Depression Treatment by Hypnosis

For those of us who are tired of using antidepressant drugs and suffering side-effects, hypnosis is a different way of treating depression disorder.

If you want to try it, you should first speak to your doctor or psychiatrist, who then can adjust your treatment plan and maybe even recommend a specialist in your area. You can also check American Society of Clinical Hypnosis website for a list of professional and certified specialists in your area.

How does hypnosis work in depression?

Essentially, our minds dominate our bodies. In depression our emotional issues produce physical reactions. What hypnosis does is manipulates our beliefs and perceptions. It can create, change, maintain or destroy our beliefs.

There is various research into power of persuasion, there are cases of phantom pains, aches and pregnancies, dramatic rises and falls in temperature, fake allergic reactions and miraculous recoveries from deathbeds just because people chose to believe into something. Hypnosis is no different and even easier, as in this case someone else plants the suggestions for your mind to follow.

Dr. Michael Yarko, who wrote a book on depression and hypnosis, says:

"For most people depression is the product of a hurtful way of interpreting and responding to life experiences."

Hypnosis like any other depression therapy, i.e. cognitive-behavioural therapy, attempts to change our responses to these experiences.

The only counter-indication for hypnosis in depression help is using it on people with extreme depression or on the verge of suicide, as they need more urgent treatment.

Hypnosis can help to modify your thought patterns of what you are capable of, your self-esteem, your beliefs in your own future, family, events which caused your current mental health issues.

There are many more issues which can be addressed, like stress, anxiety, insomnia, smoking, etc. which can help with your fight with depression.

You can even start with buying self-hypnosis CD or book and try it on your own, see how comfortable it makes you feel.

Usually hypnotherapy sessions make one feel very comfortable and relaxed, but I'm sure you also heard that there are different levels of susceptibility to hypnosis, and this is something you have to find out for yourself.

All in all, I think hypnosis is definitely worth a try, and I'm very interested to hear from someone who can share the experience!