There is a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from figures in Middle East history -- from Al Kindi to Al Razi to Ibn Khaldoun to many more -- about modern mental health.
You might cringe at the mention of TikTok, the wildly successful Chinese social-media platform. But you’d be a fool for underestimating it. Downloaded on three billion cell phones – more than the population of China and India together – TikTok’s revenues last year amounted to US$34 billion – more than the individual GDP of half the world’s countries. TikTok has risen to global popularity and made its investors rich through the use of an advanced...
The sun’s rays are all our bodies need to generate the vitamin D that is so essential to our health and, as those of us making it through another long hot summer in the region well know, there is no shortage of those in the Gulf. So why is it that the Middle East and North Africa region consistently has some of the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency in the world? And, as a...
Women's circles are an ancient ritual that is been revived to help women cope with struggles in the pandemic and the pressures of modern life
In The Me You Can’t See, the Apple TV mental health documentary series with Oprah Winfrey, Britain’s Prince Harry is seen undergoing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). It’s a type of therapy that is recommended by the World Health Organization to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In one clip, we see Harry close his eyes, cross his arms and start tapping his shoulders — known in EMDR as bilateral stimulation — while recalling a...
My friend remembers the first time he drank and drove. It was actually the first time he had alcohol, let alone drove under the influence. The year was 2013 and he was 18 years old, speeding in the fast lane and overtaking cars from the hard shoulder while blasting the aggressive hit song of the time, I Don’t Like, by rapper Chief Keef. Needless to say, he quickly learned that alcohol, hyped music and a...
Prior to the pandemic, the best place to positively impact young people outside the home was school. After all, that is where children typically spent most of their time. With the return of more face-to-face learning this fall, it is expected that many children, once again, will be spending more time with their teachers and classroom assistants than with their own parents in the comfort — and sometimes discomfort — of home. Let’s face it:...
They live in Abu Dhabi and they had been friends for years. Before Covid-19, they spoke on a daily basis and made sure to meet up at least once a week. But as lockdown hit, and personal contact became restricted, they found themselves starting to drift apart. Even when restrictions began to lift, Zainab still didn’t feel safe enough to venture out, and refused to meet up with Soraya, who was eager to get back...
Sisters Sophiya and Sarah Fiazal used their own experiences with mental health issues to launch a platform for people of their own generation, and will soon open their own wellness studio in Dubai.
It’s increasingly recognized that sticking to traditional concepts of masculinity and male gender roles stigmatizes men expressing emotions and places limits on what they feel comfortable expressing. And this, in turn, causes many problems for men: in terms of the personal, emotional pain they feel, and in their relationships, both personal and professional. It was 1975 when the Bee Gees wrote these lyrics to Fanny: “Be tender with my love; You know how easy it is...
It's easy, cheap and anyone can do it. Achieving good health is a matter of breathing properly, fasting and taking ice cold baths. Life coach Benoit Demeulemeester explains how.
