Author: Daryl Jordan

Some people I know discouraged me when I told them I wanted to try hypnotherapy to see if it could help with my depression.  “The overall goal of hypnotherapy is to create a relaxed but conscious state where individuals feel comfortable enough to discuss their circumstances without becoming overly anxious or emotional,” according to Wendi Friesen, CHT, a certified clinical hypnotherapist – I read about it online. Each has different opinions about the process.  I searched online for reviews and found out that some find it effective, but others not.  Out of curiosity, I looked for a hypnotherapist and tried it to see what it can do for me.

I found myself sitting in that room, waiting for the secretary at the office of the hypnotherapist to call my name.  I was clutching onto my bag when I overheard the woman beside me talked about how she had tried hypnotherapy once right at her home.  She really felt good and relaxed after that, so she decided to come over.  Hearing her story gave me hope.

 

Like Any Treatment, There’s A Danger Too

I actually have no idea what hypnotherapy was aside from what I read on google.  Before the session starts, the therapist talked to me about possible dangers, like the conception of false memories and a feeling of distress. “Hypnotherapy appears to work best when used with other forms of treatment,” says Steve G. Kopp, a licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist.

 

Hypnosis can be an assistive therapy to make other forms of treatment more effective.  With hypnosis, your mind and body can be in that area of tranquility.  But to be in that moment, you got to visit the past to find what causes you to be depressed and addressed that.

 

Depression Can Bring You In And Out Of That Place Of Chaos

Hearing what hypnosis is from the therapist made me think that negative emotions like depression could also bring the mind and body into that peaceful state.   It was the world that used to be my own.  Only, it was taken away, replaced by nothing but its opposite, a place of chaos.

During the session, we visited the past.  It felt like there’s no way out in this world of loneliness I was trapped in.  I didn’t want to move because it makes no sense to do so.  Fighting hard to survive makes me feel like just burying myself more in-depth into the pit.

The depression I was in made me feel numb.  That to stay still and do nothing is the best thing to do.  I felt like I have no strength to escape from that moment.  Being disconnected from reality is exactly how I felt at that moment.

 

Brings In More Agony

“Hypnosis isn’t something that can make you do something against your will,” explains certified clinical hypnotist Joanne Ferdman of Theta Healing Arts in Huntington, New York, but hypnotherapy dragged me down the memory lane of pain.  It made me get in touch again with the past I’m trying to forget.  It was really traumatizing.  But therapist said that’s part of the process.  They hope that if that repressed memory is faced and tackled, it could result in better mental health, only in a harrowing and traumatizing process.

After the session, the therapist talked me into realizing that there is nothing more I can do to change the past.  And I have to move on.   He hopes that I would heal and will start to make changes after the realization.

But because the process brings in more agony, it left me more depressed (worse situation) than I was before the treatment began.  I can’t take my mind off the painful things that had happened.  I just find it hard to focus on the perspective of what is right.

That was my experience with hypnotherapy.  I found my answer, and I’m a bit discouraged about doing it again.  It wasn’t able to take away my depression, even disabled me more from functioning normally.  Maybe for some, they find it useful.

Now, I got to go back to doing clinical tests, medications, and CBT again.  My present doctor and therapist encouraged me to go back to a healthier lifestyle, do more social and physical activities, manage my stress, and if things become unmanageable, time to visit my therapist.

Disclaimer:

I’m not saying that hypnotherapy is a hoax.   It’s just that I think it’s not for everybody.  Just like any form of treatment, it doesn’t fit all. It may work for some, but unfortunately, not for me.  It may have been able to make me feel relaxed for a moment, but was not able to target my depression.

Clinical depression is comparable to a thief – it can steal your happiness and sanity the moment you relax your guards. Also called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), it affected over 16 million of citizens in the United States in 2015. The fact that it accounts for 6.7% of an entire country’s populace makes it the most debilitating mental disease on land – and this is true, as Dr. Jamie Long said in his website, “Depression can feel like you’re at war with your mind and body. You can feel sluggish, overly negative, and like there is no joy in life.”

 

Continue reading Things A Clinical Depression Patient Should Do Differently

 

 

The medical society deserves much respect for being able to diagnose health conditions, especially the various types of depression. They continuously develop treatments as well in the hopes of helping patients get rid of their diseases. Despite that, scientists have a long way to go because the antidepressants may bring side effects that’ll make matters worse (i.e., drug dependency). “If the woman is taking medication for the depressive symptoms it may lose effectiveness for whatever reason at several months out, so it wouldn’t necessarily be unheard of for a relapse to occur several months after the initial PPD episode,” says Jean Kim, M.D.

In case you’d much rather fight depression holistically than medically, you may find a way from the ideas below.

Continue reading Non-Medical Ways To Fight Depression

Do you have depression?

“People often don’t realize that depression isn’t just one thing. It can have different causes and presentations. Some people look sad, others are more irritable, some withdraw, and others seem restless.” according to Lisa Moses, PsyD.

When you ask people that question, not many can honestly answer “yes” or “no.” Call it being naïve or just in denial, but mostly it’s because they don’t want to believe they have such a mental disorder.

A good ol’ diagnosis from the doctor can tell you if you have depression. In case you wish to break out of this ordeal without medical help, though, look for these signs in yourself.

Continue reading 10 Straightforward Signs That You Have Depression

 

Depression is a disease that millions of people suffer from around the world. However, statistics may be a little inaccurate because many can’t speak up about it and are silently dealing with it.

 

 

You’ll understand them better if you put yourself in their shoes. The stigma thrown at people with mental disorder, especially depression, is a total pain to handle. Others, on the contrary, just won’t accept that they have this illness for fear of embarrassing themselves or their loved ones.

If you don’t want anybody to know that you have the disorder or you refuse to see a doctor for it, then perhaps you should try to heal yourself at least. Below are some practical ways to overcome depression on your own.

Continue reading Practical Ways To Overcome Depression On Your Own

 

 

What are the usual symptoms of depression? There’s never-ending guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and other horrible emotions that make you wonder how you’re still breathing. And what do you think will act as a salve to all those negativities? Gratitude, no less. As what Amy Morin said, “Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.”

It can’t be challenging to achieve because even you can give it to yourself. The trick is to let happiness enter even the tiniest blood vessels in your body. Should you still be wary as to how it’ll take place, there are a few points to remember.

Continue reading How To Allow Gratitude To Rule Your Life

 

 

 

You always need to look out for signs of depression for yourself or your loved ones. The disorder may appear to only affect the sadness level of a person in the beginning, but it’s much deadlier than diabetes or cancer. Once the mental illness persists, it can cause unexplainable body pain, emotional detachment, and worse, suicidal tendencies.

Should you speak with a psychiatrist if you feel the symptoms? Yes, of course. You need to receive a diagnosis to be able to remedy the issues that made you blue. Whether you should take antidepressants or not, however, depends on your beliefs. If you are pro-drugs and the doctor gives you a prescription, then you may try that.

As said by a mental health expert, psychologist Robbie Maller Hartman, PhD, “Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress.” Aside from that, you can do many things.

In case you have the energy to try alternative methods, below are the activities that may lower your depression or the risk of having it.

 

 

1. Exercising

Fitness offers more advantages than just dissolving fats or strengthening your core muscles. It also lessens your opportunity to binge-watch or stick with social media all day long. Hence, you can de-stress and stay positive.

 

2. Blaming Yourself Less

Getting angry about something you’ve already done is futile. You can’t edit that out; you can merely learn from what went wrong. Once you instill that idea in your mind, the mental disease may not bother you again.

 

3. Minding What You Eat

Food may enhance your mood when you’re feeling down, but too much of it can also depress you. To reduce that possibility, you need to be mindful of what you put on your plate and the serving sizes. As Cassandra M. Faraci, Psy.D. said in her blog, “Consult your medical doctor about an appropriate diet and exercise plan for you. Staying healthy can be a huge mood booster! Scheduling pleasurable activities can also boost your mood not only because you are engaging in something you enjoy but it reduces the amount of energy you put into ruminating about your worried thoughts.”

 

 

4. Staying Connected

Keeping in close contact with your kin is essential when it comes to preserving your sanity. It is ideal to hug your children and spouse often and affirm your love for one another. If physical distance makes it impossible, you can talk to them over the phone or do a video call regularly.

 

5. Sleeping Better

Lack of sleep often short-circuits the brain. When you only get one or two hours of rest every night, you may transform into an irritable mess and get buried under a massive pile of stress. Feel free to change your bedroom decoration, leave gadgets outside, or stick to a schedule to counter that.

 

6. Seeking Life Purpose

Have you ever wondered why you are still alive? A probable reason is that you haven’t fulfilled your purpose in this life just yet. Work on knowing what that is so that you can let go of the saddening thoughts and walk towards the righteous path.

 

7. Dodging Substance Use

A lot of depressed people look for the momentary happiness that smoking or drinking brings. It’s vital to avoid either activity, however, because it may result in addiction, as well as losing your job and family. You will then be extra miserable and have no desire to crush depression.

 

8. Having Confidence

Lastly, you need to work on building up or maintaining your confidence level. You can’t roam the world without it at an all-time low – that will turn you into a negativity magnet. Practice voicing out your thoughts more and wearing clothes that make you feel powerful until your self-esteem becomes stable.

 

Just in case you need more than that, “Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a short-term therapy technique that can help people find new ways to behave by changing their thought patterns. Engaging with CBT can help people reduce stress, cope with complicated relationships, deal with grief, and face many other common life challenges,” according to Kathleen Davis, FNP.