Pauline Matthews Dip Couns. MBACP

Disability, illness, insomnia, addictions (smoking, drugs, alcohol, eating disorders).

You may think that your ill-health is the prime reason for wanting to see a counsellor.

However, I am believer in stress-related illnesses. Having worked in the Health Service for many years I saw a great many examples of this. As a holistic practitioner I can see that the whole person exists in a state of balance at best. If anything upsets this balance the person becomes unwell either physically or emotionally.

Any disability or long term ill-health can lead to emotional problems for the person involved and their family. Chronic pain is hard to bear and it can be difficult to think past the pain. Being in constant pain can cause tension in the body and this is turn can cause worse pain so it becomes a vicious circle.

Insomnia can be the result of a physical illness or may be the cause. Relaxation exercises can go a long way to treating this as can talking about what might be underlying the sleeplessness.

Sleep is as essential to us as food, air and water. Sometime in your life you may have difficulty sleeping - many people do. Anyone can suffer from insomnia, although sleeping problems are more common among women (especially menopausal), the ill, the elderly, smokers, and alcoholics. Sleep problems are, however, surprisingly common among young people. While it is not an illness and is in no way life-threatening, insomnia can be very distressing, frustrating, exhausting, depressing and at worst it can make you feel like you're going crazy.

Addictions have many self-help groups and programmes. However if a person wishes to explore the possible underlying causes for their addiction, then counselling may help.

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