Overcoming Depression With Hypnosis

By: Gwenn Henkel, CMH, MH

It's a brand new year and you may be finding that nothing has changed in your life. The news has been filled with sadness with missing people like Lacy Peterson, the young Midesto woman who is pregnant and was reported missing December 24th. The space shuttle just crashed in February and lives lost there. All of these things can be very stressful and even very depressing for many people. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than seventeen million people in the United States experience depression each year. Research shows that men, women, and children are all affected by depression, although women experience it at roughly twice the rate of men. Specific biological, life cycle, and psychosocial factors may contribute to women's depression. However, age, lifestyle, and environment are added stresses for all people who suffer from depression.

Depression is more than just a bad mood. Some symptoms of minor depression include loss of energy, motivation, and appetite. Despite these symptoms, however, those suffering from minor depression are still able to function normally and get necessary things done.

When depression starts flowing over into every aspect of life, when getting out of bed to go to work becomes a problem every day, then depression is no longer minor. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a major depression exhibits at least five of the following nine symptoms, and these symptoms must have been present for at least two weeks:

1. Depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every day.
2. Diminished interest of pleasure in almost all activities of the day, almost every day.
3. Significant weight gain or loss when not dieting, and decreased appetite nearly every day.
4. Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much) nearly every day.
5. Abnormal restlessness or a drop in physical activity nearly every day.
6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
8. Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions nearly every day.
9. Recurrent thoughts of death, or suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Severe depression can be serious and life threatening and should be treated immediately. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call your local suicide prevention hotline or your doctor. Get help now. Regardless of how bad you may be feeling, depression can be treated successfully.

Constant negative thinking can fuel the fire of depression, buy adversely affecting the chemical balance in your brain, the converse can be true as well...a chemical imbalance can intensify negative thinking. Finding a way out of this cycle may seem impossible, but changing your pattern of thinking can lead the way.

Once you understand how your thought processes work, you can begin taking steps to change the patterns of negative thinking that cause or intensify depression.

This is where hypnosis can help. It can replace the habitual negative and self-defeating thoughts that cause or increase your depression. The post-hypnotic suggestions reprogram your subconscious to accept positive alternatives to negative thinking. Hypnosis will help to:

1. To change your negative thought process
2. To incorporate new responses into your life
3. To become a happier, calmer, and healthier person
4. To create a positive future
5. To bring joy into daily living
6. To feel good again

It's never too late to change your mind...literally! Feel better NOW!