The first step towards healing from depression is reaching out for the right help. Therapy for depression focuses on your unique needs. It offers a range of techniques to manage symptoms, improve resilience, and create a renewed sense of purpose. Contact me to see how I can help you.

Symptoms of depression

Depression is a mood disorder and it’s much more common than you’d think. Around 17% of people experienced it during the summer of 2021 and, although numbers do seem to be coming down, they are still above what they were before the COVID pandemic. [1] Despite this, it’s much misunderstood, and not everyone who experiences it recognises what they’re going through.

Although depression ranges from mild to severe, it’s more than feeling ‘down’ or ‘sad’ for a few days. It’s one of those conditions that affects each of us differently, but you might have depression if you:

  • feel sad, hopeless (‘what’s the point?’) or deeply unhappy,
  • can’t be bothered to do things you used to enjoy,
  • feel tearful or find yourself crying for no specific reason,
  • feel tired or listless a lot,
  • find concentrating on things more difficult than usual,
  • change your behaviour patterns around food, sleep, or sex,
  • think about self-harm, death, or suicide.

People who are depressed often experience stress or anxiety as well, which can make it difficult to get the right help.

How to deal with depression

The first thing is to tell someone you trust how you are feeling and talk to your GP. Take the other person with you if you find this easier. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and your GP will be able to advise on the options open to you, including lifestyle changes and therapies which can be used alongside or instead of medication.

Your needs in this regard will depend on your circumstances, health, and the severity of your depression, which is why a medical opinion is important.

This free download of a mental health CV can be useful in helping you explain your situation to a therapist or doctor.

Hypnotherapy for depression

I draw on a wide variety of skills to help with depression, including counselling, coaching, and sometimes hypnotherapy.

Lifestyle changes will often be a part of reducing your depression, such as getting more exercise and ‘me time’, or cutting down on alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, when you’re depressed, it’s often hard to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. You know that you will feel better if you do these things, but struggle to find the energy to make them happen.

Help is at hand, though. Depending on the severity of your depression, counselling and coaching are often best to address it directly, perhaps combined with hypnotherapy to help you relax and find the motivation and energy to take back control.

I offer sessions online or in my office in Normanton, so if you’d like help with depression please get in touch.

[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/coronavirusanddepressioninadultsgreatbritain/julytoaugust2021