Spotlight on the Patient Support Team
Supporting patients throughout your care with Psychiatry UK When you contact Psychiatry UK with a question or concern, the Patient Support Team is often the first team you’ll speak to. Behind every referral update, appointment query, titration question or prescription ...read more
Supporting Autism in Everyday Life
A whole-person approach to autistic wellbeing Autism isn’t something that needs to be fixed. Being autistic means your brain may process the world differently. You may communicate differently, notice details others miss, experience sensory input more strongly, need more predictability, ...read more
Managing ADHD Day to Day
Building support that works for real life ADHD can affect much more than concentration. You might find it hard to start tasks, finish things, remember appointments, manage time, stay organised or switch from one activity to another. You might feel ...read more
Understanding Anxiety
When worry starts to take over You might not call it anxiety at first. You might just feel tense, tired, irritable or unable to switch off. You might notice your mind jumping ahead to everything that could go wrong. You ...read more
ADHD and Autism: Why Your Pre-Assessment Forms Are So Important
When someone seeks an assessment for ADHD or autism, they’re often looking for clarity. They may have spent years wondering why everyday life feels harder for them than it seems to for other people. This might include difficulties with staying ...read more
Autistic Burnout: Why It Happens and What Can Help
Understanding exhaustion, overwhelm and loss of energy in autistic people Everyone feels tired or stressed sometimes. Life can be demanding, and most people go through periods when they feel worn out. But autistic burnout is more than ordinary tiredness. Autistic ...read more
Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Mood Episodes and When to Ask for Help
Understanding the difference between everyday mood changes and bipolar disorder You may have heard bipolar disorder described as ‘mood swings’. But bipolar disorder is much more than having good days and bad days. Everyone’s mood changes. We all have times ...read more
Electronic Prescriptions Explained
Psychiatry UK is moving to electronic prescribing for NHS and Right to Choose patients. This change follows a national NHS England mandate for services to move away from paper prescriptions. Not all patients will move to electronic prescribing immediately. This ...read more
National Walking Month: Small Steps for Better Wellbeing
May is National Walking Month in the UK, a campaign led by the charity Living Streets to celebrate the benefits of walking and encourage more people to build walking into everyday life. This year, Living Streets is also highlighting the ...read more
What is Autism?
A summary of the slides presented by our ASD Deputy Clinical Lead, at our 'What is Autism?' webinar held on 15 April. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here. Many autistic people describe spending much ...read more
Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Rethinking How Minds Work
Every year, Neurodiversity Celebration Week offers an opportunity to pause, reflect and challenge the way we think about difference. Rather than viewing neurological differences as problems to be fixed, the week encourages us to recognise and celebrate the diverse ways ...read more
ADHD Medication in Adulthood: Finding the Right Fit
A summary of the slides presented by our Clinical Operations Manager, Stephanie Wallace, at our 'ADHD Medication in Adulthood: Finding the Right Fit' webinar held on 4 March. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here. After ...read more
University Mental Health Day: Why Student Mental Health Matters More Than Ever
University can be an exciting and meaningful chapter of life. It is often a time of independence, new friendships, personal growth and discovery. At the same time, it can also be a period of intense pressure, uncertainty and change. If ...read more
When Focus Feels Hard: A Gentle Guide to Using the Pomodoro Technique
If you’ve ever sat in front of a task knowing it isn’t impossible – but feeling completely unable to begin – you’re not alone. Many neurodivergent adults describe this experience. The task might even be something you care about. And ...read more
Struggling With Sleep? A Practical, Evidence-Based Guide to Improving Rest
Why Sleep Matters – Especially When Your Mind Won’t Switch Off Sleep difficulties are extremely common – particularly for people living with anxiety, low mood, trauma, ADHD, autism or prolonged stress. For many people, nighttime is when everything becomes louder. ...read more
How to Use Grounding Techniques: Simple Tools to Calm Anxiety
Have you ever noticed your thoughts speeding up, your chest tightening, or your mind replaying something over and over? Maybe you suddenly feel overwhelmed in a busy environment. Or disconnected and foggy. Or stuck in a loop of anxious thinking ...read more
Mindfulness for Anxiety, Stress and Depression: Simple, Evidence-Based Exercises to Help You Cope
If you are living with anxiety, stress or depression, you may feel as though your mind rarely rests. Thoughts can become repetitive, replaying the past, worrying about the future, or feeling overwhelmed by what is happening around you. Mindfulness ...read more
Spotlight on the Liaison Nurse Team
Supporting patients when care feels more complex Spotlight On the Teams Behind Psychiatry UK Behind every referral, assessment, and follow-up at Psychiatry UK is a dedicated team of people working together to support patients at every stage of their journey. ...read more
The Overlap Between ADHD and Autism (AuDHD)
A summary of the slides presented by our ASD Deputy Lead, Dr Rachna Rajput, at our 'The Overlap Between ADHD and Autism (AuDHD)' webinar held on 28 January. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here. Overview ...read more
What is ADHD?
A summary of the slides presented by our ADHD Clinical Lead, Dr Sam Spavin, at our 'What is ADHD?' webinar held on 10 December. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here. Overview ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity ...read more
Money, Time, and the Neurodivergent Brain: Why Managing Finances Can Feel So Hard
Money is supposed to be logical. Earn it. Budget it. Save it. Plan for the future. But for many neurodivergent people, especially those who are autistic and have ADHD, money doesn’t behave logically at all. It feels emotional, overwhelming, abstract, ...read more
Time to Talk – From a Neurodivergent Perspective
Time to Talk Day encourages conversation, openness, and connection. It invites people to speak, to listen, and to reduce stigma. But when I think about Time to Talk as a neurodivergent person, I don’t just think about what we talk ...read more
Christmas Your Way: A Festive Coping Toolkit
A gentle guide for anyone feeling overwhelmed – especially those with ADHD or autism The holiday season is often sold to us as the most wonderful time of the year – with cosy lighting, joyful gatherings and perfectly wrapped presents. ...read more
The Many Faces of ADHD: Recognising Every Experience
If you’ve ever felt as though you don’t fit the ‘classic’ ADHD stereotype, you’re not alone. ADHD is far more diverse than the narrow behaviours it’s often associated with. It isn’t one thing: it’s many things, often showing up in ...read more
A Warm Welcome to Our New Patient Help & Support Centre
We’re excited to share some important news! Our CEO Nell Montgomery, alongside our Executive Team and colleagues from across Psychiatry UK, has officially opened our brand-new Patient Help and Support Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. During the opening celebration, we ...read more
Responding versus Reacting and its Impact on ADHD
If you live with ADHD, as I do, you might know the feeling of emotions hitting like a fast-moving train. They’re powerful, urgent and often difficult to stop when they’re in motion. Frustration, excitement or overwhelm can appear out of ...read more
Supporting Adults With ADHD In the Workplace
Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can bring unique challenges as well as incredible strengths. People with ADHD are often creative, energetic, quick-thinking, and full of ideas. Yet, difficulties with attention, organisation, time management, and regulation can sometimes make ...read more
Meet the Team: Stephanie Wallace – Leading ADHD Medication Treatment with Care
We’re delighted to introduce Stephanie Wallace, who joined Psychiatry UK in July, and has already begun making a real difference in the way our ADHD Medication Titration Service supports patients. A message from Steph Hello! I’m Stephanie Wallace – though ...read more
Patient Voice: Putting Your Experience at the Heart of Psychiatry UK
At Psychiatry UK, everything we do begins with one simple principle — listening to you. Your experiences, ideas, and feedback help us grow stronger and deliver care that truly reflects what patients need. We’re excited to introduce Elisabeth Hoggard, our ...read more
Meet Our New Leadership Team
We have some exciting team news to start 2024. We are announcing two new appointments to our leadership team – starting with Nell Montgomery our new CEO. Nell – an executive coach, psychotherapist and former investment banker - has been ...read more
Our Latest CQC Report
We are regularly inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure that we are providing the best possible service to patients. We have always found the inspection process to be very helpful in assisting us to provide excellent care ...read more
World Alzheimer’s Day
September was Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the P-UK team came up with some creative ideas to raise both awareness and money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Fuelled by team spirit, caffeine, snacks, and the occasional nap, 11 of P-UK’s employees joined ...read more
International Coming Out Day
The 11th October is International ‘Coming Out Day’. ‘Coming out’ refers to telling people about your sexual orientation or gender identity. Coming out is a personal decision that is different for every single person and can be done in many ...read more
Proud of being Autistic! Autistic Pride Day 18th June
Did you know that today is Autistic Pride Day? Although June is most recognised for celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride, this isn’t the only Pride celebration to be found in June. Have you heard of ‘Autistic Pride?’ What is Autistic Pride? Autistic ...read more
Why do animals make us smile?
No matter how hard we try, it's hard to stay gloomy or out-of-sorts when our favourite pet shuffles up to us, a dog runs up to greet us in the street, or even when a friend shares a cute pet ...read more
Autism Acceptance Week
“Just popping to the toilet… ” For as long as I can recall, socialising had always been very hit-and-miss. I was hyperlexic and by the time I was two and a half years old I could read the paper. My ...read more
Disability Access Day
16th March 2023 is Disability Access Day, sponsored by Euan’s Guide. The purpose of Disabled Access Day is to celebrate accessibility and inclusion across the UK. With this in mind, we wanted to highlight some initiatives that can improve accessibility ...read more
Social media: Am I addicted?
Are you worried that you might be getting addicted to social media? You are not alone. It is estimated that over 210 million people worldwide suffer from some form of social media and/or internet addiction. [1] What starts as a ...read more
Let’s connect for Children’s Mental Health Week
The 2023 theme for Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Let’s Connect’. Whilst connecting is believed to be a given, the limit of our connection is often in the form of instructions to get dressed, encouraging the brushing of teeth and ...read more
Time to Talk: A guide to building resilience
Last week the UK marked Parent Mental Health Day, an awareness event that was introduced in 2022 by Stem4, a charity that supports young people to build positive mental health. The campaign theme for this year was #BuildFamilyResilience and focused ...read more
Notice to patients
Psychiatry-UK cares deeply about delivering high-quality care to its patients, and about transparency and honesty in its practices. After receiving a patient complaint in August 2022, we were concerned to discover that a locum consultant psychiatrist (“the Consultant”) was undertaking ...read more
Understanding loneliness Part II: Breaking out of the cycle
If you have read Part I of this article, you are hopefully feeling reassured that you are not alone. Loneliness is extremely prevalent and felt across all age groups. A US study found that as many as 80% of young ...read more
Understanding loneliness Part I: Its impact
Whether we are young, elderly, or somewhere in the middle, loneliness is a feeling that we can all relate to. But the way we experience it is very personal. It can be a fleeting feeling of distress, or a gnawing ...read more
Getting to the root of social anxiety (social phobia)
Feeling nervous or anxious about meeting new people is common among many of us at some point in our lives, whether in a personal or professional context. Some of our worries may relate to a specific situation, such as public ...read more
Movember: Changing the face of men’s health
The Movember movement is run by a charity that’s changing the face of men's health, focusing on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Here at P-UK staff have been getting involved by growing, styling, and rocking moustaches ...read more
How can you help someone with alcohol dependence?
If you have stopped to read this blog, it is likely that you are close to someone who you suspect has become, or is becoming, reliant on alcohol. You might be worried about a parent’s drinking, or about a sibling? ...read more
What is ADHD?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder in which the brain grows and works differently. The core symptoms of ADHD include issues with attention and/or issues with hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADHD also commonly has associated ...read more
What is Self-Care (Part II)
In the second of this two-part series, Psychiatry UK consultant Dr Alexandros Chatziagorakis explores the elements to be found in a good self-care toolbox. In the first part we looked at the fundamental role of sleep. In this part Dr ...read more
What is Self-Care? (Part I)
In the first of this two-part series, Psychiatry UK consultant psychiatrist Dr Alexandros Chatziagorakis discusses what taking care of ourselves actually means and identifies a few fundamental ideas and strategies for a successful self-care toolbox. What is self-care? ‘Self-care’ is ...read more
Workplace bullying: What is it? And how do we stop it?
“Workplace bullying - in any form - is bad for business. It destroys teamwork, commitment, and morale.” - Tony Morgan, Former Chief Executive, The Industrial Society. No-one should have to suffer bullying, yet many people do. Studies show it's a ...read more
Higher or Lower? Why using functional labels to describe autism is problematic
As a recently diagnosed adult autistic person, I have had a good deal of time to reflect on the diagnostic process and what it really means to be autistic. This has involved a lot of research, finding and joining communities ...read more
Eating disorders and muscularity concerns in boys and men
Johnny, a 16-year-old male wrestler, was referred to our eating disorders clinic. When asked about the “typical” disordered eating behaviors for weight loss --including fasting, restricting, vomiting, or diuretics -- he denied all of them. However, his parents reported that ...read more
Women and ADHD: How menopause can affect women with ADHD
One of the persistent and unhelpful myths around ADHD is that it is a disorder of young males. There are clear differences in the rates of diagnosis of ADHD between males and females in childhood, with as many as nine ...read more
What is neurodiversity? And what’s it got to do with OCD?
Around 85% of the UK’s population are ‘neurotypical’ and the other 15% are known as ‘neurodivergent’. But what does this mean? Neurotypical defines individuals with behavioural traits and brain function that are regarded as ‘normal’ in society, whereas neurodivergent refers ...read more
The overlap between dyspraxia, dyslexia and ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, is a disorder in which the brain develops differently. This leads to issues with attention and/or hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Alongside these ‘core’ symptoms of ADHD exist a range of co-existing conditions which ...read more
What is ADHD?
Today marks the beginning of ADHD Awareness Month .. but what actually is ADHD? Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short, is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder in which the brain grows and works differently. The core symptoms of ADHD include ...read more
Sleep hygiene and insomnia
Are you struggling to get to sleep, or stay asleep? Do you feel refreshed the next morning, or are you yawning all day? If you’re feeling irritable and finding it hard to concentrate due to tiredness, you may have insomnia. ...read more
Some common mental health conditions in under-18s
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) The core features are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The definition relies on a list of nine features of inattention and nine features of hyperactivity/Impulsivity. Prevalence rates are debatable. A very old London study showed that, with a ...read more
We need to talk about suicide
‘Died by suicide’ is the term to use nowadays, ‘committed’ suicide implies that a crime has taken place – which has not been true since The Suicide Act of 1961 decriminalised the act of taking one’s own life. However, a ...read more
Can lowering stress levels really help prevent dementia?
Medical research is identifying more and more ways people can help to prevent dementia, but can tackling stress have a positive impact? The British Medical Journal’s Dementia UK report estimates that around 637,000 people in the UK have dementia. The ...read more
What is bipolar disorder?
Mood disorders are a group of mental health issues that affect one's emotional state. Amongst the mood disorders is bipolar disorder which, unlike depression, is a condition that causes intense shifts in a person’s mood, energy levels, thinking patterns, and ...read more
5 TOP TIPS to help you keep mobile while at your desk
I wanted to talk about movement at your desk, and why it is so important. I will start by talking about the scary statistics surrounding the effects of being seated for long periods of time (to put it all into ...read more
How can I help a friend with anxiety?
5% of the UK population are affected by Generalised Anxiety Disorder [1] - that’s 1 in 20 people! The likelihood is either you, or someone you know, has experienced, or is currently experiencing, anxiety. It can be distressing to see ...read more
What is a whole food, plant-based diet?
With nutritionists and health experts warning of the dangers of eating too much processed food, many people are turning towards a whole food, plant-based diet. Not surprisingly, the whole food movement has become big business, with the US-based supermarket chain ...read more
It’s National CBD Day!
Cannabis plants and its extracts were used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The first documented use was in China 2500 BC. Despite this, political influences made it largely illegal (rapidly changing picture as you can now grow it in Thailand). ...read more
Travelling with ADHD
It’s that time of year again - the Summer Holidays. Many of us are planning to pack up and escape for a few days. For those with ADHD, planning a simple getaway can prove quite challenging. Here's a list of ...read more
Schizophrenia and psychosis
Sunday, 25th July is National Schizophrenia Awareness Day. So, what is schizophrenia? It’s a condition that alters the way your brain processes information. Your emotions, thoughts, behaviours, experiences and desires are altered by the condition, and this can result in ...read more
Measure twice – cut once
Impulsive speech can be a challenge for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A quick chat around the water cooler at work can result in office ostracisation from colleagues, making the work environment an onerous place to be. So, ...read more
What is the evidence linking stress to dementia?
There are many risk factors associated with memory loss, but is there really enough evidence to show a link between stress and dementia? While research is still ongoing around the world, there is a growing consensus that chronic stress could ...read more
Samaritans launches its Talk To Us campaign
Do you consider yourself to be a good listener? Could you recognise when someone is in need? Samaritans is challenging people across Britain and Ireland to become better listeners during its annual Talk To Us campaign. Throughout July, the charity ...read more
World Wellbeing Week
Your wellbeing is largely dictated by what makes you happy. Finding the leading sources of prosperity and contentment can be hugely important when tackling the struggles of everyday life, whether this be holding down jobs or dealing with the increasing ...read more
International Fathers’ Mental Health Day
It’s been a tricky couple of years for many, with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating mental health issues across the entire country. We’ve all suffered, but men in particular have struggled to manage an increase in living costs, ...read more
Heard versus Depp: What does this case tell us about domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse isn’t something that occupies a great deal of time in the headlines, in print or broadcast media. However, that doesn’t apply to the Depp vs Heard case. These are not criminal proceedings; each of them brought civil actions ...read more
Introducing Kamaljit Saggu – 1st Step Rehab Fitness and Support
Exercise is not just good for the heart, it can also play an important role in preventing dementia, depression and other mental health conditions. My name is Kam, and I set up 1st Step Rehab Fitness and Support to help ...read more
Quick guide to Carers Week 2022
Do you care for someone? Carers Week 2022 is looking for people to share their stories as part of a campaign to make caring “visible, valued and supported”. Every year Carers Week aims to raise awareness of the vital contribution ...read more
How a healthy diet can lower the risk of dementia
Everyone knows that adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle can help prevent common diseases, but it also plays a big part in the risk of developing dementia. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 55 million people worldwide live ...read more
Your online directory of health and medical treatment providers
Searching for a reputable health or medical treatment provider? Look no further than the HLP-U online directory. Here at Psychiatry-UK LLP, we believe that finding the right treatment should not be down to trial and error. Nor should it be ...read more
Mental Health Awareness Week
If we’ve learnt anything from the last two years, it would likely be the fragility of our minds, and how major life changes or unexpected situations can sometimes send our mental wellbeing into a negative spiral. Suffering from mental health issues is ...read more
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week
The sixth Maternal Mental Health Week will be celebrated in 2022. This week of awareness was inspired by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership, which consisted of eleven individuals who have a lived experience of maternal mental illness. What is perinatal ...read more
Truth hiding in plain sight: A history of wartime PTSD
‘In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watched, And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars, Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed, Cry “Courage! To the field!” And thou hast talk’d Of sallies and retires, of trenches, ...read more
