Depression

What is depression?

Depression is a common mental health condition that’s characterized by feelings of intense sadness, hopelessness, and guilt. Your feelings of depression can lead to negative thoughts and self-talk as well as out-of-character and potentially harmful behaviors.

Depression causes a variety of symptoms including:

• Sadness and depressed mood
• Lost interest in work, hobbies, and relationships
• Changes in appetite
• Increased or decreased sleep
• Poor concentration and decision-making
• Suicidal thoughts

What causes depression?

Depression is thought to be caused by an imbalance of certain brain chemicals that create feelings of happiness, contentedness, and satisfaction. When you don’t have enough of these chemicals or they don’t communicate properly with their receptors, you develop symptoms of depression.

However, many factors contribute to your risk of depression. For example, personality traits such as low self-esteem or a generally pessimistic outlook on life are common in people who have depression. Other risk factors include:

• Family or personal history of mental illness
• Traumatic experiences
• Alcohol and substance abuse
• Chronic illnesses

How is depression treated?

The team at Center Point Medicine treats depression with a customized combination of counseling and hypnosis.  If necessary, the team coordinates with your primary care provider or psychiatrist for prescription of an antidepressant medication.

A combination of medication and counseling is the traditional approach to addressing depression. Ideally, when you take an antidepressant, it regulates your brain chemistry to reduce the physiological causes of depression so you can focus on identifying the trigger of your condition in your counseling sessions.

Dr. Anbar and his team introduce hypnosis into treatment plans for depression because the deep state of relaxation and focus facilitates healing. Not only can you calmly identify and discuss the situations or events that have triggered your depression, but you can also learn to identify thought patterns that lead to a perpetuation of depression, and how to modify these through guided imagery and suggestion to encourage a more positive outlook.

What are the benefits of hypnosis for depression?

Hypnosis doesn’t require any drugs to help you stay calm and relaxed while exploring your depressed feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Unfortunately, many antidepressants can cause unpleasant side effects, and some people would prefer to not rely on medication.

Your provider at Center Point Medicine can also teach you self-hypnosis techniques for you to practice at home. The regular practice of hypnosis and positive reinforcement, while your mind is relaxed, focused, and open to suggestion, can enable you to reduce your depression symptoms and improve your overall wellness.

If you’re curious about how hypnosis is used to treat depression, call or schedule an appointment online today.