Emo Austin's blog

Although research into Dissociative Amnesia does not seem to be as advanced as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, there is some understanding of the link between stress of the sort Andy says he experienced in the police and total or partial memory loss. “PTSD, and probably DA, appear to have a solid physical basis,” explains Gavin Woodhall, reader in Neuropharmacology at Aston University. “Constant stress due to combat, abuse or witnessing awful events causes the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol.

“These act on the hippocampus (an area of the brain involved in making short-term memories) and the amygdala (an area involved in both memory and emotion,and hence ‘emotional memory’). You can inject rats with stress hormones and see their hippocampal volume change and their memory performance decline.”

In other words, stress can damage you. The research that Woodhall quotes is primarily connected with PTSD, but it is interesting to speculate about DA, as it comes from the same spectrum of disorders. Though Andy never suffered a bang to the head, or any large-scale physical decay in his brain of the type seen in Alzheimer’s sufferers, Woodhall points out that “the ‘mind’, via the stress created, can clearly affect the physical state of the brain”.

Well, Andy’s brain was well and truly affected. After being admitted to A&E on the night of his breakdown, he was committed to a mental health hospital in Colchester, “for my own safety”. He realised he “needed time there to help re-engage”. The world, understandably, had become a rather terrifying place. While he was in the mental health hospital, he began to run. He didn’t take it up for the first time, but he took it up with new purpose.

Running had been a habit from his teenage years, when he had to deal only with his acne and he had run for Bedford and County, picking up victories and accolades at county and regional level. Now his track was a small recreation area in the hospital. He would run laps of it. Round, and round, and round, and round, plodding ever-onwards to find some respite from the mindlessness. This was a man in full fight-or-flight mode – a refugee; a fugitive, a man in a waking fugue.

Treatments to battle a common, chronic foot injury: plantar fasciitis

Spot plantar fasciitis early, and you can treat it at home  he bane of many runners, plantar fasciitis is often I misunderstood. “Although `-itis’ means inflammation, this is a ‘wear and tear’ condition, not inflammatory,” says Dr Leon Creaney, a sports medicine specialist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust. “The plantar fascia is a ‘tension band’ running from heel to toes. It maintains the foot’s longitudinal arch and stores and releases energy during runs.” While biomechanics and genetics play their part, the main cause of plantar• fasciitis is running too far, too soon, leading to micro-tears to the fascia. The resulting network of scar tissue causes a stiff, bruised sensation. People often have varicose veins with this condition as well. For more information visit gnet.org/varicose-veins-when-good-veins-turn-bad/.  The good news? You have several treatment options.

Stop for a while and cross-train instead.

“Ibuprofen will help to relieve the swelling,” says podiatrist Steven Burchfield (drfoot.co.uk). Never take painkillers before running, though: you won’t be able to tell if you are making the injury worse.

“You need to ice and massage the foot,” says sports podiatrist Amanda Lau, (puresportsmed.com). “Do both at once by filling a plastic bottle with water, freezing it and rolling it underfoot.”

Make sure your shoes fit well; consider over‑the-counter arch supports or orthotics. Creaney recommends a night splint: “This prevents pain on your first step out of bed in the morning, caused by overnight contraction.”

It helps to stretch your arch before getting out of bed, since pain is often worse first thing in the morning. Burchfield also recommends stretching the calves before and after a run.

If the pain persists for more than three months, ask your doctor about these therapies

“Little electrical impulses increase blood flow by breaking down the scar tissue,” says Lau. “I’ve used it on clients, and while not 100 per cent effective, the results have been good.”

You may need anesthesia, as the procedure can be painful. Treatment at a private clinic can cost £500 for four sessions, but it is available on the NHS. In August 2009 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence reported that up to 69 per cent of patients had excellent results after treatment.

Not to be confused with acupuncture, dry needling breaks the skin to stimulate myofascial trigger points. This causes the muscles to twitch, and also causes minor bleeding, which increases blood flow and speeds healing. “A lot of physios, osteopaths and chiropractors are trained to do this,” says Lau. ”They target not just the sole of the foot, but the gastronomies and soleus muscles of the leg as well. It’s an option for those with tight calves.” Private treatment is around £30-£100 a session; it may be available on the NHS but provision varies.

POINT OF PAIN The plantar fascia runs from heel to toes

Already widely used to treat muscle tears, plasma treatment spins the patient’s own blood down to concentrate the platelets. These are then injected into the area, to stimulate new tissue growth. Some US podiatrists are banking on this being the treatment of the future for the plantar fascia too. Lau is more skeptical: “The foot is a weight-bearing organ – we need to steer clear of anything off the beaten track.”

Relatively common in the US, botulinum toxin is not yet widely used to treat plantar fasciitis in the UK. The poison is injected directly into the foot, paralysing the nerves. It reduces pain and inflammation but there’s no convincing evidence as yet that it actually helps cure the injury.

THE GLITZ

We all love cheap but cheap-looking is an acquired taste. A taste that model Natasha Vojnovic clearly has – she sported a Lurexstriped jacket at the shows. You could follow her lead and pick up similar pieces from market stalls.

Ammo city

A handbag has always been there to carry a woman’s ammunition, and no bag makes that fact clearer than John Galliano’s new Street Chic version for Christian Dior. With its detachable purses (for your Dr Hauschka Day Cream, Sony MiniDisc player and new prune-coloured lipstick) and its hardcore rivet detail, the bag is “luxury made” for urban action. Leather bag from a selection, at Christian Dior Boutique

Flying high

The have been many attempts to resurrect the flying suit so beloved in the Seventies, but right now – with nostalgia for the era at its peak it looks just right.

Try Phoebe Philo’s floral version for Chloe (pictured) or Baleciaga’s version, in which Nicolas Ghesquiere severed the suit in two.

JACOBS’ CRACKERS

Is there no stopping the man? Marc Jacobs has now turned his hand to the all-too-serious business of eyewear for spring, with a line-up of sunglasses – big, round blue shades with old-gold rims, exaggerated aviators and big goggles – that will make being in the sun even more fun. Sunglasses, by Marc Jacobs, from £125

happy chic

“Issa means ‘sound of happiness’, “says Daniella Helayel, explaining the name of her clothing label. “It’s the cry that surfers give in Brazil when they catch the biggest wave.” Having grown up in Rio, Helayel lived briefly in New York, where she worked as a fashion consultant, before moving to London. However, the new collection- her second – is quintessentially Brazilian: dresses are romantic and in white and candy pinks; tops are folky and off-the-shoulder; skirts are full; and there’s plenty of gingham and tulle. The tailoring is immaculate- Helayel employs a seamstress who has worked on Valentino couture. Already a hit with Helayel’s friends – including the Monsoon mogul Peter Simon’s daughters – Issa is making more than a few customers happy. OF Find Issa at Bare, 8 Chiltern St, W1

step class

Picture the fragile sophistication of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, add the provocative seductiveness of Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and you have…

Alexandra Neel’s shoes. After spendingfive years creating the most coveted accessories at Balenciaga, Celine and Nina Ricci, the 25-year-old French designer has now made an outstanding solo debut. Her designs reflect her love of fine lingerie. “To me, shoes are the most seductive part of a woman’s attire,” she enthuses. MC Leathershoes, by Alexandra Neel, £290, at Harvey Nichols and Matches

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT… LEONARD

WHAT IS IT? A bastion of French fashion since the Fifties, best known for its wild, orchid-print jersey dresses.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT’S THE FRENCH PUCCI? Yes, except that cranberry supplements Pucci does not dress Miss France, Julia Roberts or Catherine Zeta-Jones. Leonard has recently enlisted the talents of designers E2 to make over its image.

E WHO? E2, aka Olivier and Michele Chatenet, the French husband-and-wife designers who set up the cult E2 label in 1999, after years of working at Chanel, Azzedine Alaia, Comme des Garcons and Hermes. People in the know (Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow included) go mad for E2′s designs, made from ethnic of vintage pieces and fabrics, which they cut and embellish.

THE RESULT OF THE COLLABORATION? Column dresses slit to the thigh, kimono-inspired jackets and asymmetric tops, all in slinky silk jersey, with hand-painted flowers and geometric paint strokes a la Yves Klein. A collection in full bloom. MC Find Leonard at Harvey Nichols