By Brian Robinson. The first thing to say is that we have to be careful not to confuse coping with recovering. While there is often an overlap between the two, they can in fact be quite different things. For example, people often create a limited world in which they are able to survive and keep … Continue reading How to Cope with Anxiety and Panic
Stacking Stones
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. The West Dorset and South Devon coasts had been ravaged by several severe storms over the winter. With the promise of rare fossils and bones being uncovered, this unusual storm activity acts as an open invitation for palaeontologists to descend en masse on the Jurassic coast. My wife … Continue reading Stacking Stones
Is There a Cure for Meniere’s Disease?
By Brian Robinson. The answer to this question pretty much depends on how you define 'a cure'. If it means all symptoms disappear, your inner ear heals and your hearing returns to normal then the answer is no. If it means you no longer have disabling symptoms and your vertigo is eliminated or comes under … Continue reading Is There a Cure for Meniere’s Disease?
How to Manage Meniere’s Disease
By Brian Robinson. Vertigo is not a condition in itself: it is the reaction to a condition in our inner ear. Rather than ask is it possible to manage Meniere's Disease, it is probably better to ask is it possible to mismanage the condition. I believe the answer is yes. Mistake number one, would be … Continue reading How to Manage Meniere’s Disease
The Game
Just because you're in your eighties it doesn't necessarily mean you can't enjoy life. Me, I just love an adventure. Nothing pleases me more than going to new places; meeting new people; seeing new sights. I have also rediscovered the joy of playing games. That's sometimes the problem when we grow old, we forget how … Continue reading The Game
The Homecoming
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. During the day I work as an information technologist. Now that can be interesting in itself, but I've never found it to be fulfilling. I can't escape the feeling that there is something missing from my life, that I need something more. I can tell you that this … Continue reading The Homecoming
Meniere’s Disease-Vertigo-A Personal View
By Brian Robinson. Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash Like me, if you are suffering from vertigo you will no doubt have some questions that need answering. Starting with the obvious: 1 Is there a cure or are there any treatments available for Meniere's Disease? 2 Can it be managed in a way that helps reduce the frequency … Continue reading Meniere’s Disease-Vertigo-A Personal View
A Conversation About Nothing
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash "'Nothing', that's what I can't get my head around. I imagine myself in a spaceship travelling out beyond the universe into an endless ocean of 'nothing'. That just doesn't make sense. Do you think it's because we are so locked into a physical dimension that … Continue reading A Conversation About Nothing
A Penchant for Peanuts
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Amy stood staring into her bedroom mirror. "Just look at my fat belly Tom." "You're pregnant pet. I think you'll find a fat belly goes with the territory." "But I'm not that far gone. I shouldn't be this big." "Try laying off the bread. You know that causes … Continue reading A Penchant for Peanuts
Dire Straits
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Large droplets of unforgiving rain lashed against Anne-Marie’s windscreen causing her wipers to go into their customary flap. She had planned to have a relaxing drive home while thinking about the cut and thrust of her late evening meeting in Chichester. Instead, she found herself craning forward trying … Continue reading Dire Straits
The Competition
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. I've had some strange dreams in my time but this was something else. I dreamt was in a fine art competition with four other entrants. We each had to chose an object and suggest how it might be enhanced. This immediately felt weird because I'm not at all … Continue reading The Competition
A Weekend in Rye
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. "James! It's so lovely to see you. I've been looking forward to meeting up for weeks." "Well, don't just stand there, come on in." "And I love Rye. I'm so jealous that you live here." "Yes, Rye is nice." "So, how long has it been, almost fifty years … Continue reading A Weekend in Rye
The Darkest of Matters
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. What you see is not what there is: what there is is not what you see. The Vice-Chancellor clearly has a problem with being questioned detective Hardacre thought. Well, tough shit! Four people are dead, they were all found on the Cambridge campus, and that means questions have … Continue reading The Darkest of Matters
The Shepherds Bush Treasure
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Every child's dream "This really is a lovely house, it is Georgian of course, full of character, and full of history too. It has so many stories to tell. In the nineteenth century for example, Robert Louis Stevenson was a regular visitor. His close friend lived here in … Continue reading The Shepherds Bush Treasure
Social Phobia: Recovery Flow Chart (Without Notes)
By Brian Robinson. Social Phobia Flow Chart.
Gin with a Twist
By Brian Robinson. Gin with a Twist I could see the pain etched into her face, the sadness, the sense of betrayal. She had begged me to leave this alone. It’s too dangerous she’d said, but I wasn’t going to be told. Anita was my best friend. And I was determined to set things straight. … Continue reading Gin with a Twist
Anxiety: Blushing Part 4: The Problem of Self
By Brian Robinson. If you've read parts 1, 2 and 3 you're probably wondering when we're going to get to the heart of the matter. You may also be wondering why Exposure Therapy doesn't seem to work with social phobia. For example, a man with a supermarket phobia simply has to visit the supermarket repeatedly, … Continue reading Anxiety: Blushing Part 4: The Problem of Self
Anxiety: The Coronavirus
By Brian Robinson. A new test for us all. People suffering with health anxiety will be finding life difficult enough without the added complication of the Coronavirus. On the other hand, I recently heard a doctor say that we should all be acting like someone with Contamination OCD. So, should we all be feeling anxious; … Continue reading Anxiety: The Coronavirus
Anxiety: Blushing Part 3: The Practical Pathway
By Brian Robinson. My it's hot in here. If you've read part 2, you will have met with the idea that it makes sense to at least take a brief look at what practical steps may be taken to tackle the problem of blushing. Even if that turns out to be a dead end, it … Continue reading Anxiety: Blushing Part 3: The Practical Pathway
Anxiety: Blushing Part 2: The Therapist’s Problem.
By Brian Robinson. Our face always has a lot to say. But it doesn't always speak for us. If you've read Blushing Part 1, you will have met with the idea that blushing is a strategy designed to help keep us safe. Basically, it is one of a number of non-threatening signals we can send … Continue reading Anxiety: Blushing Part 2: The Therapist’s Problem.
Anxiety: The Problem With Blushing. Part 1
By Brian Robinson. Why do we blush? There are several reasons why we blush. For example, we may get caught in a lie; it might be a sign of guilt or embarrassment; or indeed we sometimes blush when we are attracted to someone. But here, we are only concerned with blushing in social situations; where … Continue reading Anxiety: The Problem With Blushing. Part 1
Stonehenge: A Guided Tour
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Stonehenge Wiltshire There are lots of things you feel you have to do in life but never quite get around to them. That's how it was with Stonehenge. I'm not a religious person, and I'm certainly not into mysticism, but none the less, Stonehenge has always held a … Continue reading Stonehenge: A Guided Tour
Escape From Bath
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. Crescent shaped buildings at Bath As I boarded the train from Bath to Paddington, serious doubts began to creep in. I knew that moving to London would be like moving to another planet. Nonetheless, I had made my mind up. I decided that life should never be predictable: … Continue reading Escape From Bath
A Man of Many Parts
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. I had been worried about my husband for some time. There were moments when it felt like I was living with a complete stranger. All I wanted was to be close again to the man I married. Sooner or later, I knew I would have to have it … Continue reading A Man of Many Parts
My Worst Nightmare
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. My wife insisted I get a Dream Catcher, bless her, she just wants to help. That's when the nightmare started. I had been having some very bad dreams of late. They always involve running, trying to escape from something terrifying. God knows where these nightmares come from? … Continue reading My Worst Nightmare
Chinese Whispers
By Brian Robinson. A whisper: innocent enough. "Have you heard the latest, they've found the body of that poor missing boy? "Oh my God no! Do they know what happened?" "Well...murdered obviously. They're not sure if there was a sexual motive yet." "Have you heard, the murdered boy, the attack was sexual. There's a paedophile … Continue reading Chinese Whispers
My Child
A flash fiction story by Brian Robinson. This may sound like a confession but it’s not. I have a child living with me that nobody knows about. This may sound like a form of abuse but it really isn't. She lives down three flights of stairs deep in our underground cellar. This may … Continue reading My Child
The Tax Adviser
By Brian Robinson. My accountant died very recently. Actually, he didn’t just die: he was murdered. Fourteen stab wounds in a vicious and frenzied attack. He made a serious miscalculation somewhere along the line? I’ve always been fascinated by numbers. They have a deeper meaning for me. Two plus two hardly ever makes … Continue reading The Tax Adviser
Grounding for Anxiety and Panic
By Brian Robinson. Feet on the ground: but where is your head? 'Grounding' is a strategy which aims to shift our focus from our internal world to the external physical world. It is a technique which helps us reconnect with a safe place which offers no threat. This is particularly useful when used in connection … Continue reading Grounding for Anxiety and Panic
Space Odyssey
By Brian Robinson. "Look, I need to know what's going on. My husband's been missing for three weeks. He was last seen going into his laboratory at your university. I don't know if he's dead or alive. All I've been told is that he's missing. Look, this is your university so you're responsible." "It's complicated … Continue reading Space Odyssey
Anxiety: 10 Tips to Help Recover
By Brian Robinson. The anxiety genie, out of the bottle. How do you get the anxiety genie back in the bottle, ten tips: Try and see anxiety as a disorder caused by high tension levels. If you are relaxed you cannot be anxious. Ask yourself throughout the day: is what I'm doing producing tension or … Continue reading Anxiety: 10 Tips to Help Recover
Anxiety: Communication Therapy
Brian Robinson. The internal network. It can be quite useful to try and come up with a definition for anxiety. I say this because once you have a sound definition, you automatically open up a recovery pathway. So, we might ask, can anxiety be defined as an emotional disorder; is it a tension disorder; is … Continue reading Anxiety: Communication Therapy
Anxiety: The Problem With Reactions
By Brian Robinson. Anxiety: a spur to action We know that people react to anxiety in a variety of ways. Some people fly into panic mode. While others tend to sit quiet and ride the panic out. In many instances, how we react to panic can reinforce the idea that we are in danger. Our … Continue reading Anxiety: The Problem With Reactions
Anxiety in a Word
By Brian Robinson. A blurred word with blurred meaning. When you attempt to describe a complicated thing, or a number of different things in a single word, it is bound to lead to misunderstandings. For example, when we use the word anxiety what exactly do we mean? What is it we are trying to describe? … Continue reading Anxiety in a Word
Health Phobia
By Brian Robinson. Many people who suffer from general anxiety also develop worries about their health. The tendency for this to emerge is a common characteristic of GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) and panic. When this happens, this could be no more than raised health concerns. Or, it could be that the person has developed a … Continue reading Health Phobia
Anxiety: The Problem With Resistance.
By Brian Robinson. Punching makes sense when there is something to punch. There is nothing more natural than to resist the things we dislike or fear. That's the way we're wired. And most of the time it works. Resistance is our friend: it's not our enemy. But what if the things we are trying to … Continue reading Anxiety: The Problem With Resistance.
Anxiety Symptoms: Depersonalisation: Derealisation
By Brian Robinson. Blurred vision Anxiety sufferers can experience a host of troublesome symptoms. This is a characteristic which often makes it a difficult condition to manage. Generally speaking, however, symptoms only arise due to high levels of stress or the fight or flight response having been activated. However, as anxiety sufferers we may believe … Continue reading Anxiety Symptoms: Depersonalisation: Derealisation
OCD: The Power of Pictures
By Brian Robinson. The power of pictures If there was no such thing as language, would there be such a thing as OCD? I ask this question, because apart from a few cases where the the intrusive thoughts take the form of images, the vast majority of OCD intrusions come in the form of words … Continue reading OCD: The Power of Pictures
Understanding OCD
By Brian Robinson. Almost always OCD has two main characteristics i.e. compulsions and intrusive thoughts. Compulsions are what they say on the tin: you have to do them. Intrusive thoughts are difficult too, not only because they are troublesome and uncompromising, but because the sufferer may believe the thoughts represent the absolute truth. The absolute … Continue reading Understanding OCD
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