and low moods
Each person experiences and manages stress in their way, our coping skills – or lack of them – come from learning from those around us as we’re growing up. Depression comes in so many different forms and the symptoms are so varied. Mild depression is often short-lived and can be easily changed.
Diagnosis of Depression
The first step has to be a diagnosis. If you feel you are experiencing any of the depression symptoms, then see your GP. They may decide to send you to a psychiatrist. Especially if there are manic episodes where you feel exceedingly high and then feel dreadful. This could be Bipolar and medication is the best solution for this problem, as it is different from clinical depression. For clinical depression, the GP may prescribe you anti-depressants. Perhaps suggesting counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy on the NHS. They may refer you to a psychiatrist who will prescribe medication if they deem that the depression is deep. Deep depression means that the person is not functioning – not even leaving one’s bed. Mild depression means that the person is carrying out day-to-day duties but feels low.
For others, it could be because of the weather. Seasonally adjusted depression is linked to a lack of light and vitamin D. SAD lamps and exercise are good to help with this problem.
There are more options though that have helped thousands over the years. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to decide you want help. You decide which is going to be best for you and you’ve got to want to change.
Depression – the symptoms
There are degrees of depression from mild depression to severe or chronic depression. It can be that you just feel aimless, helpless, hopeless, anxious, indecisive, lack concentration or have poor self-esteem. Sleep is disturbed, you feel tired all the time and you have a sense of humour failure. These feelings can last from a few minutes to weeks at a time.
Major depression is only diagnosed professionally from the Diagnostic and statistical manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. Depression is categorised as a mood disorder and it includes 5 or more of the following symptoms that have been present over two weeks and have at least a depressed mood or loss of pleasure amongst them.
The person may feel sad or empty, tearful, guilty, reproachful, worthless, helpless, or suicidal. They may lose or gain weight, and feel tired. Finding that they wake up early and can’t get back to sleep. Or become so agitated the doctor might check for Parkinson’s as well. A lack of dopamine in the brain is associated with these shakes.
Being suicidal
If someone is suicidal seeking help both medically and emotionally is a must. See your GP and talk it through with the Samaritans.
If you have been to your GP and they have diagnosed you with mild depression, but you do not want to take anti-depressants, then please give me a call to talk through your options.
Solution-focused hypnotherapy to change low moods
I use solution-focused work to move you forward in finding times when it’s not so bad and looking at the activities you can do to help. Activities such as going for walks, and being around people make you feel better. Hypnotherapy can help change unhelpful habits and regulate sleep. Positive behaviours such as lowering the feelings of being overwhelmed are developed.
So if mildly depressed moods are a problem in your life and you need some help with some of those changes – especially sleep – then call or text “depression” to 07508 658934, contact me.
Case Study – Working in tandem with health experts in major depression
In some cases, I have been called in where a person is under the jurisdiction of a psychiatrist but the lack of motivation means that they are not getting the treatment they need. One such case was Stan. His wife called me in to assess his condition and her frustration that he wouldn’t take his meds and had been offered CBT but wouldn’t go. I decided on a slightly different approach. Knowing about the Human Given’s needs and the solution-focused exceptions, I asked Stan if he’d had depression before.
He told me he had 30 years ago. I asked him what had helped him get over it. He told me about his work and his colleagues. Stan had worked for one of the large tobacco companies in Bristol. He had been retired for 3 years and his mother had died, and that started off the depression.
I realised that everyone in Stan’s life was a woman, he had no male contact. I suggested to his wife, to get in contact with AgeUK to provide Stan with a male driver and companion to take him to the bowls club he used to belong to. Giving him a copy of the book “Mind over Mood” helped. After several sessions with him did see some improvement and gave his wife instructions on getting him active again.
6 months passed
6 months later, I received a knock at my door. It was Stan’s wife with the book. All the things I had suggested had worked – just took time. Finally, after getting Stan out and chatting with his bowls club friends he started to carry out some of the exercises in the book. Seeing that it helped him understand the process more fully, he agreed to see the CBT therapist. Although I didn’t work all the way through with him, I saw myself as the catalyst for change. I knew it would take time, and I knew they didn’t have the finances to have full-time mental health help, so what we worked with was of benefit to Stan and his family.
Human Givens to lift mild depression
Human Givens approach to low moods helps move the person forward out of the low state into recovery quickly. Helping the person to recognise their inner resources can lift a mood within hours and develop one’s mental health skills quickly.
Also see NHS