What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that negatively affects the way you think, feel and act. People suffering from depression feel sad and/or lose interest in activities they once enjoyed.
Symptoms of depression
- Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- Loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed
- Change in appetite, weight gain or loss
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
How is depression treated?
At our Therapy Centre, we combine different psychotherapy techniques – e.g. medical hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral therapy – to strengthen the effectiveness of therapy. Below are some of the common techniques we use:
- Cognitive-behavioral Hypnotherapy (CBH)
- Assessment: includes an analysis of unhelpful thinking patterns, feelings, bodily responses, and behaviors.
- First aid techniques for depression
- Ego-strengthening
- Accessing psychological resources
- Direct positive suggestions
- Cognitive restructuring under hypnosis
- Metaphors
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive restructuring: Patterns of faulty thinking (so-called cognitive distortions) play an important role in depression: Our mind wants to convince us that something is true when it is not. In therapy, patients learn to identify and challenge their distorted thinking patterns.
- Behavioral activation: Taking part in enjoyable activities helps patients to reduce negative thinking, and increase positive emotions.
- Problem solving and skills training
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Exposure
What are the advantages of hypnosis in treatment of depression
- hypnosis induces relaxation
- reduces distraction and maximizes concentration
- facilitates creative thinking and problem solving
- provides access to the unconscious mind
- it is a cost-effective treatment
- compared to medication: freedom of adverse effects, interactions, addictive risks, and withdrawal symptoms