What is depression?
We all feel low from time to time. Often this will quickly ease and we’ll go back to feeling like our usual selves. For some people, however, this low mood persists and affects everyday life. Depression is a mental health condition that causes you to feel low for a prolonged period of time. You may struggle to carry out day-to-day activities and lose interest in activities that were once enjoyable.
Depression is common. According to the Mental Health Foundation, it’s the predominant mental health problem worldwide, followed by anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Thankfully, many find hypnotherapy to be highly effective in alleviating depressive symptoms.
Signs of depression
There are a number of different symptoms and signs of depression. You may not have all of them, but it’s important to take action if you’re experiencing symptoms for most of the day, for over two weeks. The signs of depression to be aware of are:
• a low mood, feeling sad and/or angry
• lacking in energy
• losing interest or enjoyment in activities you used to enjoy
• difficulty concentrating
• feeling tired more easily
• low self-confidence
• different sleeping habits (difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual)
• different eating habits (eating more or less than usual)
• feeling guilty or that you are worthless
You may find you’re easily irritated or have a sense of being numb to everything. Talking to someone about how you feel is the first step and the best way to start to feel better.
Why am I depressed?
The causes of depression will differ from person to person. Often the reasons are complex and there may be multiple factors at play. Some of the most common causes however include:
Childhood experiences
Certain experiences in your childhood can make you more vulnerable to depression as an adult. You may have experienced trauma, abuse, bereavement or even had an unstable family environment. All of these situations can affect your mental health and make it more likely for you to experience depression.
Life events
In some cases, depression can be triggered by a particular event. You may have ended a relationship, lost someone close to you or lost your job. Major life changes like moving, getting married and changing jobs can lead to depression, too.
Mental or physical health problems
Sometimes other mental health conditions can cause depression. If you struggle with your physical health or if you have chronic pain, you may also find this affects your mood and triggers depression.
Genetic factors
Research has found that if a member of your family has depression, you are more likely to develop the condition yourself. This could be linked to genetic and biological factors, or it may be down to learnt behaviours.
Substance abuse
Drinking or taking drugs may feel like a good way to feel better, but they can often make your mental health worse. In the immediate term they may indeed provide some form of relief and our primitive mind can learn this as a coping mechanism which, in time, can become habituated.
Lifestyle
Certain lifestyle changes can affect your mood, including how much you sleep, what you eat, and how much physical activity you get. While these factors alone may not cause depression, they can make you more likely to develop it.
Hypnotherapy for depression
What’s important is for you to find an approach that works for you. Remember that everyone is different and it’s OK if what works for one person doesn’t work for you. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help with depression as it develops our thought processes quite quickly and gets you concentrating on the positive things in your life.
I will explain at your initial consultation how the brain works in relation to depression and how you can take positive steps to sustaining your wellbeing. Hypnotherapy can help you to reduce stress levels and to effectively lift yourself out of depression. We focus on moving forward positively, taking steps towards how you want things to be in your life and start doing all the things you wanted to do. You can have more control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours enabling you to deal with any situation life has in store for you.