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Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain

http://www.mentalheal th.org.uk

What is depression?

Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood.

It is not a sign of personal weakness and people with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.

The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes changes in thinking, feeling, behaviour, and physical well-being.  

How can I be helped?

Anti depressant drugs

A major U.S. government study released in 2006 showed that fewer than 50 percent of people become symptom-free on antidepressants, even after trying two different medications. Furthermore, many who do respond to medication slip back into depression within a short while, despite sticking with drug treatment.

According to the chemical imbalance theory, low levels of the brain chemical serotonin lead to depression and depression medication works by bringing serotonin levels back to normal.

However, the truth is that researchers know very little about how antidepressants work.

There is no test that can measure the amount of serotonin in the living brain—no way to even know what a low or normal level of serotonin is, let alone show that depression medication fixes these levels.

For those who have acute depression that means they can’t function, then a brief course of antidepressants might be the answer.

The most widely prescribed antidepressants come from a class of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The SSRIs include well-known antidepressants such as Prozac.

BEST Clinics 4 step approach

BEST clinics uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Stress management, Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy to isolate the factors involved in the build up of anxiety and depression and then develop the new set of thoughts and feelings that underpin good mental health.

Traditional counselling or even CBT on their own will often only create a surface level of change. The use of deep relaxation, life coaching and particularly hypnotherapy gives the depressed person the ability to rise above the habitual thought and behavioural patterns that are often so difficult to break.

Relaxation and  hypnotherapy cds are generated during the sessions and provide the basis of home help to maintain the momentum of the treatment.

Normally 4 sessions at weekly intervals will be required to allow a positive and optimistic  view of life to unfold.

4 steps to a happier life

Step 1

Understanding the mind-body stress link and how to control your thoughts through hypnotic relaxation.

Step 2

Mindfulness and CBT to help focus thoughts in the present and moving towards an optimistic view of life.

Step 3

Timeline work to reframe past issues and create empowering goals.

Step 4

Happiness happens, joy is a choice.

Are you depressed?

Click here to take a depression questionnaire