Therapy

I swim 3 or 4 times a week. Even if I feel rubbish I still go because I know that when I've swum I will feel better in both mind & body. Half an hour, 26 x 25m lengths of back crawl, and I'm physically freer & mentally relaxed. 

We all have to find ways to deal with 21st century life. Many of us have to find ways to deal with physical or mental issues. Having tried both conventional medicine & many alternative therapies for pain & fatigue, I do know what works for me & what doesn't. Having also had thankfully few periods of quite severe depression, I also know how that feels & what to do & what not to do. 

For example I am a great believer in osteopathy & chiropractic. I feel that practitioners know far more about the skeleton & muscles than GP's. That is not to denigrate GP's, they are what the name implies - general practitioners. Their job is to signpost where patients go next & hopefully give some relief. I also believe in accupuncture, good nutrition & the right exercise. Distraction technique & pacing works for me as well.

I feel that we all need to be aware of our bodies & take responsibility for our own health. Some things are very difficult, if not impossible to cure. So you do have to learn to live with some things. You also have to accept that you will die. That isn't being dismissive, it's being realistic. Sometimes our expectations of what the NHS can & should do are unrealistic. It isn't a cure all for everything. Sometimes life is just a bitch. 

I feel that we all need to be more pro active about our health. We should know if anything we are doing or not doing is contributing to illness. The information is out there, we just have to access it. We need to take responsibility for ourselves & not expect the "state" to solve our problems. There are limitations to what can & should be done for us. We need to be prepared to make changes to our habits if they are harming us. That really isn't easy. I doubt I will ever grow to love the Gym.

I think there needs to be a clearly understood contract between individuals & medics. Also between the NHS & the State. We all need to know what is possible & what is not & who is responsible for providing or not providing it. Our expectations are sometimes simply not realistic. Unless we are all prepared to pay more for the NHS it will continue to fall short of our expectations. 

As of December 2024, the NHS in England employed approximately 1.5 million staff. It is the largest employer in the country. As of July 2025, there were 6,229 open and active GP practices in England. As of early 2024, there were over 700 hospitals operating, (excuse the pun), in England. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professions are not subject to mandatory state regulation, so it is difficult to pinpoint an exact number of alternative therapists in England. The NHS generally recommends only evidence-based complementary therapies such as acupuncture for chronic pain (headaches, migraines, back pain), and manual therapies like chiropractic or osteopathy. They are expensive & not many practices provide them. You can get free, confidential therapy on the NHS, primarily for anxiety and depression, through NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT). Options include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), counselling, and guided self-help for those aged 18+ registered with a GP. But there are long waiting lists. 

 

We seem to be a sick society. Approximately 2.8 million working-age people in the UK are economically inactive due to long-term sickness. Everyone needs to feel that they are valued & contributing. Everyone needs the social benefits of working with colleagues. Being isolated & without purpose is not good for us. The NHS is struggling to cope & is a political football. We all need to look after our own health.