Holly Wincote - Professional, Qualified Hypnotherapist and Hypnotherapy & Training in Sheffield, Chesterfield, London, Doncaster, Oxford, Birmingham

HYPNOTHERAPY FOR DEPRESSION

Depression is quite common and about 10% of people in the UK will experience depression at some point, including about 4% of children aged 5-16. Depression is a real, serious condition with real effects and is very different from the common experience of feeling unhappy, miserable or fed up for a short period of time.

People develop depression for different reasons and with different triggers. For example, following one or a series of traumatic or stressful events where the person has difficulty in coping or adapting, such as divorce, bereavement or redundancy. A family history of depression, personality traits like low self-esteem, drug and alcohol abuse, or social isolation, can also make some people more vulnerable to depression.

Doctors describe depression by how serious it is :-

• Mild depression - has some impact on your daily life.
• Moderate depression - has a significant impact on your daily life.
• Major or severe depression - makes the activities of daily life nearly impossible. A small proportion of people with severe depression may have psychotic symptoms.

Other types of depression include :-

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - This is a type of depression that affects about 7% of the population every winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February.
• Postnatal Depression - Some women develop depression after having a baby, which can occur anytime around the first year after childbirth, affecting the mother for longer periods of time than 'baby blues' which often disappear a few days after the baby is born (see also my Pregnancy and Childbirth page for more information).
• Bipolar disorder previously known as 'manic depression' - This causes extremes of mood, whereby people experience episodes of extreme elation followed by bouts of major depression. While the depression symptoms are similar to other types of depression, the elation periods can include harmful behaviour,where there are no inhibitions.

Depression may come on gradually and it can take some time to recognise you may be depressed. Depression affects people in many ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms :-

• continuous low mood or sadness, low self-esteem, tearfulness
• feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
• feelings of guilt or feeling irritable and intolerant of others
• lack of motivation and little interest in things, lack of enjoyment
• difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
• feeling anxious or worried
• disturbed sleep patterns (difficulty going to sleep or waking during the night)
• taking part in fewer social activities and avoiding contact with friends
• change in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased)

If you think you may be depressed, it is important to see your GP.

• Hypnotherapy for depression can help find and treat the cause of your depression, help you to function normally without anti-depressants (if applicable) and prevent further depression in the future.
• Hypnosis for depression is a permanent solution. Although anti-depressants can be very effective at stabilising mood and are recommended for major types of depression, they don't tackle the reasons or triggers for depression. So while anti-depressants may be sufficient for some people, others prefer to seek hypnotherapy for depression as an effective, permanent, drug-free solution.
• Hypnosis for depression is a comparatively swift solution. While CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is known to be highly effective at treating depression, it is often a long process which can last many months or years.
• My hypnotherapy for depression treatment combines hypnosis and CBT, giving much quicker results and therefore the likelihood of motivation to see the treatment through to the end.
• In my Sheffield Hypnotherapy Practice I teach clients techniques to use at home or work to raise self- esteem and cope effectively with trigger situations when they occur.

Timeframe: Usually 4-12 sessions tailored to your specific circumstances, using some or all of the techniques below

Consultation: determine your depression triggers and past events contributing to your depression

CBT techniques: identify negative thought processes and behaviour, then discover a more positive way of thinking to make positive changes in the things you do

Hypnosis: at a deep and lasting level to raise your self-esteem, reinforce the positive thinking and behaviour changes discovered from CBT techniques, relax and change response to triggers

Age Regression: while in a very relaxed, hypnotic state, safely re-visit past events contributing to depression, gain appropriate insight and enable you to move on from these events

Visualisation: develop alternative strategies for dealing with past, present and future events

NLP: change thoughts and behaviours which contribute to your depression

Self hypnosis: learn self hypnosis to achieve a positive, relaxed state whenever you want or need to

If you would like more information on Hypnotherapy for Depression in Sheffield, or you would like to book an appointment, please contact me.

Holly Wincote Hypnotherapy Sheffield
Tel: 07986 539747
Email: holly@atherapy.co.uk