Depression can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. The term depression is an umbrella term for a wide range of symptoms from low moods, feeling blue to being unable to perform the normal functions of everyday living.

Depression seems to be increasing in all age groups. Women tend to have a higher depression rate than men. Depression is more common amongst children that have grown up with a parent who is depressed.

Young mothers feel isolated and left out of the social scene if they have to give up work to look after their children especially in nuclear families. Menopause, weight gain, hypertension, growing older, marriage or relationship problems are contributing factors to depression.

Men tend to experience depression with job loss, retirement, being by passed for promotion, marital discord, divorce, growing older and perhaps experiencing health problems.

According to a recent newspaper report, a centre to treat children as young as three is to be set up in a south London hospital. Children with learning disability, certainly those who are bullied at school and subjected to the pressure to do well in the wide array of subjects in the curriculum, can experience a sense of despair and frustration. Of course, not everyone who experience these pressure of problems succumb to depression.

Symptoms

• Sleep problems, inability to sleep or sleeping too much
• Problems with eating – loss of appetite or over eating
• A lowered sex drive, even impotence
• Fatigue, no desire to get out of bed or to do anything
• Anxiety
• Finding no pleasure in life
• Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless
• Agitation/restlessness
• Inability to concentrate, to think clearly, to focus and concentration may suffer
• Having poor judgement
• Poor memory
• Difficulty making decisions

Types of depression

• Ante natal depression
• Post natal depression
• Clinical depression
• Common depression or Dysthymia – chronic discontent

Treatment

In my experience as a therapist, depression responds well to a combination of hypnoanalysis, NLP(neurolinguistic programming) and psychotherapy, with an individualised programmme designed to lift repressed emotions as well as providing stratgies to change these maladaptive ways of thinking and coping skills for the immediate as well as long term future.

Luckily the clients who come for therapy are those who are afraid of spiders, insects and flying. Clients are usually aware that their fears are irrational but cannot do anything about it. They can rationalise about it yet cannot get rid of it. ‘Its something within themselves but outside their control.’

Phobias like anxiety and mild depression are usually the result of repressed emotions. Emotions that have been repressed give rise to symptoms in the form of phobias, anxiety and panic attacks, feeling low and having a low self esteem as well as a lack of confidence.

Phobias respond well to hypnoanalysis, neuro-linguistic programming and inner-child therapy.

If would you like to come and talk about your phobias and see whether this therapy is for you do give me a call to arrange for a 20 minutes free no obligation consultation in Muswell Hill but hypnosis with neither be used nor demonstrated.

The power of hypnosis/ trance/ relaxation, whatever you want to call it, is the power of belief. Let me share with you Dr. Barber’s explanation of the power of hypnosis: “We found that hypnotic subjects are able to do surprising things only when convinced that the hypnotist’s words are true statements … When the hypnotist has guided the subject to the point where he is convinced that the hypnotist’s words are true statements, the subject then behaves differently because he thinks and believes differently.”

As trance is an everyday experience, I wonder how many suggestions you give yourself every hour of everyday? These suggestions may come subliminally from the media in the form of advertisements or it could be an idea that has been accepted by yourself, from teachers, from parents, from friends or any other source. If you are firmly convinced that the idea is true, it has the same power over you as the hypnotherapist’s words have over the hypnotised subject.

Our well-being, health and happiness is strongly influenced by our internal dialogue with ourselves. What we tell ourselves has the greatest impact on our emotional state and behaviour. Research carried out in the States found that the poor grades in school are in almost every case due to some degree to the student’s negative beliefs and low self esteem. For example, if a child is continuously told he won’t amount to much and that suggestion is repeated every so often from adults he respects or holds a position of authority in his young eyes and said with a lot of feelings, then this negative statement will take root in his subconscious mind and externalise itself in his behaviour.

Theoretically, positive feelings and a healthy self-image and well-being can be ‘installed’ too. Remember this hypnotic programming gains permanence by coming from an authoritative source, through repetition and through intensity of emotions. Now when someone you respect compliments you, would you carelessly brush it aside as if it was of no consequence or would you take it out and savour it daily, remembering too all the emotions associated with that compliment?

What will you be telling yourself from now on as you get in touch with the power of your own mind? As Napoleon Hill once said, “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can always achieve.”

Written in honour of French poet philosopher, Guillaume Apollinaire, for me this poem sums up beautifully how a little helping hand can overcome limiting, negative beliefs. We are in many ways the prisoners of our thinking mind, our conscious mind that judges, makes decisions and keeps us stuck in our comfort zone or in those funny, familiar, unforgotten fears, unable to fly.

As a therapist and a friend, I would like to assist as many as I possibly can to fly – to freedom, welcoming liberating freedom and claim our birthright of light, love, laughter, joy and happiness.

Although trained as a psychotherapist who was completely ignorant of hypnosis, I now fully embrace hypnotherapy and what it offers with a passion. Tapping into our mind’s power is immeasurably effective in helping us overcome emotional issues and finding the strength to accept and even welcome change. With change comes new learning and growth.

My job, if it is done well, is to put myself out of business. My work as a therapist is to teach and assist clients in removing their blocks. In doing so, they are empowered to use their inner resources and take responsibility for themselves. Therapy is not about the therapist, it is about the clients learning to do it for themselves.

In a way I hope to be a healing, empowering force that uplifts and inspires others to put fun, laughter and love back into their lives especially the love of self, treating ourselves as our own best friend instead of our harshest critic. Rather than worry about the dark I hope to be the candle that lights up and shows the way, as well as spreading warmth, humour and playfulness into humanity’s soul, remembering we are a trinity of mind, body and spirit.

I know I cannot change the state the world is in today, but if I do my bit, this may have a lasting influence in the little community where l live, play and work in. Like a stone that causes a ripple, may the ripple of laughter and happiness continue to extend outwards touching the lives around us. I would like to be that pebble that causes the ripples that causes the waves that changes the world.

What is hypnosis?

Firstly, let me reassure you that hypnosis or trance is an everyday experience. It has been described as “a state of relaxation and concentration at one with a state of heightened awareness induced by suggestion.” A very pleasant experience is how most clients describe it. Self-hypnosis can be learnt very easily and quickly.

Daydreaming, losing track of time when engrossed in an interesting conversation, film or book, going on autopilot – these are a few examples of hypnosis in our everyday lives.

Milton Erickson, considered to be the father of modern clinical hypnosis, said that trance is a common experience. He cites the example of a football fan watching TV. The football fan is aware of the game but not aware of his body sitting in the chair or his wife calling him to dinner.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is the therapeutic use of hypnosis to bring about a positive change for the client and can be divided into 2 very distinct categories.

Change usually involves:-

• Stopping an undesirable behaviour or habit
• Breaking free from limiting and negative beliefs
• Resolving internal conflicts that tugs and pulls us in different directions
• Releasing emotional pain that sometimes gets trapped in parts of the body
• Leading a more active, productive and healthy lifestyle with more energy
• Being happy, content and accepting of ourselves and others

Most of my clients have tried other means of self-help and hypnotherapy is usually their last resort. Most are pleasantly surprised and pleased when change starts to take place rather quickly.

Hypnotherapy, the use the therapeutic use of hypnosis for positive benefit can be divided into 2 very distinct categories

Suggestion therapy is a straightforward technique that is used for simple problems such as smoking, nail-biting, pre-test nerves, relaxation, public speaking etc., and requires between 1 to 3 sessions with perhaps a booster later on. This therapy is used in conjunction with creative visualisation and neurolinguistic programming.

Analytical therapy also called hypnoanalysis is used to discover the causes of emotional problems. Hypnoanalysis can be summarised briefly as the therapy of cause and effect: every effect (i.e. symptom) must have a cause. Hypnoanalysis reveals and thus removes the cause and consequently relieves the symptom.

Phobias, anxiety and panic attacks, mild depression, lack of confidence and self esteem respond well to hypnoanalysis.

The use of analysis in hypnosis dramatically speeds up therapy and results can be achieved in a matter of weeks rather than years as in the case of conventional analysis.

Everything is going very well. I have not touched a cigarette, and I’m still working hard at the gym.

My head is clear and focussed, I’m more patient and also stronger within myself. I look and feel better everyday, and would like to thank you for what you have done for me.

Do you believe that now is the time to quit the habit for a healthier, fitter, wealthier, younger looking and fresher smelling YOU? Or have your tried a few times to stop but have returned to the habit again and again. Disappointed in yourself? No … please don’t be.

To see why that is so, please visit the tab under Hypnoanalysis. Thanks.

So now you want to take charge and be in control of your life again, not allow a few dried up leaves wrapped in bits of paper to have the upper hand. Well …

The safest and easiest way to stop smoking without drugs is with hypnotherapy. For all you have to do is sit back in a nice comfortable chair and relax. Stopping Smoking can’t get easier than that.

But I would like to warn you about the side effects when you quit the habit for good.
They are :

• Having more energy, with more zest for life.
• Feeling fitter and happier.
• Smelling cleaner and fresher.
• Looking younger.
• Feeling good in yourself for making that decision and sticking to it.
• Free, more in tune with your emotions and with yourself

If you have decided to stop smoking NOW, to be fitter, healthier, smell fresher, look younger, with more energy then call Adeline (Hypnotherapist/Hypnoanalyst) today on 07931 378 197 for a free 20 minutes consultation in Muswell Hill to see how you can be a non-smoker easily and effectively.