Depression
In the Eastern Philosophy, it is said that anxiety, anger, and depression are the three thieves of the night! They arrive when you leave the door to your mind open and don’t pay attention to what’s happening in your life! They are called happiness thieves because that’s exactly what they steal.
Research shows that depressive thoughts are frequently detached from reality, leading to distorted interpretations of situations. These misperceptions can cause individuals to feel more distressed than the actual circumstances would justify. Furthermore, negative thoughts are known to affect the emotions and body so much that they perpetuate depression.
Symptoms of depression
If you are depressed, you are likely to experience one or more of the following:
You:
- Have endless self-critical thoughts and can blame yourself
- Ruminate – your thoughts and worries run on a loop, which is draining
- Interpret events negatively
- Have negative expectations for the future or are overwhelmed by responsibilities
- Struggle to fall asleep or wake up after a short sleep with your mind racing
- Experience constant overwhelming fatigue
- Are prone to tears
- Feel worthless
- Feel helpless
- Feel a sense of failure
- May have suicidal thoughts
- Withdraw from contact with others and almost isolate yourself
- May find it difficult to make decisions and implement them
Treatment for depression
The therapy will typically be based on the ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training method (behavioural therapy) and Mindfulness. As you learn to meditate, you’ll be able to use mindfulness to calm your mind, which can counteract depression over time. You learn to “see” thoughts simply as thoughts and let them pass without dealing with them. It’s the best self-care you can offer yourself. You’ll learn to be fully present in the moment, and to come back to the present, while having a real experience of being more than your thoughts!
Hypnotherapy is also a great tool to help alleviate depression. It is especially useful in supporting self-esteem, which is often low during a depression. Hypnotherapy for depression is not a quick fix, it requires prior understanding through ACT counselling and learning how to sit with the discomfort and negative thoughts that affect the mind.
The therapy will focus on:
- Identifying thoughts, beliefs, assumptions and values.
- Learning to accept the thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations experienced as something universally human without changing them, just learning or gaining wisdom from the experience.
- Transformation is inevitable once you are willing to release the discomfort, allowing it to exist without resistance, and instead pursue what truly brings meaning to your life. You’ll experience an active shift towards what makes sense to you.
- You’ll find ways to deal with everyday problems more effectively. This process can be achieved through counselling, alongside supporting your personal efforts, allowing you to gradually develop new skills that guide you towards recovery and well-being.
- You’ll receive small, manageable homework assignments that you’ll practise from session to session.
We will also make a plan together in case of a relapse, so that you can intervene with love and kindness before a depression revisited you.
