THE DOC REPLIES

I’m 40 years old and have a great husband and two wonderful children. I enjoy my job and don’t have any money worries – but I constantly live under a dark cloud and often think about self-harming. Despite this I can’t bring myself to speak to my GP as I don’t want to go on to tablets.

It sounds as though you maybe suffering from a depressive illness. Often people feel guilty about this especially when their life appears to be going well. I think it would be important to share this with your GP. This does not necessarily mean that you would have to go on to medication. There are many ways of dealing with depression and issues surrounding self-harming. Your GP maybe able to refer you to a counsellor or a listening service. Sometimes discussing your problems with others who are unconnected with your life can help put things into perspective and perhaps signpost you to places where you can seek help. There are many websites available which offer advice such as Moodjuice and Breathing Space which might be of use to you. that he has not reached his growth spurt yet. Girls tend to reach this sooner than boys and often there is quite a height discrepancy for some time until the boys catch up. If his parents are concerned then they should speak to a professional to make sure there aren’t any hormonal problems. Although this is unlikely to cause damage to her eyes, it would be worth checking whether there is any problem with her vision or hearing that makes it necessary for her to get up close. Watching television for long periods of time is not ideal and often distracting with a book or other activities would be a healthier option.