When experiencing depression or anxiety it can feel as if there is nothing that will make a positive difference. This is not true. The very decision to do something is a significant one. When you are eventually over this period in your life, you may even look back on it as a “useful wakeup call” which signified that something needed to change. Depression is not your fault. It is experienced by millions of “normal” people.
So What Exactly is Depression?
The word depression is somewhat overused in everyday conversations. Often people say they are depressed when they are merely feeling a bit fed up. Depression is more than the “normal feelings” created by the usual ups and downs of everyday life. If your “low moods” interfere with your life or simply never seem to go away, or if they reoccur over and over, it could be a sign that you are depressed.
Mild depression may not prevent you from leading a normal life, it may just make everything that bit more of a struggle. Things you used to enjoy may no longer seem worthwhile. At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening. Working in conjunction with your medical practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapy and Naturopath can often effectively help people suffering from depression.
How Do I Know If I Am Depressed?
There are many ways in which depression shows itself. You may not at first realise what’s going on because the issues may appear to be more physical.
E.g. sleeping problems, lacking energy, unexplained weight gain or loss, unexplained aches and pains, loss of libido.
Some typical symptoms of depression are; feeling anxious, agitated or sad, excessive use of alcohol or other substance abuse, being irritable or impatient, difficulty remembering things, inability to concentrate or make decisions, feelings of low self-esteem or a lack of confidence, feeling disconnected or helpless, experiencing lots of negative emotions such as anger, guilt, shame or hurt. You can take the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) HERE
Depression and Anxiety
People who are depressed are often very anxious. And vice versa. People who experience anxiety are often depressed. (These are known as co-morbid conditions) It’s not clear whether the anxiety leads to the depression or whether the depression causes the anxiety.
Cause of Depression
This may not be a straightforward question as often there isn’t one single cause. It varies from individual to individual but depression is usually the result of a combination of factors. Depression is not inherited but it does seem as if some people are more prone to depression than others. This could be because of our life experiences or family background.
Our past experiences do have an effect on how we feel about ourselves in the present, and if those feelings are very negative, they can be the start of a downward spiral. In many cases, the first time someone becomes depressed, it’s triggered by a traumatic life event, such as being made redundant, breaking up with a partner, abusive relationship, grief etc.
Recent studies have shown that inflammation of the brain and an imbalance in gut flora can lead to depression and anxiety.
Are There Things I Can Do To Help Myself?
You have already started by reading this far! You can make a decision about seeking help to improve your health and wellbeing.
It is believed that just 20 minutes a day of physical activity can stimulate chemicals in the brain, (endorphins), which can help you feel better.
Healthy eating is also important. Don’t be tempted to use alcohol or other drugs as a quick fix. These can actually make depression worse.
Although there are no instant cures, it is possible to break free from depression and anxiety. When you are depressed, you may well not be feeling motivated enough to address the issues that need attention. However, if you do seek the right support you can recover successfully long term.
How Hypnotherapy Can Help
Hypnotherapy may help identify the causes and origins of the depression. Once this occurs people often describe it as “a weight being lifted” or a “light going on”. Hypnotherapy can also help you recognise any patterns of negative thinking you may be caught up in. Depression can obscure rational, realistic thinking, making everything in life appear awful, all the time. Hypnotherapy can help you replace old thinking patterns with more useful ones. As a trained clinical hypnotherapist, I can help you overcome depression by understanding the impact of your past, to focus on the present and work towards the future you desire. Hypnosis can re-process past experiences and memories that have sensitized you to continued depressive reactions in the present.
21st Century Depression
Some people believe that contributing factors to depression in 21st century are things like; total information overload, being available 24 / 7 via email, text, social media etc, the constant unrelenting diet of doom and gloom fed to us via the media. And generally not having any time or space to unwind, truly deeply relax and undertake valuable mental processing.
Time spent in hypnosis with a professional hypnotherapist can help. Hypnotherapists look at people as a whole, rather than just treating symptoms. We can spend much more time with you than a GP can. Hypnotherapy works with both the conscious and the unconscious mind in order for you to achieve the results you want.
Did you know that Hypnotherapy has a 93% success rate after just 6 weekly sessions whereas Behavioural Therapy has a 72% success rate after 22 weekly sessions? Imagine the possibilities and all you have to do is put your mind to it.
Our 6 session structured program is a simple, powerful and effective treatment that can help you manage depression. Symptoms of negative emotions cannot be treated unless the source of the problem has been cleared. Our program aims to explore and address all the underlying issues.
How much does the program cost?
Our Depression and Anxiety Program is customised to your needs. It normally includes private Hypnotherapy sessions with a combination of Naturopathy sessions to correct any digestive imbalance, (which can contribute to depression and anxiety) inflammation, toxicity and nutrition.
If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us for a free consult with one of our practitioners to discuss further.
Who offers the Depression Program?
Alison Burton
Anna Talaj
Kimberley Nightingale
Samantha Teichtahl
