The Optimise Health Blog

© Topnews In I saw Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff on the BBC breakfast this morning ( I never watch TV over breakfast) but I am between jobs, doing some temporary work from home and enjoying my baby girl growing up. Flintoff revealed that even star sportsmen and hardmen like Vinnie Jones suffer from depression and mental health problems and around 1 in 10 admit to this. See his recent Sun article here In reality around 1 in 4 of the general population - myself included - suffer from some form of mental problems, ranging from mild seasonal depression to anxiety or more extreme psychoses and psychological phobias which can seriously affect performance. My family has a long history of bipolar disorder or manic depression/mania which is inherited through my Grandfathers line on my fathers side.  Everyone in subsequent generations after him have been affected to a greater or lesser extent and have both highs and lows but also moments of brilliance. In every generation since m...

So you decide to go to see the GP. You arrive and get an imaginary gold medal for trying to get through the front door, past the scary receptionist and surviving the cacophony of the kids, toys, coughs and old ladies in the waiting room. Your name is called and you go in, sit down and say " I don't want to bother you, but I just wanted to ask you to have a look at my ear" knowing full well you have a secret list of 3 other things; you really need to check out the GP and make sure you can trust them with your secret list. The GP looks in your ear, says you have wax and gives you an excellent 8 minute advice session about ear hygiene and wax treatment.  Then he ushers you towards the door "very nice to meet you.."- but "hang on" you think, " I haven't got out my secret list yet"! As you near the door you blurt out - "There are a few other things..." but you're too late, the GP has other patients to see and is already r...