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What’s your tipping point. Have you ever come close to attacking or even killing someone or perhaps tried to commit suicide. Sometimes emotions feel so strong that the emotional part of the brain takes over and rational thought is over-powered. Last week I played a game of tennis against a friend (when I say friend, there is not much friendship on court as we are both extremely competitive). The game was close and evenly matched for the first hour and then a few points went in my favour and I started to get in front. At this point my friend lost his composure and started ranting and verbally abusing himself, his performance deteriorated and I went on to win comfortably.

In the same week a taxi driver called Derrick Bird went on a killing spree in the north west of England and killed himself. We will never know what tipped Derrick over the edge, from being an average family man with no violent history, into a multiple killer. There has been a lot of conjecture over the last couple of weeks as to the reasons why he might have committed these murders but no one will ever know what was going through his mind before and during the killings. The idea may have been formed a long time ago but what tipped him over the edge on that day?

We could look at the Tipping point from a more global perspective, in relation to the environment or over-population. For example, what happens when the worlds population reaches a level where we don’t have the resources to cope, what happens when we reach that tipping point?

There is a book, written by Peter Gladwell, called ‘The Tipping Point’ http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html which is a book about change that presents a new way of understanding why change so often happens as quickly and unexpectently as it does sometimes.

One of my concerns is the number of people being prescribed and relying on mind altering drugs such as anti-depressants. Peter Hitchens wrote in The Mail on Sunday last week about the possible link between these types of drug and violent acts carried out by people like Derrick Bird. I am aware that Anti-depressants are necessary and appropriate for some people but I believe that many people taking these drugs don’t need them and that there are better and more natural treatments available. Personally, I look forward to the day when people use hypnotherapy as their first choice for dealing with their emotions and that anti-depressants become the last resort.

If you feel that you might be getting close to your tipping point talk to someone; a friend or family member or a professional therapist. Seek help and do it now! Is there anyone in your family or circle of friends who has been behaving strangely recently. If so talk to them and find out what’s going on before its too late!