I am fascinated and it has to be said, saddened by Channel 4’s series about ‘Bedlam’, the mental hospital in London, an institution with a renowned history for being the most famous lunatic asylum where patients used to be put on display for the amusement of the general public. Does the fact that we are now privy once again to watching the inmates through a television set, but not in person, make  this form of ‘entertainment’ more acceptable. I’m not really sure, but I am as guilty as the next person as I am an avid viewer.

This week’s episode showed two very different people – Rupert, a huge bear of a man, who came across as quite aggressive and troubled, and may possibly have fitted with society’s idea of what a mental patient is like, loud, difficult, quite threatening. We saw him at the end of the programme, almost a different person, perhaps even too subdued, evidently well-medicated.

The contrast to Rupert was Dominic, a charming, polite family man who didn’t really seem the ‘type’ to be sectioned. However, we learned that in between periods of seemingly functioning quite normally, he had very dark suicidal thoughts. His lovely wife and four beautiful children were left having to cope with the fallout of his, thus far, failed suicide attempts. His illness seemed quite baffling as he seemed to have a very happy and successful career and family life, until that is, we learned that he had had a very difficult childhood during which he was abandoned by his birth parents.

It can sometimes be the case that a difficult start in life can lead to mental illness in adulthood and symptoms can appear quite suddenly, after years of appearing to be quite well. It is very important that medical help is sought in cases like this, as the right balance of medication and therapy can restore wellbeing, and even sometimes lead to feeling much stronger than ever before. Hypnotherapy can help in this respect, by enabling us to look at past issues with a new perspective, and helping us to realise our own particular strengths and resources, so that we can be much more positive about the future.

Do contact me if you feel hypnotherapy may be of help to you.

My very best wishes,
Wendy x