What are you looking forward to?

At the close of each year, I reflect on what I could have done better over the preceding 12 months and how I might apply this insight to the year ahead. For 2023 the answer was glaringly obvious: [...]

Mental health IS health

Psychological trauma produces physical changes in our brain that affect our perceptions and our ability to regulate our emotions. Untreated depression is a greater risk factor for heart disease [...]

How to press pause on panic

When I was a medical student, the first thing we were taught to do in an emergency was to take our own pulse, NOT the patient’s.  Why?  To calm ourselves down so that we could think rationally.  [...]

Write a DON’T do list

Stress seems to be an inevitable part of life and it’s eroding our health and our quality of life. Research has shown that stress contributes to 80% of all diseases and it’s the number one cause [...]

How to stop stress-eating

Sally Obermeder and Ryan Phelan from Channel 7’s The Daily Edition asked Dr Helena to provide some answers. Here is a transcript of their conversation. 1. Why do we eat in response to stress? [...]

Three Steps to Curb Comfort Eating

Did you experience stress or arguments at the dinner table when you were growing up? Did your parents offer you favourite foods when you were hurt or upset? These are two major factors [...]