their physical diseases.</p> <p>On average, people with mental health conditions die younger than the general population, and mostly from preventable conditions. We know from<span> </span><a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f2539">earlier research </a>that people with severe mental illnesses die much earlier than the rest of the population. Our report shows even common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression contribute to more chronic disease, leading to higher rates of early death.</p> <p><strong>Why?</strong></p> <p>We don’t know exactly why people with mental health conditions have poorer physical health. The<span> </span><a href="https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/multimorbidity">Academy of Medical Sciences</a><span> </span>has identified that poor mental health and psychosocial risk factors such as feeling dissatisfied with life, not feeling calm, having sleep problems that affect work, and financial concerns can predict physical disease.</p> <p>Other factors, such as<span> </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/low-income-earners-are-more-likely-to-die-early-from-preventable-diseases-87676">low socioeconomic status</a>, poor social networks, living in rural areas and smoking are associated with both poor mental health and poor physical health.</p> <p>We do know people with mental health conditions often don’t receive advice about healthy lifestyles, don’t get common tests for disease, and are less likely to receive treatment for disease. Some of this is due to<span> </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21379357">stigma and discrimination</a>, and sometimes it’s neglect. People with mental health conditions can<span> </span><a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Serious-Mental-Illness.aspx">fall through the gaps between disjointed physical and mental health systems</a>.</p> <p><strong>What can we do about it?</strong></p> <p>There is<span> </span><a href="https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/RANZCP-Keeping-body-and-mind-together.aspx">momentum for change</a><span> </span>among the mental health sector, with dozens of organisations signing up to the<span> </span><a href="https://equallywell.org.au/">Equally Well</a><span> </span>consensus statement. This aims to improve the quality of life of people living with mental illness by providing equal access to quality health care.</p> <p>There’s some great work being done around the country, including in the<span> </span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inm.12459">Hunter region</a>, where people with mental health conditions can access tailored help with physical health risk factors such as smoking and diet.</p> <p>People using mental health services should have their physical health regularly assessed, and any problems addressed as early as possible. Better coordination of care would preserve healthcare resources and improve quality of life.</p> <p><em>Written by Ben Harris. Republished by permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/stroke-cancer-and-other-chronic-diseases-more-likely-for-those-with-poor-mental-health-100955">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

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Why all seniors should play computer games

<p>As a woman who is almost 70 years old, I have not kept up with technology at the rate that I would have liked. I have, however, discovered a couple of games on my laptop or phone that I enjoy playing. One is called <em>Words with Friends</em> and follows the principles of <em>Scrabble</em>. And I love words! </p> <p>After watching my mother slowly decline cognitively with Alzheimer’s, I am conscious of maintaining my brain power, and what better way than a fun game?</p> <p>There is another bonus to playing <em>Words with Friends </em>(<em>WwF</em>)<em>, </em>and that is staying in touch (in a superficial sort of way) with people on a daily basis. I find this comforting since retiring from a varied career in education which spanned 44 years. I have a close friend, Teresa, who lives in the country about a two hour drive from where I live in Melbourne. Teresa’s husband of 32 years died suddenly three years ago, only two months after my best friend died of cancer. I spent time with Teresa at her beautiful property, supporting her in her grief and helping conduct the memorial service to celebrate her husband’s life. I introduced Teresa to <em>WwF</em> at that time and we have played almost daily since then. <em>WwF</em> is fairly easy to keep to a moderate use of time, as I must wait for the other to make their moves before I can play again. I also love playing several games with three local friends and several of my relatives in California.</p> <p>Another computer game I play is <em>Lumosity,</em> a brain training game that addresses such skills as speed, attention, memory, flexibility and problem solving.  <em>Lumosity </em>contains games with only one player versus the electronic game. So, there is no need to wait on another player to repeat the game.   Over time, I found myself self-selecting games that I particularly enjoyed.  I started playing the same two games over and over to try to increase my score.</p> <p>Lately, while playing <em>Lumosity</em> games, I have been reminded of a familiar compulsive behaviour to keep playing the same game.  So, the conversation to myself goes something like this: </p> <p>“OK, you’ve played <em>Train of Thought </em>five times now, so this will be your last game today”.</p> <p>“Oops! I’ve started another game...can’t quit now, this one will be my last game”.  At the end of this game, I hear my mind saying, “just one more...”!</p> <p>Why was this compulsive behaviour familiar to me? For most of my life I have battled serious overeating, favouring sweet foods. That began as a young child. This scourge, which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, was rife with breaking my own promises to myself, mental obsession, and experiencing a compulsion where it seemed I had no choice. The effect, naturally, was weight gain, followed by a rigid regime of dieting... over and over again. I have lost up to 30 kilograms on several occasions (using an array of diets, 12 step programs such as <em>Overeaters Anonymous</em>, hypnotism, numerous counsellors and therapists).</p> <p>So, when I observe the conversation in my mind, “this is your last game now”, I remember the same struggle with, for example, chocolate biscuits. I would eat 3 chocolate biscuits and then put the packet away in the cupboard, saying to myself, “that’s all you need”. I’d return back to the task at hand, but my mind was obsessed with the biscuits. Such messages drifting from my own brain would be, “go ahead, have a couple more. You deserve it. They are so delicious”. Inevitably, I ate the entire packet. Arrgghh!</p> <p>Fortunately, I have controlled the weight gain in the last few years with the help of Bariatric surgery.  I had a lap band fitted a few years ago, which limits the amount of food I can eat. I have learned to eat more slowly, take small bites, and chew thoroughly. I’ve been wearing the same size clothes for 3 years, which seems quite miraculous to me!</p> <p>One of the things these two compulsive behaviours have in common is that I only ever binged on food or <em>Lumosity</em> games when I was alone. It is a secret. Fortunately, I don’t believe there are too many downsides to spending 30-40 minutes a day on playing <em>Lumosity</em> games on my laptop and I am not too worried about it. I am pleased that I am aware of the compulsive behaviours when they creep in and I value my life experience at these times.  So, after playing and replaying <em>Lumosity</em> games for 40 minutes, I take my dog for a walk to the local dog park where she loves socialising with the other dogs. And I make sure I socialise with the other dog owners.</p> <p><em>Laurie Darby was a guest on Insight SBS, which explores video gaming and the impact it can have on Australian’s lives. Watch 8.30pm, August 7, on SBS. </em></p>

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New spelling quiz: Can you spell all 24 of these words correctly?

<p>If you believe you are a master speller, this quiz is perfect for you.</p> <p>The new quiz by Playbuzz challenges participants to spell 24 words that commonly confuse people.</p> <p>The creator of the multiple-choice quiz, Cody Cross, claims that only the smartest people will be able to get 21 or more of the answers correct.</p> <p>Cody is based in the US, so two of the words have the American spelling.  </p> <p>If you think you are a spelling whiz, take the test below and see how well you can score.</p> <div class="playbuzz" data-id="579718aa-bdf3-47d6-aefa-baa56c93f1e9" data-show-info="false" data-comments="false" data-show-share="false"></div> <p>How did you score? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

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Ray Hadley’s police officer son admitted to mental health clinic following drug bust

<p>Broadcaster Ray Hadley has revealed that his police officer son has been checked into a health clinic after his mental health struggles came to light following a drug possession charge.</p> <p>The 2BG radio broadcaster’s senior constable son was arrested at the Australian Hotel and Brewery in Rouse Hill on Friday, after officers allegedly found cocaine on him.</p> <p>"Last night my son Daniel, as you all know, was arrested in possession of 0.79 of a gram of cocaine, worth about $200," Hadley told reporters at a press conference held on the weekend.</p> <p>“When I was first told, I was both angry and perplexed.</p> <p>"I had no idea that my son, a respected police officer, would be involved in such a matter."</p> <p>The 28-year-old was granted conditional bail and has been charged with possession of a prohibited drug.</p> <p>The police officer has since been suspended from duty and his employment status is being reviewed.</p> <p>At the press conference, Ray Hadley emotionally revealed that his son has been battling mental struggles and has been checked into a support clinic.</p> <p>"I brought Daniel back home and my anger turned to shock and sadness," he said.</p> <p>"My son, during long conversations late into the night and early in the morning, revealed he's been battling mental health issues for quite some time.</p> <p>"He's also been away from work for months having dislocated his knee and waiting for an operation on a hernia.</p> <p>'"The serious nature of the illness is such that he’s been admitted already today to a clinic to deal with it – it is a very serious problem."</p> <p>While talking with his son, Ray discovered that Daniel had been seeing his GP about his mental health without his family’s knowledge.</p> <p>Ray said: “I’m not a medical professional and I won’t guess the nature of his illness but I will tell you it’s very serious and his family, me, his mum, sisters, aunts and uncles are very concerned.</p> <p>“I’m sure with expert medical advice he can recover from where he is now.”</p> <p>While Ray said Daniel's criminal charges were “a matter for the courts”, he appealed for everyone to consider the “things he’s dealt with over the last seven years as a police officer”.</p> <p>"All the time his colleagues and I thought he was coping and he obviously hasn't been coping.</p> <p>"Daniel accepts responsibility for his behaviour but unfortunately he's not in control of his mental health.</p> <p>"I now know how many parents feel when they think things are okay but they're not. I feel particularly inadequate as a father and as a spokesperson for 'R U OK?’ Day, when in fact my own son is not okay.</p> <p>"This is going to be a long, slow process for my son. I love him dearly and I wish to God that he'd come to me before this morning to tell me what he was battling."</p>

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