The threat of the client’s disempowerment in the helping process can be moderated by sharing the decision-making and risk-taking with the client. This is readily achieved through the process of informed consent.

The latin roots of consent, con sentire, mean to feel with. Consent is about mutual understanding. You need to understand how the client sees [...]

1. An amount of food containing 50 grams of carbohydrate is given to a volunteer to eat. For example, to test boiled spaghetti, the volunteer would be given 200 grams of spaghetti which supplies 50 grams of carbohydrate (we work this out from food composition tables)—50 grams of carbohydrate is equivalent to 3 tablespoons of [...]

There was a time when folks lived far from towns and doctors were few and far between. Often, in the depths of winter, isolation was made absolute by deep snow or raging floods. Sickness did not conveniently or kindly delay its visitation until these obstacles had passed. Rather, it seemed to prefer to wait until [...]

The margin of the pupil, pars iridica retinae, in its dilatation, colour, shape and plasticity, is a reflection of the central nervous system. One which is of delicate appearance, of reddish-brown colour and with a uniform edge, is to be regarded as normal. To enumerate the varieties of individual form and colour is beyond the [...]

The second drug used at St Thomas’ is called bromocryptine. It isn’t very satisfactory as a treatment for the miseries, because although it can help some women with breast discomfort it doesn’t do much for mood swings, or have any effect on increased weight or the bloat. And the side effects can be pretty unpleasant [...]

As well as having to cope with pre-menstrual tension you may also have illnesses for which you will almost certainly already be under the care of a GP. For if you suffer from asthma, say, or from epilepsy, and can see from the chart that your attacks are linked to an approaching period, it may [...]

Symptom

Rough, raised growth anywhere on the skin

Home care

- As a rule, leave warts alone.

- With the approval of your doctor, you can use an appropriate commercial product to safely remove most warts other than those on the eyelids or face.

Precautions

-    No treatment is successful in all cases, and warts may spread during treatment or recur afterwards.

-    At [...]

The basis for the successful management of stress lies in our helping our brain to cope more effectively with the stream of disturbing impulses.

Our brain sorts out the stream of impulses effectively if given moments of profound quietness, as in the meditation. Sleep works in a similar way but less effectively.

Moments of profound quietness come [...]

Yearning

Every now and then people come and consult me professionally, not because they are ill, but because they feel that they are missing out on something; they feel that their quality of life could be better.

“Not a complaint for what I do not have; but a yearning for something better, and knowing that the barrier [...]

Irritable bowel syndrome

«I have to be careful about everything I eat. Just terribly careful. If I am at home it’s OK. I eat what I know I can manage. Go out anywhere, eat something different and it’s terrible. Pains in the tummy. Diarrhea. The evening is a disaster. Better to stay at home. But you [...]