First Psychology blog

Before you head out to the shops today to see what the 'Black Friday' sales have to offer, have a think about your motives for shopping. Why do people spend? It's true that the holiday season is just around the corner and many of us will be looking to get gifts for loved ones, but necessity is not the only reason people spend.  Money is often associated with power and success. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research actually saw participants salivating at the concept of money when they were first primed to feel they lacked power.  People often believe money will make them more attractive, popular and successful to others. Conversely being in debt and not being able to spend makes people feel powerless and vulnerable. Indeed debt and mental health problems often go hand in hand. Spending is used by many as a form of therapy - it makes us feel better about ourselves. However this type of spending can become habitual as it feeds our deep psychological need...

There have been a number of high profile cases of domestic abuse against women in the press recently and as today is International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women, we thought we'd talk a bit about domestic violence. It can be easy to think that victims of domestic abuse can simply leave the situation, however often domestic abuse starts some time into a relationship when an emotional attachment has been established. For women, it may begin at a time of vulnerability, such as during pregnancy, and the woman may feel she has no choice but to stay with her partner, hoping it is a one-off. Often there is a period following the abusive behaviour when the perpetrator apologises for their behaviour and promises never to do it again and the victim may want to give things another try, hoping it will get better. However, this pattern of behaviour can continue for years and the victim may slowly lose confidence and begin to believe she is somehow to blame.  Women often...

Our posts this week, for Anti-Bullying Week, have focused so far on bullying between children or adolescents. However, unfortunately bullying does not stop when we 'grow up' or leave school. Bullying happens among adults of all ages and in organisations of all sizes too. A report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) states that between 83-90% of UK organisations have anti-bullying policies, yet bullying is still happening. So what constitutes bullying at work? Common bullying behaviours Being insulting: personally criticising someone or making them feel small by ridiculing, humiliating or making demeaning comments. Harassment: with-holding information; overloading someone with work; taking the credit for someone else's work; or removing responsibility from someone without discussing it with them first. Exclusion:  scapegoating, isolation or victimisation. Intimidation: threats of physical violence or psychological intimidation. Bull...

Bullying - and its modern relation cyber-bullying - are on the rise, with 45,000 children affected by it contacting ChildLine in the last year alone. Psychologist Professor Ewan Gillon, clinical director of First Psychology Scotland, explains the origins of bullying and how to deal with the effects on you or your family. (The following piece featured in the Dundee Courier on 17 November 2014) I have worked with many children and adults who have suffered at the hands of bullies. The word bullying describes any behaviour that is malicious, intimidating or offensive. It is intended to humiliate or even injure the person it’s aimed at, and sustained bullying over a period of time wears down mental resilience. The effects of bullying  People being bullied will often feel helpless and frustrated while gradually losing confidence in their abilities. They may experience physical symptoms such as sickness, sleeplessness and loss of appetite. Bullied children may feel anxious about goi...

Today is the start of anti-bullying week, so we thought it a good time to talk about the subject of bulling and the impact it can have. What is bullying? Bullying is the act of belittling someone repeatedly through harassment, physical harm, demeaning speech or efforts to ostracise them. Bullying can takes many forms. The three main types being physical bullying, verbal bullying and cyber bullying. Anyone can potentially fall prey to a bully. It can happen in pre-school, primary school, secondary school and in the workplace. However it is most prevalent in the mid-teen years when children move from primary to secondary school. Long-term bullying can lead to low self-esteem, lack of confidence, trust issues, anxiety and depression and these effects may be continue to be experienced in the future as well as the present. Knowing how to spot the signs in others - particularly young people, who may feel they have no voice - is an important step to making things better. Common signs...

Thanks to the 'Movember' Foundation, we don't just remember, remember the 5th of November, but men's health issues throughout November too. Men are often reluctant to seek help for a number of reasons, so when a man is feeling physically or mentally unwell, it is often a partner or a friend who persuades him to seek help - in many cases as a last resort. "Many of our male clients in particular have struggled for years before seeking help," said Professor Ewan Gillon, Clinical Director of First Psychology Scotland. A practising psychologist, Professor Gillon works with male and female clients in his personal clinics and takes a keen interest in how men seek help. "Us men are brought up to hide our feelings and be strong and it can be hard to admit needing support," he said. While not cultivating his own 'movember' moustache, Professor Gillon believes the Movember Foundation's aim to get men talking about their health and taking action is v...

According to recent studies,  bullying is becoming more widespread. The use of social media in every day life is one factor. Bullies are able to hide behind opaque identities online and can use these to target individuals. And whereas in the past malicious information may have taken a while to spread, with social media, information can spread fast leading to increased humiliation of the victim in a very public environment. The effects of bullying "The long-term consequences of bullying are considerable," says Professor Ewan Gillon, Clinical Director of First Psychology Scotland. "When young people are bullied, it can result in a life-time of anxiety in social situations. Adults who were bullied as children can find it hard to trust others." "Those who experience bullying often isolate themselves from others and this can add to feelings of depression and lack of control over the situation. Cyber bullying can be particularly bad because the victim may not ...