Equilibrium 50

Page 1

MAGAZINE FOR WELLBEING

50t

ED

ITI

h

ON

2013

AUTUMN

ISSUE 50

>> Wellbeing News >> Wordsearch >> Arts & Reviews >> Binaural Beats >> How to Make Stress Your Friend >> Man MOT is Coming to Haringey >> Top 10 Green Spaces in Haringey


Equilibrium Patron Dr Liz Miller Mind Champion 2008

Front cover: Katie Brennan

web alerts If you know anyone who would like to be on our mailing list and get the magazine four times a year (no spam!) please email: equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk (www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium). Equilibrium is devised, created, and produced entirely by team members with experience of the mental health system. Photo copyright remains with all individual artists and Equilibrium. All rights reserved. 2011

Design: www.parkegraphics.co.uk

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editorial We warmly welcome you to our 50th edition of Equilibrium! Our unique magazine has been running since the 1990s, and I feel privileged to have nearly completely my first full year as the team’s facilitator and editor. We have enjoyed putting this issue together for you, and would once again like to thank our guest contributors and those who sent in pictures. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so go ahead and tweet us @teamequilibrium. And if you’d like to join the team, contribute an article or picture, or find out more, please do get in touch via equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. Kate, Editor/Team Facilitator

disclaimer Equilibrium is produced by service users. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission of the Equilibrium team. Products, articles and services advertised in this publication do not necessarily carry the endorsement of Equilibrium or any of our partners. Equilibrium is published and circulated electronically four times a year to a database of subscribers; if you do not wish to receive Equilibrium or have received it by mistake, please email unsubscribe to equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk

the team Facilitator/ Editor: Kate Massey-Chase. Editorial team: Alan, Angela, Dev, Ian, Nigel, Polly

contact us Equilibrium, Clarendon Centre, Clarendon Road, London, N8 ODJ. 02084894860, equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. We are in the office on Friday afternoons 2.30-4.30, but you can leave a message at other times and we’ll get back to you.

contributions Wanted: contributions to Equilibrium! Please email us with your news, views, poems, photos, plus articles. Anonymity guaranteed if required.

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Man MOT is Coming to Haringey There’s an exciting new project coming to Haringey which could make it far easier for men to access the health advice they need - especially for more difficult subjects such as mental health. A three year project funded by the Department of Health, Haringey Man MOT is being run by the Men’s Health Forum

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and their partners at Haringey Council and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Man MOT will offer a free, confidential online health advice service through which men can ‘chat’ directly to a GP or other health professional, about any health problem at all via a computer, tablet or smart phone. No appointment is needed.

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The Men’s Health Forum has trialled the basic Man MOT concept and are now refining it by working on its design and delivery with the men of one borough - Haringey. To do this, we need to talk to the men who might use it and to the health professionals who might deliver it. The initial pilot suggested that ease and immediacy of use and the choice to remain anonymous made it easier for men to discuss taboo topics such as how they were feeling. To develop this, we particularly want the input of people with lived experience of dealing with mental health challenges. We’re looking for Haringey men of all ages and all backgrounds to help in many different ways: fill in a survey online or face to face or by phone take part in face to face interviews going into more depth join focus groups with other men to help with the research check out some of our ideas and tell us what you think. If you’d like to do any or all of these, please get in touch with me using the email address below. If you’re health professional interested in male health, technology and putting something back into the community we also want to hear from you. You can help:

• On the other side of the screen by ‘chatting’ to men in ‘virtual surgeries’ • By advising on how we can improve and develop the service • Taking part in our Project Advisory Group (PAG) • Helping us connect with patients who can advise us on their side of the experience Man MOT will enable men to ‘chat’ directly to you online. All the health professional needs is a computer. No surgery, no (missed) appointments, no needless visits to A&E, it’s so much easier for everyone. Most of our consultation with you and any virtual surgeries you do will be from a location to suit you. Full training will be provided for using the technology. More information on the project can be found on our website: www.menshealthforum.org.uk/haringey Without the help and support of ther men of the borough and committed health professionals this project cannot work. Please contact: Jim.pollard@menshealthforum.org.uk if you would like to help us make a difference.

Jim Pollard, Haringey Man MOT project manager

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Wellbeing News

Kate

1. Psychological and cognitive benefits of learning another language

ers suggest this in an unconscious form of self-enhancement, which could be a mechanism to build self-esteem or combat depression. Link

Learning another language has many benefits: it means the language centre in the brain grows, it can stave off dementia, boost your memory, mean

4. National Wellbeing

you become better at multi-tasking, and improve your first language.

According to the Office for National Statistics in

LInk

July, we are a bit happier and slightly less anxious. Good-oh. LInk.

2. Sexiest parts of the body 5. An apple a day Research into ‘intimate touch’ (Trunbull, Lovett, Chaldecott & Lucas, 2013) has suggested that

The peak of an apple’s nutritional value is found in

‘we all share the same erogenous zones in at least

the peel, which contains:

two very different continents, whether we are a

• vitamins A, C, and K

white, middle-aged, middle-class woman sitting in

• minerals including calcium, potassium, and phos-

a London office or a gay man living in a village in

phorus

Africa. It suggests it is hardwired, built in, not based

• soluble and insoluble fiber

on cultural or life experience’. Link

• antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolic acids that fight cell-damaging free radicals, and

3. People Generally Like the Sound of their Own Voice

triterpenoids that help fight cancer • it also helps reduce bacteria in your mouth by stimulating saliva and contains acids that keep

I’ve always hated mine whenever I’ve heard

teeth clean. Link

it played back, like most people I know (often accompanied by cries of ‘Do I really sound like that???’), but recent research suggests, when

6. Scottish Government Report in Culture and Health

presented with recordings of speech, participants (without realising their own voice was included

The Scottish Government have carried out an

in the mix) consistently rated their own voice as

in-depth study of the whole population and discov-

more attractive than anyone else did. Research-

ered a direct correlation between participation in

Photo: Anthony

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Summer/ Issue 38


culture and improved health and life satisfaction.

people. People with disabilities are more than twice

Crucially this remains true even when other factors

as likely to find health-care providers’ skills inad-

such as age, economic status, income, area depri-

equate. Disabled people are four times more likely

vation, education qualification, disability or long

to report being treated badly and nearly three times

standing illness and smoking are accounted for.

more likely to be denied health care’. Link

They discovered that those who had visited a library were almost 20% more likely to report good health than those who had not visited a library in the previous 12 months, those who visited a museum were

9. The importance of our musical-rhythmic abilities

20% more likely to report good health than those who did not, and those who visited the theatre were

New scientific research has come forward, regard-

almost 25% more likely to report good health than

ing how rhythmic skills from musical education

those who did not in the previous 12 months. Link

lead to better auditory-neural responses. These are important for learning languages and reading. The researchers suggest that practising music could

7. Staying Late

improve other skills, particularly speech, and argue that rhythm is an integral part of language. So, what

A new survey has revealed that many of us are

are you waiting for – pick up that tambourine! Link

staying behind at work, past our clocking off time, with 82% of us working more than 40 hours a week (up from 68% in 2011), while 28% do more than 50 hours a week (a 9% increase from two years ago).

10. Arts included in Wellbeing Measures

It’s not an extreme extrapolation to suggest that this will be having a significant and detrimental impact

In June this year it was decided that people’s

on people’s wellbeing. Link

engagement in the arts is (finally!!!!) to be recognised as one of the factors that contributes to

8. People with disabilities often do not receive needed health care

wellbeing in the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Measuring National Wellbeing Programme. About bloomin’ time!!! Link

The World Health Organisation’s facts on disability state that ‘half of disabled people cannot afford health care, compared to a third of non-disabled

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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GALLERY SPACE Riverside Scenes

IMAGES BY: KATIE BRENNAN

Twitter: @katie_brennan Blog: http://www.bloodyhellbrennan.com

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Summer/ Issue 38


www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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The latest buzz on bees Marco Lanzarote The problem of honeybees dying off is not

without Bees (Time August 19th 2013 ), points

contained to Europe and the UK alone but is

out that a crop like almonds in California, that

also found in the US.

is particularly important to the economy, is causing serious concern as the pollination task

Researchers are still trying to find out what is killing them and there has been a lot of news coverage and political discourse on this issue. One school of thought thinks that chemicals or pesticides are the culprit but in the US they are also looking at a mite called

that honeybees naturally perform is at risk. Because the pollination of crops like almonds and apples –and many more crops that we take for granted- is so important , if the honeybee continues to dwindle then it could have

the Varroa destructor that “burrows into the

serious repercussions throughout the agricul-

brood cells that host baby bees” and sucks

tural industry; about one mouthful in three

the hemolymph from them –the fluid that

in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from

serves as blood in bees. An article, A World

honey bee pollination.

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Summer/ Issue 38


Books&Exhibitions

Polly Mortimer

Interleaved with their work were specially SCARP by Nick

chosen pieces from the Folk Art collection at

Papadimitriou: a wild,

Compton Verney. Among these is a little model

magic, bleak, vision-

of a Potter’s Workshop form 1900 chosen by

ary text with gender

an embroiderer Natasha Boyd and and Mark

blending and trans-

James chose a 19th century streetscape to

formations at every

complement his outstanding painting The Narb.

chapter. He wanders

The latter is a huge door posted over with junk

the edgelands of North

mail which has a street (The Narborough Road,

London as a rook, a woman, a teller of tales

Leicester) laid over it in house paint, acrylic

and deep topographer between spells as mad,

and felt tip. Michael George paints intensely

and a spell in prison as a teenager. He sinks into

accurate and arresting images of methods of

the tarmac and the ancient brooks, and sleeps

travel - from a fat bellied plane to a Cow and

under trees and in stinking abandoned cara-

Gate lorry - inspired by places he has worked.

vans. Truly magnetic.

He finds travel lifts his depression and helps him

Sceptre Books. 2011.

cope with the dark shadow cast by childhood traumas. Outside In: Central

HIs folk art choice is Alfred Wallis’ Schooner

Compton Verney,

approaching Harbour (1930) - a Cornish boat

Warks.

scene as seen from above almost. Michael

This exhibition is part of

says: ‘In the art world, Alfred’s and my work

a national project for

would be labelled ‘Naive’. However, like

showcasing the work

me, Alfred started painting to anaesthetise

of artists perceived

emotional pain; he losing his wife and me trying

to be on the margins.

to cope with depression. Both of us just paint-

It features 16 artists

ing whatever we choose to paint in our own

from the Midlands who find art cathartic - like

unique style. I see Alfred and I as kindred spirits.’

all artists I would venture - and who are helping

I am always foxed by the ‘Outsider’ label given

themselves to overcome adverse life events

to ‘untrained’ artists. It seems arbitrary and

through art.

meaningless.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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Rocket...or the Wheelchair? Which one should have come first: the

He said that if he is in a pub and he sees

motorised wheelchair, or the rocket to the

somebody looking at him, he has to think,

moon?

is that person looking at him because they find him attractive, or because he is in a

Man went to the moon for the first time in

wheelchair. Â

August 1969, when Neil Armstrong and his

I remember the days when you did not

team went with NASA. I was six years old

see a disabled toilet. I do remember the

then (don’t tell anyone!). I saw a motorised

campaign for it in the 80s. Why did it take so

wheelchair for the first time in 1991. Why

long to make a disabled toilet? All that was

did it take so long for the motorised wheel-

needed was a wider door, rails, a wider seat

chair to be invented? Well, in fact, it was

and a wider brain for some common sense!

invented in 1916, would you believe it? But it

A map has been designed for wheelchair

was not commercially available until much

users. But why was this map not designed

later. When did you see one?

when they first invented the tube in 1862?

I think wheelchair users have not been

Wheelchair ramp for the bus is very good

treated fairly. There used to be a horrible

idea. The Para Olympics is a fantastic idea.

joke: Which part of the vegetable can’t you

It is brilliant that they can take part and win

eat? The wheelchair. There was a young

a gold medal just like anybody else, but

man talking about what meeting people of

why were they not allowed to take part

the opposite-sex is like as a wheelchair user.

when the modern Olympics first started in

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1896? Banks now have shelves lower

Dedicated Wheelchair spaces are avail-

than the counter so that they can do

able on Victoria and District lines and on

their signature from their wheelchair. We

new Metropolitan lines trains. You may

now also have showers, baths and stair-

not travel on escalators while in your

lifts for wheelchair users. Some theatres

wheelchair. However, if you are able to

have a space reserved for wheelchair

stand on the escalator, staff may be able

users, but they request somebody comes

to assist with carrying your chair. There is

with them, and some museums will give

also assistance for blind or deaf customers.

a free ticket to the carer of a disabled person, so they can go in with them.

Ramps are currently available to help

.Shop Mobility is an organisation that

you board trains at some stations i.e

hires out motorised wheelchairs. It is run

Oxford Circus, Bakerloo line (interchange

by the Civic Centre for Haringey Council

only)

.It is in the Wood Green library arcade.

I would like to see the day when some-

It is open from 10.30am to 5pm. It costs

body in a wheelchair goes to the moon

£2.50 for a non member to hire a wheel-

in a rocket – what perfect unity!

chair and £2 for a member. The shop

As human beings

mobility has 10 chairs in stock and it is

on planet earth we are

staffed by Sandra and Doreen who are

suppose to be intelligent.

working there on a voluntary basis.

We have so many ways

London Underground has 6 stations

of communicating,

which are step free from street to plat-

so much access to

form . These are shown by a blue wheel-

technology – why

chair on a white background. On the

not use it to help

Tube map some of these stations are

each other! To

step free from street to train, these are

make things

shown by a white wheelchair on a blue

better for wheel-

background. Tflgov.uk/

chair users is

At a number of stations, platform humps

not rocket

have been installed. These raise the

science.

platform to the level of the train, allowing wheelchair users to board more easily.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

Angela

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MOOD CONTROL with Binaural Beats Nigel Prestatyn

I recently read an article which caught my

Theta brain waves, which are present during

eye, an idea which seemed fascinating and

deep meditation and light sleep, including

bizarre at the same time. The idea in basic

the all-important REM dream state.

layman’s terms is that: Delta brain waves,which is the slowest of the The brain naturally functions using a vari-

frequencies and is experienced in deep,

ety of frequencies (Hz): Alpha, Beta, Theta,

dreamless sleep.

Delta, and Gamma; and these frequencies generate certain moods. So if you can

So this is based on the first premise that the

control your brain’s frequencies, you can

brain works with frequencies and that these

control your moods. And the tools used to

frequencies produce moods. It is also based

control the brain’s frequencies (moods) are

on a second premise that one can listen to

called Binaural Beats.

audio frequencies, and that the brain will follow these frequencies thus producing

So, you plug in your earphones, switch on

certain moods.

your mp3 player, play the frequency beats, and create the required mood.

Here’s a cursory glance at some of the

The frequencies are:-

science behind these ideas.

Beta brain waves, which are associated with

In the medical journey Anaesthesia (1) it

normal waking consciousness and a height-

cites that binaural beats were first described

ened state of alertness, logic and critical

by Oster [12] over 30 years ago: “They are

reasoning.

produced within the brain in response to two similar pure tones being presented sepa-

Alpha brain waves, which are present in

rately to each ear. The rhythm of the binau-

deep relaxation and usually when the eyes

ral beat equals the difference between

are closed, when you’re slipping into a

the two tones and, if sustained, this rhythm

lovely daydream or during light meditation.

can be entrained throughout the brain. The cont.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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cont.

frequency of the binaural beat can thus be

Decreases in anxiety scores were:

selected to produce particular EEG-associ-

Binaural Group: 26.3% decrease in anxiety

ated states.”

Audio: 11.1% decrease in anxiety

It goes on further to state that, “Inducing brain-wave states with binaural beats has been used to decrease anxiety in patients suffering from chronic anxiety

No Intervention Group: 3.8% decrease in anxiety The conclusion drawn from this study was that binaural beat audio has the potential

… It has been demonstrated that music

to decrease acute pre-operative anxiety

can be used successfully to relieve patient

significantly.

anxiety before operations, and that audio embedded with tones that create binau-

If you are interested in learning how to

ral beats within the brain of the listener

get in tune with your brain waves and be

decreases subjective levels of anxiety in

able to consciously activate them, a quick

patients with chronic anxiety states. This team of researchers measured anxiety in pre-operative patients using binaural beat audio (Binaural Group), then with

google search on ‘binaural beats’ should throw up a gamut of possibilities to explore. So now you may be wondering if I have tried any of these beats? The answer is

an identical soundtrack but without these

yes. And did I notice any differences? The

added tones (Audio Group), and finally

answer is no. But that doesn’t mean it will

with a third group who received no specific

be a no for you!

intervention (No Intervention Group).

After approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee, the study was conducted over a 6-month period (October 2003 to March 2004). This prospective, randomised, controlled study recruited 108 patients scheduled to undergo general anaesthesia for elective surgery at the Day Surgery Unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

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Anathesia, ): Volume 60, Issue 9, pages 874–877, September 2005 Padmanabhan, R., Hildreth, A. J. and Laws, D. (2005), A prospective, randomised, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and pre-operative anxiety in patients undergoing general anaesthesia for day case surgery. Anaesthesia, 60: 874–877. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04287.x

Summer/ Issue 38


The Healthy Benefits of a Stroll in the Park

S

o this is something we all know about, but perhaps tend to forget as we go about our daily lives, particularly the urban folk amongst us. But it is now carved in medical stone: there are fantastic health benefits to be had from being out and about in parks and woods, walking aimlessly along nature walks and reserves. One of the fortunate aspects of living in London is the sheer abundance of parks and woods, and this is clearly due to the fact that the country as a whole has always held such spaces in high regard when it comes to health and feeling good. But now there is evidence (as though it were needed!). A recent study has shown that living in a greener area can have a significant positive effect on our moods. The University of Exeter did a study using data from 5,000 UK households over 17 years, where they asked participants to report on their own psychological health during that time to estimate the “green space effect”. They found that individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas. In an action report by the Faculty of Public Health in association with Natural England they suggest that “Safe, green spaces may be as effective as prescription drugs in treating some forms of mental illnesses, without the costs of side-effects and ever-rising numbers of prescriptions... Even window views of nature are closely associated with increased concentration levels and productivity.” And further, they add, “Green spaces are not just effective at preventing ill health, they can also aid in recovery and rehabilitation. Studies where patients had views of nature through hospital windows found more rapid www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

post-operative recovery and lower need for pain relief, while patients with anxiety disorders exhibited lower levels of fear and anger.” The action report makes the following recommendations: •Local authorities should provide more accessible green spaces and open-air leisure facilities in which children, families, adults and older people can safely play and exercise. • Local strategic partnerships, especially those i urban areas, should maximise the use of available green space for health-promoting activities • GPs should consider providing advice about physical activity in green spaces as an alternative or adjunct to medication for patients with milder forms of depression or anxiety • Exercise prescription schemes in general practice could usefully be extended to cover supervised physical activity in green spaces • Programmes, such as Walking for Health and others, which encourage physical activity in green spaces and natural environments should continue to be fully supported • Major research-funding bodies should specifically commission research on the potential role of green space in preventing So get those walking shoes on, find your nearest park (or one we’ve suggested), and take in the greenery and reap the rewards of a healthier life style. So with that in mind the Equilibrium team have come up with their own personal top ten green spaces for you to visit in Haringey. Please rturn over to the next spread to see our choice....

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Top 10 Green spaces in

Haringey 3

1

4

2

5

Natural England: www.naturalengland.org.uk Faculty of Public Health www.fph.org.uk

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6

9

7

10

1. Hampstead Heath 2. New River Walk 3. Alexandra Palace 4. Parkland Walk 5. Highgate Woods 6. Finsbury Park 7. Cherrytree Woods 8. Priory Park 9. Waterlow Park 10. Downhills Park

8

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Charities&Fundraising

Dev

For some

These are the most commonly used and

time I

many charities prefer this form of fund-

worked

raising. This is because they get a regular

in various

amount coming in. People can also send

depart-

a cheque through the post with a slip or

ments of a

letter saying the amount sent and their

global char-

name.

ity here in London. One of my roles was working in the Fundraising Department.

On the other side, you can end up getting

This department is the one which deals

put on their ‘direct mailing list’. This means

with raising money for any appeals. With

that they will send you letters for every

Major charities, appeals occur on a regu-

appeal that comes along. You can tell if

lar basis and some appeals can last for a

you are getting any more mail for appeals

long time.

by looking at any small eight to ten digits near your address. To stop them from

Photo: Anthony

Regular Givings

sending any further mail contact the fund-

Most charities have several types of

raising department and ask them to take

fundraising strategies, including major

your name off their mailing list. You may

donations (this is when people give large

wish to send them an email or a letter.

amounts of money in thousands and

They can not keep your name on their list

millions of pounds), and regular givings

if you ask to be withdrawn.

(this is the one we all hear about). Regu-

Most major charities have a way of receiv-

lar givings mean you give a set amount,

ing donations via legacy. In short, this

for example £3 to £20 per month; you

means asking elderly citizens to leave an

could do this by doing a direct debit.

amount of money or something in their

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Summer/ Issue 38


will. It has been known for people to leave

There are times when they allow charities to

their own properties to their favourite charities.

show less serious events. Some charities use

When this occurs, the charity in question has

international and less mainstream channels

to keep the property for at least 18 months.

to advertise their appeals. The main reason

These properties can be used in any way they want, unless the will says otherwise. TV advertising Another form of getting more money is through TV donations. I’m sure you’ll all know

for this is that it would cost less to advertise on foreign or less popular channels, compared to a popular or terrestrial channel. By law, any funds generated by these television appeals have to go to that specific appeal.

the adverts that show people or animals in harm. You could call this ‘appealing to your

Physical donation

conscience’ or a ‘guilt trip’. These are carried

This type of donations occurs when charities

out by major charities so that they can

use their staff, volunteers and temp workers

generate more donations for that particular

to go on to the streets to collect donations.

appeal. They are advertised in away to show people in well off conditions how bad the conditions other people or animals live in. By law,

There are basically three types of physical donations: 1. Door-to-door donations, where a person from the charity goes around houses to get people to sign up for donations; 2.

they have to get permission from the Charity

Groups of people trying to attract donations

Commission or the DEC (Disaster Emergency

at public areas like malls, shopping areas,

Committee) to advertise on TV. One condi-

etc.; 3. Collecting, where you shake a pot or

tion is it has to be a serious event or urgent.

a bucket at a local shop or a station.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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The Good Old Days

I

feel that life was much better born as a 60’s

because they were burning up calories. We did

babe than later on in life, in comparison to

things like running, skipping, hop scotch, play-

modern children’s lives. Life has improved in

ing rounders, leap frog, skate boarding and roller

some ways, but not in others.

skating. I also walked to school. We used to call this playing; now they call it exercise.

Would you believe it that in the 60s mothers used

Being able to play outside all the time meant that

to leave the baby in pram outside the supermar-

we built up social skills by mixing with the other

ket in the street, and nobody would take it away?

children. This also allowed us to build up street

If that happened now Social Services would be

awareness from a young age. When these chil-

called and the police would take action against

dren from the 60s grew up into teenagers, they

the parents that left the baby on its own.

were more able to cross the road safely. ‘Traffic is

As a young child I was able to play outside unsu-

the biggest single cause of accidental death for

pervised. I think this was very good for children

12 to 16 year olds. 1,844 12 to 16 year olds were

Photo: Anthony

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Summer/ Issue 38


killed or seriously injured in Britain as pedestri-

dren are spending so much time on computers

ans, cyclists and car occupants in 2007’ (Wirral

nowadays that they are turning into a computer

Council, 2010). We also used to see an advert,

couch. They are just exercising their fingers.

THE GREEN CROSS CODE, which taught people how to cross the road properly. The teenagers of today don’t seem to have as much safety

In the good old days we used to know our

awareness crossing the road.

neighbours a lot more. The children got to know all the other children on the same street. We

Back in the day there used to be something

were more a part of each other’s lives. We got

called a ‘house wife’. This was women that did

the opportunity to go to lots of parties, weddings;

not work full time, but spent their time looking

I even went to Turkish weddings which were very

after the family. I feel fortunate that my mummy

good. We did so much together. The fact that

was a ‘house wife’ so she was always there if

we knew so many people as children proved

there was an accident. We also got a good,

to be a good safety net. I think we had a better

hot dinner every evening with the whole family

education, schools were better and if you

together, which was a healthy meal (thanks,

wanted to go to university it was free. Only the

mum!). So there was less child obesity because

best things in life are free!

mothers did not have to rely on take-away meals. However, some people believe that

The family unit seemed more stable, and for

they were better off for their mothers going to

that reason less stressful. We didn’t have such

work. They saw their mothers working as a good

a consumer-orientated society. Lots of children

example. The mum also had financial inde-

these days expect expensive presents all the

pendence. They also wonder why it should be

time, like computers and trainers.

the mum at home, not the dad. Do you think things were better in the good old Before children had their own computers, we

days or are things better now? How would you

used to make up our own games and songs. This

like to improve the future?

was good for the imagination. Unfortunately, chilAngela

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EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 23


How to Make Stress Your Friend

I

’m usually pretty chilled. But like everyone

ing people that stress is BAD. That stress increases

else, I have had some extremely stressful

the risk of all ailments from the common cold to

encounters during my life. Like that time I was

cardiovascular disease.

held up by the ultra-suspicious customs offi-

cials at Dallas airport with less than forty minutes

Then she discovered that this was not entirely true.

to go before my connection flight. I had not slept

She cited an eye-opening study which surveyed

in twenty hours. After my suitcase was inspected,

30,000 US adults over an eight-year period. Partic-

I got completely lost and had to rely on the slack-

ipants were asked how much stress they had

jawed Texan staff to help me find my terminal.

experienced during the past year, and whether or

“Don’tcha worry nahhh, we’s gonna get y’all

not they believed stress to be damaging to one’s

home.” (Praise the Lord.) If I have many more

health. Then the researchers checked the death

days like this, I remember thinking, I will have a

statistics from this sample to see which partici-

heart attack before I’m thirty.

pants had died. Lovely stuff.

Was I right in thinking that? Apparently not! I

Those who experienced a lot of stress and believed that yes, it is unhealthy, were 43% more likely to pop their clogs than other participants. Not really surprising. However, those who had experienced a lot of stress but did not believe it to be unhealthy had the lowest death rates of all.

recently listened to a speech by the delectable Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University. It was about stress (Link) “I have a confession to make,” McGonigal announces to her large audience. Her deadly sin is that for the past ten years, she has been teach-

Photo: Anthony

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 24

Summer/ Issue 38


Lando Hilton

Thus it is not stress per se that’s the killer. It is the way stress is perceived. McGonigal points out that the belief that “stress is harmful” is the fifteenth most major cause of death in the US. This irrational belief kills more than AIDS and homicide! What can be done to change this? McGonigal describes a stressful scenario to her audience, asking them to imagine how it would affect them physically. Racing heart, rapid breathing, sweat breaking out, that sort of thing. Exactly what I experienced in Dallas. It’s how these symptoms are perceived which determines mortality. Some believe rapid breathing and a pounding heart to be signs of anxiety, of being unable to cope. However, says McGonigal, these symptoms are actually helpful. The increase in heart rate is your body’s way of preparing you for action, whilst the rapid breathing is to get more oxygen to your brain so that you can think faster. In people who don’t know this, the blood vessels constrict when that person is faced with a stressful situation. (Having constricted blood vessels on a regular basis is indeed linked to cardiovascular problems. It really is not healthy.) People who appreciate the helpful properties of stress symptoms, however, show relaxed blood vessels when under pressure. In fact, their blood vessels resemble those of someone having a joyful or courageous moment, a Harvard study found. Thus, if perceived in the right way, stress can actually be beneficial. Kelly McGonigal informs her audience that a much overlooked part of the stress response is the release of oxytocin, the

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“cuddle hormone” – it’s released when you hug someone. How sweet. Oxytocin is a wonder hormone. It primes people to strengthen their relationships with others, motivating compassion, empathy and helpfulness. It also motivates people to seek support from those who care about them. Ooh, and it counters the more negative effects of stress, protecting the cardiovascular system and helping to build up a resistance. It can even repair damaged heart tissue. We should all snort some every day. Oxytocin’s healing properties were demonstrated in a study of 1000 US adults. Investigators asked participants how much stress they’d encountered in the last year, and also how much time they had spent helping other people. And again, wahoo, death rates were analysed. Participants who had experienced a major stressful event (e.g. family break-ups, financial troubles, getting lost in Texas) were 30% more likely to die than their un-stressed counterparts. But, if the “stressed” participant spent a significant amount of time helping other people, they were no more likely to die than the un- or marginally-stressed people in the study. In lay terms, people who had the right ideas about stress could enjoy its oxytocin-induced benefits (motivation to help others, protection of cardiovascular system) instead of being bogged down by all the fluey and heart-attacky stuff. Had I known all this in Dallas, I might have smiled at the cowboy who ransacked my suitcase instead of snarling at him.

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 25


Art Exhibition: Stayin’ Alive A showcase of new works by CoolTan Arts participants celebrating World Mental Health Day. Private view - 6pm 8pm 17th October Exhibition runs from 18th October until 26th November 2013. Monday to Thursday 10-5:45, Fridays 10-5. CoolTan Arts, Third Floor, 224-236 Walworth Road, SE17 1JE. You are invited to join arts in mental health charity CoolTan Arts to celebrate World Mental Health Day and launch our Stayin’ Alive art exhibition. Work has been produced in CoolTan's workshops in a variety of different media, including oil on canvas, acrylic, printmaking and sculpture.

Photo: Anthony

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 26

Artists have used the title 'Stayin' Alive' as the starting point for their work and have interpreted this theme to give a sense of hope to us all. In these difficult times CoolTan Arts wishes to share with our community the need to build hope into our futures. Artworks have been made in a variety of different media. Come along and have fun, meet like-minded people and taste some of the culinary delights of our Community Kitchen. For more info or to RSVP please contact emmathatcher@cooltanarts. org.uk or call 020 7701 2696.

Summer/ Issue 38


KATE’S WELLBEING WORDSEARCH 1. HOPE 2. CBT 3. PSYCHIATRIST 4. SLEEP 5. SPORT 6. HEALTH 7. SEROTONIN 8. WELLBEING 9. MEDITATE 10. MOOD 11. ANXIETY 12. ONE-IN-FOUR 13. SUPPORT 14. CREATIVITY 15. EQUILIBRIUM 16. MUSIC 17. PEACE

‘Wellbeing’, by Gary I can not believe what I am seeing You look well, You have got wellbeing How can you tell what’s going on in my brain? I am feeling confused And my body’s riddled with pain. Never judge a book by its cover, Those were the words I was told by my mother. I will never give up, I will carry on dreaming And when someone asks How are you doing? My reply will be: Fine. You see, I have wellbeing.

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EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 27


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