Psychology Sunday; What is Anxiety???

I've always wanted to combine my training/day job and love of all things beauty on my blog. I came up with the idea of TheFoundationDirectory's Psychology Sunday, where I periodically write posts about mental health related issues. 

TheFoundationDirectory Psychology Sunday; What is Anxiety?

For abit of background and context I work in mental health and have done for over 11 years now, I originally qualified as a Occupational Therapist in 2004 and then went on to complete postgraduate studies in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in 2010. I will be adapting these posts as I go along, and initially they won't be weekly.

I would first like to say we all have mental health (just like we have physical health) and from time to time we require treatment and/or support to deal with difficulties with our health, be that through medication or Therapy. Part of my reason for doing this is to breakdown the stigma and encourage more people to talk about mental health and some issues they may encounter with it.





I thought I'd start with Anxiety, one of the most common mental health concerns.
 
What is Anxiety?; it's a normal phenomena that presents itself physically that we will all experience from time to time in our life. It becomes a disorder when it starts to impact on your day-to-day function or peaks to an uncontrollable level during a specific situation e.g. phobias. For some people it can mean constant and unnecessary worry about any and all aspects of daily life or future events that may or may not even occur. There are many different types of anxiety disorders; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Mixed Anxiety and Depression (MAD), Panic Disorder and Phobias to name a few. (I will go into detail about each one as this series evolves).

Symptoms: As I said for most the symptoms of Anxiety present themselves physically, for example shaking, breathlessness, increased heart rate, restlessness, sleep problems, upset stomach, tension, poor apetite, panic attacks, headaches and obviously constant worry etc. You may experience some or all of these, and you may worry about things that haven't happened or are unlikely to happen or no amount of planning or preparation could prevent from happening e.g. a natural disaster etc.

Treatment Options: There are many treatment options for Anxiety, and the best option for you may depend on the type of anxiety you suffer with, but CBT is effective at treating most types and is usually easy to access through a GP or self referral depending on where you live. One of the things to mindful of is 'self-medication' e.g. alcohol to calm nerves, drugs etc, these can sometimes just create dependency and do not address the issues causing the anxiety.

One of the things to note is you're not alone, like I said Anxiety is one of the most common, and even if you're not aware you probably know someone who suffers from it. If you are concerned about this or any other mental health issue, please see your GP, there is treatment out there that can help you feel better.

Please comment below and let me know what you think of this post/idea, or contact me on social media also let me know what other posts you would like to see.
Thanks

Alex

GELTOUCH LED Topcoat

As someone who perpetually struggles to get more than 3 days chip free wear out of nail polish, I was intrigued when offered the chance to try an LED Topcoat at a recent Debenhams Press Day. I had heard of DIY gel manicures before, but was intrigued because this one was different to the ones I was aware of. GelTouch LED Topcoat can be applied over ANY nail polish and gives up to 10 days chip free wear and is easy to remove, by buffing, soaking or peeling off.

GelTouch LED Topcoat Starter Kit



I was given the opportuinity to try this for myself at home, I received the GelTouch Starter Kit, which contains a cute compact LED lamp, the Gel Topcoat and some cleansing wipes. I started by applying my nail colour in the usual way, basecoat, 2 layers of colour and you have to let this completely dry before you can apply the top coat. Once the polish is dry I applied one layer of topcoat and cured this in the lamp for 60 seconds, cleaned off any sticky residue with the provided wipes and I was done. completely dry, shiny nails that should last up to 10 days, depending on how hard you are on your hands.

GelTouch Topcoat Starter Kit

I got about 5 days before a chip appeared, by the 6th day there was a little bit of tip wear, on the press day 2 coats of the Topcoat were applied, each layer cured for 60 seconds. So I think for future applications I will try this. I'm very happy with the GelTouch Topcoat, I like the fact that I can still use all of my many nail polishes and extend there wear in one very easy step, plus it's cheaper than getting gel nails done at the salon.

The Geltouch Starter Kit and the new Glitter Topcoats that launch for Chrsitmas will be available on Debenhams.com any day now. Have you tried any at home gel manicures?

DHC Resveratrol Range

I have long been a fan of DHC, their Mild Lotion is one of my favourite toners for hydrating the skin, and their Acerola range is great for evening out the skintone. We all know Japanese skincare is said to be ahead of the curve, so when I heard of the Resveratrol range I was excited to see what wonders DHC had in store.



DHC Resveratrol Skincare Range

Being a 30 plus blogger I'm fortunate that anti-ageing is not massively high up on my agenda, however I do want to preserve what I have for as long as possible, so I see skincare with anti-ageing benefits as a bonus. The Resveratrol Range contains Resveratrol (obviously), which is a polyphenol antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, that helps to fight the visible signs of ageing. Resveratrol is also a phytoalexin, one of 600 microbial compounds produced by plants to protect them from adverse conditions, including UV rays, harsh conditions and climate. In lab studies, it has been shown to promote the Sirtuin “longevity” gene, I'm not sure how or whether this can be transferred to humans through topical application, but if anybody can get it to benefit the skin my money would be on a Japanese skincare brand. The range also has moisturising cereal extracts to help boost skin’s natural moisture barrier and bolster it's defences against environmental stresses.

First up is the Resveratrol lotion, to save on any confusion let me explain that DHC call their toners 'lotions', because they are so hydrating. This deeply hydrating Toner promotes smoother more resilient skin, it has a light scent, it's applied after cleansing with fingers or a cotton pad.

Next up is the Resveratrol Essence, this moisture promoting booster is a well known extra step in your skincare routine for Japanese women, and has slowly started to make it's way to the UK. This lightweight serum textured essence is applied after toner, but before moisturiser and gives an added layer of hydration to the skin. 

And the final product in this range is the Resveratrol Cream, an intensive 'age-defying' moisturiser, it cushions and seals all the moisture onto the skin. It's a very thick cream, but not greasy, I think this would be good for both day and night depending on your skin type.

Despite words like 'age-defying' I think anti-ageing skincare should be looked at as a way to preserve what you have and make small improvements to your skin, after all nothing will help you 'defy' your age other than genetics or surgical procedures. This range however is a good place to start, each item cost £43, so not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive when it comes to anti-ageing skincare.

Have you tried anything from DHC, you can find the Resveratrol range here?

GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks

Last week I attended the GOSH A/W15 Blogger event to see the product lanches for the new season. GOSH are launching new nail products (A Base Coat, Topcoat, Cuticle Oil and the Fast Dry Drops) as well as a new foundation, which is NOT brown girl friendly despite having 10 shades!!!



GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks
 

But I have to say the stand out product for me are these new Velvet Touch Matte Lipsticks, there are 8 shades and I love every last one, in fact I've not stopped wearing these lipsticks since I got hold of them.


GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipstick

These drugstore, creamy, pigmented, none drying Matte Lipsticks are fab, which is probably a result of the added oils, vitamin E and a dash of hyaluronic acid. These are a steal at £6.99, seriously if you are a matte lipstick lover you have to get your hands on these (and I don't say that very often), you can find them here. 

GOSH Velvet Touch Matte Lipstick Swatches

Don't be fooled by the sheen in these swatches, they dry down to a matte finish, but not too drying, although do ensure your lips are well prepped. Are you a matte lipstick fan?