Depression and the possibility of hope through Hypnosis
by Victoria Gallagher
All of us are susceptible to become depressed at one point or another in our lives. Hypnosis provides a way for you to feel hope that you will overcome depression and guides you to finding your own answers to begin resolving it.
Depression is one of the most widespread and serious psychological disorders. Before venturing into this discussion about depression, let's first discuss the role that a Hypnotherapist will and will not play regarding your depression. While there are some hypnotherapists who are also doctors, I, personally am not a physician (and most are not) and therefore, I cannot diagnose psychological disorders, nor can I prescribe any kind of medication.
What I can do is give you some information about depression and allow you to decide for yourself whether this is something that you should seek further assistance with, be it medical, psychological or otherwise. I will also share with you some natural ways you can treat depression. Natural remedies for depression work for some people, where others may get more relief from other formal approaches. I say this because if your symptoms persist beyond several months, it's probably time to change the course of action you are taking.
Conversely, you may already be taking some medication or other formal measures and hypnosis, as well as these other suggestions I have, may be a great adjunct to help you to alleviate your symptoms. You should always check this out with your doctor first, however hypnosis has helped people to reduce or even eliminate prescribed medication.
What is Depression?
An emotional state in which there are extreme feelings of sadness, dejection, lack of worth, and emptiness. Many times it includes a feeling of having no motivation or energy.
Depression as it relates to Stress and Anxiety.
Many times I see depression, stress, and anxiety grouped together as if they were the same problem. They are completely different problems with their own set of symptoms and causes. Some of the symptoms and causes and treatments do overlap, however they are different, and there are specific sections on my website to get more information about these separate issues. Click here to find out more about Anxiety. Click here to find out more about Stress.
Types of depression:
Depression takes on different characteristics depending on the individual and there are several varieties of depression.
* Clinical Depression or Major Depression
Everyone experiences times in their lives when they experience the blues or feelings of sadness. After a breakup with or the death of a loved one, there is a normal grieving period that will accompany the upset. Losing a job you really liked or not getting a promotion you wanted can leave anyone feeling a little down. We all get down sometimes. The difference between just feeling sad and actual clinical depression, also called major depression, is that those feelings persist for an abnormally long period of time. The period of time really varies for each person and would be based on how traumatic the event.
The word clinical in clinical depression basically means that a medical doctor has checked you out, in which you have gone through a series of tests to rule out other possible causes for the way you are feeling. Then there are set of symptoms that many people who are clinically depressed feel at least more than two or three for a prolonged period of time.
* Chronic Depression
Chronic depression is typically a dull feeling of depression that is ongoing most of the time. Depression becomes chronic when the individual experiences episodes of depression, followed by periods of time when the symptoms of depression seem to disappear only to resurface again. When this cycle is repeated on an ongoing basis that is chronic depression, which can be a lifelong struggle.
* Severe Depression
Depression becomes severe when a person is unable to function in their normal daily life; unable to get out of bed, wash, go to work, eat, or other daily routines. Thoughts of suicide are more prevalent.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Depression:
* Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or anxiousness.
* Lack of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex.
* A pessimistic or hopeless attitude.
* Insomnia; lack of ability to sleep through the night or oversleeping
* Feeling guilty, unworthy, or helpless
* Change in appetite, weight loss/weight gain.
* Feeling tired all the time.
* Thoughts of suicide.
* Inability to concentrate, make decisions, or remember things.
* Feeling restless or irritated.
* Panic Attacks.
* Feelings of Stress.
* Persistent headaches, digestion problems, or chronic pain.
What Causes Depression?
The leading causing of depression is not really known. There are scientific studies that discuss chemical imbalances in the brain; I wouldn't doubt that there are. The question remains however, could those chemical imbalances be CAUSED by something else? Could those long periods of sadness create the imbalance? Could emotions; such as hurt and anger, which have not been free to be expressed, cause those chemical imbalances?
My hypothesis is that chemical imbalances absolutely are created by our own doing, be it negative thinking or unexpressed emotions or by some outside stimulus that we are reacting to.
* The first area I suggest looking into, as the cause of your depression is unresolved issues where you haven't gotten closure. This can be in a number of areas, particularly relationships and career.
* Health issues can be another cause of depression. Having lost the ability to do some activity or the anxiety and stress created from health problems can leave one feeling depressed.
* Unresolved feelings of withheld communication, anger, frustration, and disappointments. It takes a lot of energy to keep these feelings inside. Although eventually it just because such a habit that you don't realize you are doing it.
* Prolonged periods of inactivity or staying indoors can inhibit the production of endorphins and serintonin.
* Changes in eating habits or sleeping habits.
* Drugs and alcohol or cigarette smoking.
* Withdrawal from these drugs can also cause temporary feelings of depression.
* The completion of a major goal project can leave you feeling that you have nothing else to look forward to.
These are a few of the many possible causes. I suggest doing some meditation to look within yourself, talking to someone; a supportive friend, family member, or a professional counselor, or doing some journaling to find out what is causing your depression.
Here are some Self-help Tips for Treating Depression:
There are many schools of thought for treatment of depression. If your depression is at a manageable non-threatening level, meaning that you have some symptoms yet you still are still functioning in your life there are some natural remedies that may give you some relief.
Many times understanding the underlying cause can give you tremendous relief because you can now treat the underlying problem. For example if the loss of a loved one has been the underlying cause, you can continue to do the necessary grieving and get closure on it. The "Beat Depression" Hypnosis CD provides a great way to get closure and bring some light back into your life. Here are some other ways that have been known to help you feel better.
* Exercise
* Drink Water
* Get plenty of sleep (but not too much either).
* Hang out with friends.
* Watch funny movies.
* Meditate. Don't medicate. Many times we are so quick to take a pill every time there is a problem. Stop and listen within first.
* Speak gently to yourself. (Affirmations are great)
* Letter writing or journaling.
* Set a goal (and work toward achieving it)
* The herbal remedy - St. John's Wart.
* Read enlightening books.
* Change! Whatever it is that you keep complaining about, change it. You don't have to keep that job or live with someone that upsets you.
* Get an animal to take care of.
* Do volunteer work.
* Listen to classical or music, rather than those sappy, victim promoting love songs!
* Aromatherapy oils, candles or incense.
* Get a massage. Sometimes we just need someone to touch us.
* Make love. Releases the happy chemicals in your body!
* Acupuncture
* Change your eating habits
If you do not find relief from these tips or if you find yourself obsessing about suicide or are not functioning in your relationships or work, you may wish to take more drastic measures like calling your health care provider or even a suicide hotline.
Of all the ways that I mentioned of resolving depression, hypnosis offers the most complete method of support as it incorporates your mind, emotions, body, and your spirit. Through the deep relaxation, you are supporting your body because endorphins are released as you go into this state. As you get quiet, you let go of feelings of anxiety and experience a sense of calm and peace. You will become reconnected with the spirit within you.
Hypnosis will help you to get in touch with those emotions that need to be healed and released. You can train your mind to think about that which gives you a feeling of warmth and to see the beauty life has to offer.
One session alone generally isn't enough to resolve such an issue, however through continued diligence and persistence you can find your way through those dark clouds and find happiness within and learn how to feel happy more often.
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References: Yahoo Health: http://health.yahoo.com/
www.symptoms-of-depression.com
