Depression is extremely debilitating and because it has no outward symptoms, people often experience difficulties at work and home because others expect them to 'snap out of it'. Depression is an illness which affects not only the individual, but also their family, their friends, their employment, their self esteem, and ultimately, inhibit the quality of their life.
Depression is very common. Almost anybody can develop the illness; depression, like any illness, can strike for no apparent reason. However, it is often difficult for doctors to tell the difference between feeling gloomy and having a depressive illness. Many aspects are taken into consideration including diet/nutrition and life style when diagnosing depression, therefore, only after assessing the severity of the low mood, and other associated symptoms and the duration of the problem a diagnosis is made.
Modern brain scans that can look at how 'hard' the brain is working have shown that some areas of the brain (such as at the front) are not working as well as normal. Unfortunately there is no brain scan or blood test that can be used to diagnose when a person has a depressive illness.
Many people with depression go through life without seeking help, believing that depression is just 'part of them', but in truth, depression is very treatable.
People with depression often feel that they are 'alone', whereas in-fact this is far from the case, with as many as one in six people suffering with some form of depression at some point in their lives. In our Byfleet, Kew, Guildford and Harley Street practices Hypnosis and Hypnoanalysis are used very successfully for treating Depression and to help any other problems arising from psychological or emotional issues. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy in the successful treatment for such things as Stop Smoking, weight loss and Control and Stress management due to the huge success rates. Contact us at Byfleet, Kew, Guildford and Harley Street. For yourFREE initial hypnotherapy consultation or to book and appointment CLICK HERE |
Depression
Who Gets it?
The possible reasons for this may include hormonal effects, including those associated with the menstrual cycle, menopausal changes, pregnancy, end of pregnancy (either through normal childbirth or miscarriage), or postpartum depression.
As well as the potential hormonal influencing factors, women are also likely to be subject to the additional stresses associated with careers, in addition to those resulting from home life and childcare issues. When suffering chronic prolonged stress, levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:
· Impaired cognitive performance
· Suppressed thyroid function
· Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
· Decreased bone density
· Decrease in muscle tissue
· Higher blood pressure
· Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
· Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!
To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. You can learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques, and you can make lifestyle changes in order to help your body from reacting to stress. The following have been found by many to be very helpful in relaxing the body and mind, aiding the body in maintaining healthy cortisol levels:
Hypnosis
Guided Imagery
Journaling
Self-Hypnosis
Depression in Men.
Although men are less likely to experience depression than women, they are also much less likely to admit to suffering from depression, and are also far less likely to seek help for it.
However, not seeking help for depression can bring its own problems. The rate of suicide in men, for example, is around 400% of the rate for women. Men with depression also have an increased incidence of death from coronary heart disease.
Men have a greater tendency to attempt to mask their feelings of depression, often turning to alcohol or drugs.
The feelings experienced by a man with depression are typically quite different to those experienced by a woman with depression, in that a man might feel angry, irritable, frustrated and dejected. Even the man who recognises and accepts his depression, is still far less likely than a woman to seek help.
Depression in the Elderly.
Depression in the elderly can often be the cause of unnecessary suffering... unnecessary because it often goes untreated simply because it is seen by the friends and family of the sufferer (and often by the sufferer themselves) as a normal part of the aging process.
General practitioners may misdiagnose depression in the elderly. This is mainly due to the fact that depression in the elderly can often present itself as a series of symptoms which are of a more physical nature... lethargy, fatigue etc.
Those who do seek professional help and are correctly diagnosed, often go on to live more active and productive lives.
Depression in Children.
While depression in children can be very hard to correctly diagnose, it is a very real problem. It can be so hard to diagnose because as children develop, their behaviour naturally changes through the years, and the symptoms of depression can often be mistaken for 'just a phase (s)he's going through'.
Symptoms of depression in children may include irritability, negativity, sudden dislike of school, becoming reclusive, excessive 'clinging' to a parent, and the feeling that 'no-one understands' them. In cases such as this, the child should, in the first instance, be referred to their doctor, to rule out any physical cause.
The Causes of Depression.
Depression is often caused by a combination of things, and you may not even be consciously aware of why depression has struck.
Some of the most common contributing factors to depression are:
· Anxiety and Stress - Any of the things that might cause anxiety in a person could go on to cause depression, for example,
bereavement, divorce, career change or marriage.
· Low self-esteem - Someone with a low self-esteem is more likely to develop depression due to their pessimistic outlook on life.
· Illness - Physical illness and medical conditions can contribute to depression, not only due to their psychological ramifications (stress)
but also because of the persons weakening health and reduced ability to cope.
· Genetics - A person can inherit a predisposition to depression from the parents. This does not mean that they will get depression, it simply means that they are more likely to develop depression than 'average'.
Hypnotherapy (hypnoanalysis) can help with depression.
Treatment using hypnotherapy for depression, can give very rewarding and satisfying results.
If you suffer with depression, and especially if it's causing problems in your life, then don't suffer in silence.
Hypnosis / hypnotherapy: a brief and effective treatment to help with depression.
The Symptoms of Depression.
Although there are many different types of depression, and indeed, many different intensities of the symptoms of depression, there are some common symptoms of depression and depressive illness:
· Consistent feelings of sadness, loneliness or tension.
· A reduction in feelings of pleasure associated with activities that have brought pleasure in the past.
· Significant weight loss or weight gain
· A change in sleeping patterns: increased sleep, inability to go to sleep, or constant or early waking.
· Lethargy, feeling tired all the time, and having less energy.
· Decreased ability to concentrate or remember.
· Increased pessimistic thoughts.
· A reduction in decision making skills
· Feeling worthless, ashamed, guilty or having a decrease in the level of self-worth or self-esteem.
· An unexplained feeling of restlessness.
· Suicidal thoughts.
Pure Hypno-analysis can help with depression.
Treatment using Pure Hypno-analysis for depression, can give very rewarding and satisfying results. If you suffer with depression, and especially if it's causing problems in your life, then don't suffer in silence.
Types of Depression
Dysthymia
Dysthymia is commonly identified as being a mood disorder indicated by a 'low' or mildly depressed feeling, which lasts for an extended period of time, typically classed as over 2 years in duration.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder is the appearance of one or more of the depressive symptoms listed above, but which only appear as a symptom during certain seasons.
Postpartum Depression.
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that can occur anytime around the first year after childbirth. While often confused with what is commonly called 'baby blues', postpartum depression can affect the new mother for a longer period of time than 'baby blues', which often disappear after only a few days after the baby is born.
Symptoms of postpartum depression are largely similar to the depressive symptoms listed above but can particularly occur as feelings of sadness, fatigue, lack of energy, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of guilt also difficulty with focusing and concentrating.
Reactive Depression.
Reactive depression is a mild form of depression which results from one, or a series of traumatic or stressful events to which the sufferer has a difficulty in coping, adjusting and adapting.
Events which may contribute to reactive depression include bereavement, divorce or work related stress, for example. While all of these will naturally cause sadness and stress, reactive depression is where these feelings have not adequately diminished over a reasonable period of time.
Reactive depression responds particularly well to hypnoanalysis, hypnotherapy and psychotherapy.
Bipolar Disorder.
Bipolar disorder, previously called 'manic depression' is a disorder that caused tremendous extremes of mood. Bipolar disorder is an emotional roller coaster for the sufferer, who may experience episodes of extreme elation followed by bouts of major depression.
Bipolar disorder is very different in nature to the other forms of depression listed here, therefore, requires specific forms of treatment.
Using Pure Hypnoanalysis for depression to get down to the root cause of the problem can give very rewarding and satisfying results.
If you suffer with depression, and especially if it's causing problems in your life, then don't suffer in silence.
Hypnosis / hypnotherapy/ pure hypnoanalysis: a brief and effective treatment to help with depression.
The silent killer that can strike anyone at any time
It has no sound, it creeps up on us slowly and in some cases can cause death.
Two in 100 children suffer from the effects
Twice as many women suffer as men
It isn’t just major traumas that cause this. A simple illness can act as a trigger factor.
Here are just some of the symptoms
Children Middle age Elderly
Dramatic changes Insomnia, Tearful,
in mood, Fatigue, Avoidance,
Withdrawal, Lack of concentration Sleep
Insomnia, Loss of appetite /over eating Aggression
Headaches.
What is it?
Each year approximately 4,000 people in the UK take their own lives as a result of
Depression .
Depression with Anxiety
Anxiety and depression can work together in a vicious cycle.
Depression can cause a person to feel sad, lonely and hopeless, and these feelings can cause the sufferer to feel very anxious indeed. These feelings of anxiety can exacerbate the feelings of depression, and so the cycle continues.
The two main categories ofanxiety symptoms, psychic anxiety (unpleasant feelings of fear, tension and apprehension), and somatic anxiety (unpleasant bodily sensations, palpitations, sweating, abdominal discomfort etc), can both be largely contributing factors to feelings of depression
It is quite clear from the preceding two paragraphs, how anxiety and depression can work together, each maintaining and indeed, increasing the effects of the other, until often it is unclear in the thoughts of the sufferer which came first.
People with anxiety also tend to avoid situations which might increase their anxious feelings, and this can in turn, lead to depression. Similarly, people with depression might avoid situations, which can cause anxiety for them.
For more information on anxiety, and how analytical hypnotherapy can help, please see our main anxiety page.
Remember, if you suspect that you are suffering from any form of depression, you should always speak to your doctor.
Hypnotherapy (hypnoanalysis) can help with anxiety and depression.
Treatment using hypnotherapy for anxiety and depression, can give very rewarding and satisfying results.
If you suffer with anxiety and depression, and especially if it's causing problems in your life, then don't suffer in silence.
Hypnosis / hypnotherapy: a brief and effective treatment to help with anxiety and depression.
Medication
Antidepressant medication helps to correct the 'low' mood and other symptoms experienced during depression; they are NOT 'happy pills'.
Antidepressants do not change your personality.
Antidepressants are NOT addictive.
In the last few years there has been an explosion of new antidepressant medications. The main advantage of these new drugs is that they have fewer side effects than older drugs and so are more pleasant to take.
Your doctor will choose which medication to prescribe for you based on the side effects of the drugs and your particular symptoms. We do not fully understand how antidepressants work. However, they appear to act on chemicals in the brain to correct the abnormalities which cause the illness.
When taking medication it is important to remember:
to take your medication regularly.
you are unlikely to see any improvement in your symptoms for two to four weeks after starting the medication.
once you have started to respond, you should slowly improve over several weeks.
current World Health Organisation guidelines recommend that patients continue to take their medication for six months after having recovered. This is to prevent a recurrence of the illness when the medication is stopped.
antidepressants are effective for both treating episodes of depression and also for preventing further episodes of illness. Some patients who have had severe and/or many episodes of illness are therefore recommended to take medication for a long time.
stopping to take medication once you feel well is a common cause of a return of the symptoms of depression. You should therefore only stop after discussion with your doctor.
generally coming off antidepressants is not a problem, though usually you should gradually reduce the dose of the medication over a few weeks rather than stopping abruptly.