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Dr Adrianne Reveley's Blog

 

Dr Adrianne Reveley is a consultant psychiatrist and Rethink Mental Illness trustee. She has published extensively on serious mental illness and is author of The Royal Society of Medicine publication 'Your Guide to Schizophrenia'

Posts by Dr Adrianne Reveley

Change 4 life - relevant 4 U?

16 January 2012 | Posted by Dr Adrianne Reveley | 1 comment
Topics: Health professionals, Medication and therapies, Physical health, Social issues

The New Year means New Year's resolutions - we all resolve to lose weight and exercise more, don't we? For 2012, the Government encourages us to reduce weight in the Change 4 Life campaign. The Change 4 life campaign does not focus on people with mental illness, but weight and diet are even more important here.  The science is complex but persuasive. Put on your thinking caps now...

Should we be afraid of Medication?

04 January 2012 | Posted by Dr Adrianne Reveley | 3 comments
Topics: Medication and therapies, Recovery

Some years ago I tried to persuade someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder to take mood stabilising medication. She was adamant that she would not put anything in her body that was not "completely natural". In an attempt to reassure her, I pointed out that nothing could be more natural than lithium. After all, it’s one of the basic elements from which the earth is formed. After a long pause she replied, "But lithium is a prescribed drug, used by psychiatrists, so that means it can't be good for me!"

Meditation. Not just for hippies

08 December 2011 | Posted by Dr Adrianne Reveley | 5 comments
Topics: Health professionals, Medication and therapies, Physical health, Recovery

If like me, you remember when the Beatles went through their "Guru" phase in the 1960s, you might still see meditation as the preserve of sandal wearing, right-on hippy types. Ten years ago, I would have agreed with you and as a psychiatrist, I certainly wouldn’t have encouraged my patients to try it. But times have changed, and so have I.