I have now retired but will continue to keep this web site live for  year as a resource in case it is helpful to people. 

You can often become depressed without even noticing and it is more common than many people think. It can be felt as the result of a loss of a relationship through bereavement or a break up, or the loss of a job or an accumulation of stress, anxiety or anger.

You may try to deal with depression by pushing others away and turning in to find a way to soothe yourself, which can become very isolating. You may not be able to see that there is a way forward as despair can seem overwhelming. Depression often means that you feel you want to withdraw from living, losing energy and even becoming anxious, fearful or very dysfunctional.

There are varying degrees of depression and it can manifest in many ways including feelings of

• guilt, worthlessness and helplessness

• insomnia or excessive sleeping

• gain or loss of appetite or weight

• loss of interest in once pleasurable hobbies or sex

• fatigue or energy levels decreased

• persistent sadness or feelings of “emptiness”

Depression is a very treatable disorder and by using a blend of hypnotherapy, counselling and psychotherapy there is often a much lower rate of relapse than with anti-depressants alone.

Medical opinion is now that counselling and psychotherapy  is the most effective treatment, even in severe cases. Sometimes you may want to move on and solving problems and fully participate in life again, but you may feel that  it is more important  to explore and heal past events which are blocking you and preventing you from moving on.

 

 

 

Last Updated 5/6/19