Karen Martin

No-one is immune from an invisible killer which stalks silently through every office, factory floor and work- place. It doesn't discriminate against age, sex, race or occupation and its grip tightens as the social and economic pressures of 21st century life increase.

An epidemic of stress-related illnesses has driven unprecedented numbers of the population to bail out of the workplace. Countless others resort to antidepressants to help them face the day. So, just what is going on in this age of unparalleled prosperity and comfort?

One of life's great pleasures and necessities, you can't beat a good night's sleep. Most people suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. In fact, more than half of us will have trouble sleeping in the course of any given year.

For some, the mere thought of not being able to get to sleep gives them insomnia. For others, sleeplessness is a debilitating symptom of wider conditions like depression, stress, anxiety, chronic pain or the menopause.

Whilst it's true that most of us are a long way off needing to take the 12 steps programme, a goodly proportion of the adult population of this country unwind at the end of the day with a glass of something. And that's not just the occasional day but most if not every day. So what's a bottle of wine between two? Nothing to worry about surely? But it's surprising how easily that can become a bottle of wine each. Or more. Every day.

Incredibly, there is a way to not only reduce anxiety during pregnancy, but also to experience comfortable childbirth without any pain medication and minimise the risk of post-natal depression. And it's available to every single mother-to-be at minimal cost.