From the Chair of the Hypnotherapist: Depression Isn’t Just Being a Bit Sad
The Edinburgh Reporter’s Mike Smith is a qualified hypnotherapist. In the latest of a series of articles, Mike looks at some attitudes to mental health and how hypnotherapy can be hugely beneficial.
Mental health issues are very much in the news at present. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has spoken about her government tacking these issues, creating a ‘shared society’ and creating a ‘fairer and stronger Britain’.
Fine words – but the more cynical among us will wonder if anything will really be done to tackle this major issue. After all, old habits die hard.
Mental health issues, including depression, affect nearly a quarter of the population. In Scotland, that is over a million people. That’s a staggering statistic. Yet, for too many employers there remains a stigma attached to mental health. How many times have you heard someone at your work – possibly your manager – sniping that so-and-so isn’t coming into work because they’re ‘depressed’? (sometimes accompanied with a gesture of tapping their fingers in the air in a derogatory fashion)
Depression is often misinterpreted as ‘just feeling a bit low’. But those who experience depression know it’s much more than that. The low mood can feed feelings of anxiety and of everything going wrong. This isn’t just ‘having a bad day’. For those who wake up feeling the same way every day, depression is something which can seem to never go away.
There can be feelings of despair, feelings of helplessness and of feeling worthless. You may recognise some of these phrases:
- I’m just not good enough.
- Nothing ever goes right for me.
- I would be out of my depth.
- There’s just no point.
- I’m just not going to bother.
When these feelings occur day in, day out, week in, week out, it can lead to serious mental health problems.
So, what triggers feelings of depression? Everyone is different so depression can affect someone for any number of reasons. It could be due to a trauma such as the death of a loved one, the break-up of a relationship or the loss of a job. It could be an incident or situation from the past which can lie dormant for years but then suddenly rise to the surface. Or it could be feelings of guilt over something someone believes was their fault.
But feelings of depression don’t need to have a trigger. I had a client who told me he can cope better with life when he has a specific worry or concern as this issue focuses his mind and he can concentrate better. He told me it’s when things are generally going okay at work, his relationship with his partner is good and his family are fine that his feelings of depression come – his ‘dark clouds’ to quote him direct.
Then there’s the huge expectation placed on us by the nature of today’s society. In this internet dominated, instant communication, constantly demanding world there are huge expectations placed on many of us. There is huge pressure on people to be successful, to make something of their life, to develop new skills in an ever-changing world. When our phone rings we immediately answer it. We surf the net constantly, we scour social media websites often looking for recognition and approval of status. Sometimes, I think it would be good to travel back in time to a period before mobile phones and the internet, before society demanded so much from us. It seems life was so much simpler then although it probably wasn’t – it just seems that way.
When people find it difficult to cope with these demands they can feel overwhelmed and feel they can’t cope. This can be a breeding ground for depression and other mental health issues. And when they feel they are unable to seek help or perhaps don’t want to seek help for fear of being seen as ‘weak’ this can compound the issue. A feeling of being unable to cope can lead to feeling worthless and feeling fatigued. It’s much much more than being ‘fed up’.
Hypnotherapy can help to change ways of thinking. It can replace negative thoughts and habits with more favourable thoughts and feelings. Negative thinking can be habit-forming – and hypnotherapy can change your unwanted habits. It can strengthen your confidence and, in turn, increase your self-esteem. Your feelings of worthlessness will recede and gradually you will have a new view of your life.
Hypnotherapy can take away unwanted feelings and help you run your life the way you want to. Through carefully created, bespoke scripts devised by a fully qualified hypnotherapist, it can replace your negative habits with positive ones. You are not ‘put to sleep’ like hypnosis stage shows. You are awake and fully aware at all times. You are in control and you will never do anything you don’t want to do.
If you are experiencing any of the above feelings and are looking for a holistic approach to resolving your unwanted habits, please contact me on the contact details below to arrange a consultation meeting. I will answer any questions you may have and you can then decide if hypnotherapy is for you. Many people have contacted me and have changed their lives for the better.
You can too!
tel: 0752 135 3787 (24 hours)
email: mike.smith@mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk
twitter: @smith_mgs