HEALTH&ADV|CE
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
I Not everyone greets the onset of winter with thoughts of snug nights in. The lack of daylight can lead many to suffer from that Scotland- friendly syndrome Seasonal Affective Disorder. However if you're just feeling a bit down in the dumps, how do you combat the winter blues?
There is some evidence to suggest that mock daylight provided by light boxes can lift the spirits. Buddhafield in Edinburgh's Blackfriars Street offers 15 minute sessions for £5, perfect for a mid-shopping pep-you-up, and if the reported 85% success rate in mood improvement is true, it’s well worth a try. Then again, chances are that 15 minutes of chilling out in a cosy room will make you feel better anyway, whatever the scientific merits of light therapy.
There are some herbal remedies which claim to keep you on an even keel. St John's Wort is famous for its anti-depressive properties, and can be taken in tablet, capsule, tincture, tea or even corn chip form. An overview of 23 clinical studies found that the herb is effective in treating mild depression, with fewer side effects than some standard antidepressants. However, while it has been used for centuries as a pick-me-up, recent research suggests that it has no benefits for treating major depression of moderate severity. Topsy turvy female hormones don’t help in the battle to stay cheerful; a number of studies of women who take the herb Agnus Castus have observed a marked decrease in nasty ups and downs throughout their cycle. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
Nutritionists believe that certain foods can also help to keep you smiley till the sun shines again. Foods high in carbohydrates have the effect of releasing the neurotransmitter serotonin into the brain. This reduces pain and appetite, while increasing a sense of calm. Stock up on dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, brown rice and
wholewheat cereals.
There's nothing better than a life-affirming walk up a blustery hill or along a beach to blow the cobwebs out, come back with rosy cheeks and ready for a good night's sleep. And if all else fails, nature has invented an activity which is very conducive to long dark nights and is guaranteed to ensure the right chemicals are whizzing round your
body. (Morag Bruce) I www. mind. org. uk
I Budd/iafre/d. 25 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh. 624 37 7 7 I Hanover Health, Hanover Street. Edinburgh. 225 429/ I Natural Ba/ance. 633 Great Western Road, G/asgow. 579 5550
This page lists a selection of organisations which provide expert health, advice and support in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The List gratefully acknowledges the support of the Scottish Executive in funding this page.
Alcohol and Narcotics
Glasgow
Alcoholics Anonymous
50 \Vcllinglnn Sli‘ccl. 236 22 H Mon l‘i‘i ‘luni 5pm. 0345 76‘) 7555 (2-1 linui‘i. (ii‘nup \uppoi'I In liclp lucklc .ilcnlinlixni. Dumbarton Area Council on Alcohol 82 l)iiiiih;ii'toii Road. (‘l'HlCl‘zlllk ()5: 083 l. ()llL‘l‘\ gL‘llL‘l‘ul information iiiitl :itl\ icc including onc- ln-nnc cnunxclling l'ni‘ )iiung pcoplc. Glasgow City Council Addiction Partnership \\ \\ \\.:_'lil\:_'(l\\ .gm .uk. .-\
i'ungc ul' cit} -\\ ltlL‘ \ci‘x iccx. including: \pct'ilic \llllpill’l lUl' )iiiing PCHPIL‘ lll\tll\L‘tl in «ling: illltl illL'UllHl ll\L‘. Glasgow Council on Alcohol
l\l l'ilmil'. lil‘hliil and \\lk'\l iltlll\L'. N: l'ninn Sli‘ccl. 23h 3883. lnl'iii‘niuiiiin. :itl\ icc illltl UllL‘-ln—Ullk‘ ciiiiiixclling liii' lllltlL‘l' 25\ and HlllL‘l'\ illlL‘t'lL‘il l“ .ilciiliiil. -
RCA Trust \lii'i‘t‘n lltlll\L‘. Huck SliL‘tltlUll Sll't‘cl. l’;ll\lt"\. ‘53" “Noll. l’i'iiiccl gum; l2 25—)c;ii'-iiltl\ .itl\icc UH .itltllclliili l\\llL‘\.
Edinburgh
Alcoholics Anonymous
38 (‘ockliui‘n Sli'ccl. (Kill :35 (MUM liii‘ incciing linicx.
Crew 2000
.5: ('Ut‘lxl‘lll‘ll Sll'L‘L‘l. :3” 5M”.
.\lon Sui l 5pni.'l'liu-1 Spin. lnl‘ni‘niiilion on drug and \L‘\ll;ll health and l‘i'icntll} iltl\ icc l‘i‘oni [mint-d \uii‘kci\_
Edinburgh 8. Lothian Council on AICOhOI h (illlli‘ll lt'll.l\t‘. ;:~ \\li\~\ lllli'lllldlli‘ll..1\l\ltt‘.lllil \Lll‘l‘i‘ll Turning Point ‘Miiillik l’l.itc. 551 ~5lti. \lun lii ‘l zH.iiii 5 Winn ()nt' In unc ti‘llllH'lllllL‘ li‘l .ltltll\l\ .llltl \lll‘l‘illl liil llit'ii l.iiiiilic\
West Lothian Drug and Alcohol Service 11 \tlt-lditlt- \iit-ci. ('i.ii§_'\lii|l. | l\lllf.'\liill. l|l5llh NH 335 ('uiinxcllinp. lit-Iii lll mulling; \\llll l.iiiiil_\ l\\llt'\ .llltl llk'll‘ lll \\iill\lllj__' ltl\\.ll\l\ ciiiplii} lllt'lll i‘l‘l‘iilllllllllt‘\ Youth Action Project t u (‘niiiiiiiinilt lliiiiw. ‘1 \llt‘l l’l.it'c.
l lll‘lllll. l l\lllf_'\liill, lll5llh»1hl 5.\.\ \ilHu' .llltl lllli‘lllldlli‘ll lni Minn}; pt‘iiiilc .ll‘l‘lll \lll‘\l.lll\'t' llll\ll\k'
National
Drinkline
twill Wl” 53x3. \liill I ll ‘l.llll Illiiii. \il t\ \iiii h llpiii licc \‘iiiiliilt'iilml inlninmlinn .llltl \llplli'll
Know the Score twin 5%” 5V". \i.\\\\ lixllll\\lllk'\\'lllt' llllll ('iinliilt'nlml tllllj.‘\ llllHlllMllHll. ll lliilll\ .i \l.l_\. " \lil)\ .i \wck ('.il|\ iii.iilc liiiiii .i l.inillinc \\ ill not \ll(l\\ up «in .i l‘lliillk' hill .llltl .iic liu'. (Lillx liiiiii .i llliil‘llt‘ \.ii_\ lll t‘ml ilt'pcniling: «in llL‘l\\Hll\ .llltl iii.i_\ \llll\\ up on )uiii In” My \\k'l‘\llt‘ ll.l\ lnh iil .ltl\ it't‘ lHl .iii_\nnt' .illct'lt'il h} «liin .iiiil tlk'l.lll\ (ll Intuil \iipimil
Smokeline HNHH .\‘-1 .\‘l .\'-1. l:nt'niimuciiit'nl .inil \lll‘lliill liii llltl\k‘ \\llll “ill” in \liip iii li.i\c int-nil} \lnppcil \iiinkiiij:
Mental Wellbeing
National
Breathing Space ll.\'llll x :5 SA" ui \liiiit'iiiii (NH) RI" Inn.
\\ \\ \\.liitailliinyxput‘cwnll;iiitl,ui.iil\. (ipin Quin, l'it'c. t'nnliilt'niml .ltl\ Ik't' llll illl}0llt‘ lccliny In“ or tlk‘lllt'\\t‘tl.
Sexual Health and STDs
Glasgow
Body Positive Strathclyde ‘) S;iiiil_\liiiil l’lm‘x‘. Suiit‘liicligill Sliu‘l. 1150385. \\ uwholl}piixili\t'.iii'g.iik Hinp lll t't'iili’t' npcn \liiii. “ml. in ‘liiiii 5pm. 'l'iic «k 'l‘liii. l|;iiii NIH”. lnliii‘iiinliiin .intl \iippiii'l liii iit'iililc \\ll(l .ii'c lll\' pmiliw, Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic (GUM Clinic) llic Sginil} lni'il llllll;lll\t'. 2 (\ S;iiiil_\lni‘il l’lm‘t‘. SHIIL'lllL‘llilll Sll‘t‘t‘l. Ill .\'(illl. “Hip Ill \'lllllL‘\ \liiii l'l'l N illuiii llluiii. H} .ilipiiinlincni .‘ll «illici‘ lllllC\ lllllll "pm Mon l-i‘i. ('iinliilcnligil .itlx in“ l\ iillt‘iul on t‘iinliut'cpliiiii ;i\ \wll ;l\ \iippiii'l. cunnwllingg. it'xling .inil limiliiicnl lHl' pcnplc \\ llll \t'\ii;ill_\ li';in\iiiillcil tll\t';l\t‘\. lllt‘lllilllljJ lll\’ .llltl .\ll)S,
Rape Crisis Centre till! 552 331)”. \ux\\.i';ipct‘i'i\i\\t‘iil|;iiiil,iii'g.iik 'l'iic \\'cil .& Sun ‘ ‘lpin; Hm I ipin. lite and t'iinliilcnliul \ci‘\ lL'k' iillci‘ing inliii'iiiuliiin gintl \nppiii'l in \Mllllt‘ll .inil gii‘lx \xliii ll;l\L‘ ham or lL'ill llic} iii;i_\ li;i\c liccn \t'\ii;il|} .iliiixctl (ll .hutllllfll.
Edinburgh
GUM Clinic l.;iiii‘i\liin lliiililiiiy. l..’llll'l\lUll Place. 5% leli. .\lun l'l'l likini 5pm li} .ippniniiiicni. l-iii' iii‘;_'ciii pi‘iililcnix. their ix :i \Milk in clinic \xlici‘c no .ippninliiicnl l\ nu'cxxui'} li'iini HRH lll.llll;llll. \lon l'l'l. Edinburgh Women’s Rape 8. Sexual Abuse Centre HI RI 550 “437 \\\\\i.i‘;ipct‘i'i\i\wiill;iiiil.iii'g.iil\. (Kill Ini‘ npcning lltllll'\. Scc Rupt- (.l'l\l\ ('t'llll'c. (llil\:_'(l\\.
National National AIDS Helpline nxnii 5N l ‘1
Sexwise (Nlll 383 03!). 7;iin l2piii. l’i'm ltlL'\ lllltll'lllillltlll illltl :itlx icc llll \L‘\ll;llll} Lllltl \C\ll;ll limlili l'iii‘ )niing Pcnpic.
&
Sources of Advice
National
Crimestoppers Hxiiii <*\ l I I (pill .il .in_\ lllllk‘ \\llll lllli‘llllJllHll .ll‘i‘lll .lll\ \‘lllllt‘ (Lillx .llk‘ llt‘t' .llltl txiiiiini lu- ll.l\'t'\l
Victim Support Line ll.\15 Kii iii ‘llNl liiiiiliiiiml \ll|\|‘i‘ll .lllil [‘l.l\ll\.ll .ii|\ itt‘ liii .lll}iill\' .illt't'lctl l\_\ \lllllx' ll.\ \t‘lllltlk'lllldl. l‘l \Hlll\\‘
Women’s Health 8. Support
Glasgow
Glasgow Women’s Aid 1th I Imu. ill lit'll \llt‘t‘l. TR; ill)?
‘l ilkiiii »l illiini \liill l'll. mtvpi \\\'\l \\lll\'ll l\ ‘l itLiiii lpiii lui iliuii Ill. .llltl .lllt'l'lliHlll lyx .ilipninlniciil will} limp in .llltl lclcplinnc t'iiiinwlliny lHl
l7< linliiiigli
Edinburgh and Lothian Women’s Aid »l (‘lit‘xnt' \lict'l. il5 .\'l Ill \liill. \le. l'll lll;iin iiini. lliii 3 "pin. \.il lll.ini l3 illpni lx’t'liigt‘. \iipimit .llltl Iiclp liii \\lllllL‘ll \llllt'lllljJ I‘ll}\lt'.ll. iiicnlnl HI \t‘\ll.'ll .iliiixc lliilll lllt‘ll [xiiincix
National
Domestic Abuse Helpline (NH) “2" I) H ill lliilll l.
Wofltingworliout
No time for the gym? Fitness Instructor Sarah Johnston gives three tips on how to get some exercise at work.
I Squat: Stand upright in front of a stable chair, with your back straight and your feet shoulder width apart, shoulders relaxed and your arms by your sides. Slowly lower down, as if you are about to sit down, until your thighs are parallel with the floor and you are hovering just above your seat. Make sure your knees are in line with your toes and your back is straight. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds then slowly stand back up, keeping your heels on the floor. Do this exercise every time you leave or return to your desk.
I Chair dips: Sit on the edge of a chair with your hands right beside your hips. Slowly lower your body off the chair until your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. Use your arms to push yourself back up to the sitting position. Again ensure your back is straight throughout the exercise. Repeat this 10-15 times.
I Arm curls: Hold a full water bottle horizontally in your hand, with your arm straight and your elbow tucked into your waist. Slowly lift the bottle up until it touches your shoulder, then lower it back down. Repeat this 10-15 times with each arm.
./ x . .7- THE LIST 125