“I didn’t want my picture taken because I was going to cry. I didn’t know why I was going to cry, but I knew that if anybody spoke to me or looked at me too closely the tears would fly out of my eyes and the sobs would fly out of my throat and I’d cry for a week. I could feel the tears brimming and sloshing in me like water in a glass that is unsteady and too full.” ― Sylvia Plath
“People don’t come to therapy to change the past. They come to therapy to change the future.” – Milton H. Erickson, M.D.
SO, WHAT REALLY IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest which stops us doing our normal activities. Different types of depression exist, with symptoms ranging from relatively minor to severe. Depression usually does not result from a single event, but from a mix of traumatic or stressful events and factors. e.g. family history, Illness and health issues, medication, drugs, alcohol and personality.
Our Depressed Behaviors can appear to others as: not going out anymore, not getting things done at work or school, withdrawing from close family and friends, relying on alcohol and sedatives
Our Depressed Feelings can appear to others as:looking like being overwhelmed or indecisive, guilty, irritable or frustrated, lacking in confidence, unhappy or disappointed, miserable or sad.
Our Depressed Thoughts can sound to others as: ‘I’m a failure’, ‘It’s my fault,’ ‘Life’s not worth living’, ‘Nothing good ever happens to me’, ‘People would be better off without me, ‘‘I’m worthless’
The idea of Milton Erickson’s people coming to therapy to change our future is key to helping with Depression.
Michael Yapko ,clinical psychologist, marriage and family therapist, Southern California,
comments on this future orientation:
“No amount of Medication can teach us more effective coping skills, and how to build a realistic and motivating future.”
“Helping people develop skills in these areas to empower them to live effectively is what therapists can do that medication can’t”
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Although the two conditions are different, we can have both at the same time.
Depression causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness and reduced energy, restlessness and agitation.
Anxiety creates feelings of nervousness, worry or dread, restlessness and agitation.
CAN HYPNOTHERAPY HELP US WITH DEPRESSION? _____ YES fortunately!
HOW DOES HYPNOTHERAPY HELP WITH TREATING DEPRESSION?
Hypnotherapy uses a number of therapeutic techniques and if we’ve already experienced hypnotherapy we’ll have thankfully benefited from some or all of these.
The therapist’s suggestions will depend on the condition or behaviour we are trying to change . Hypnotherapy can help target unwanted or unhealthy habits and possibly replace them with healthier behaviours. e.g. anxiety, weight loss, fear of flying, chronic pain, concentration problems, irritable bowel syndrome, smoking control, teeth grinding, etc.
Eg.1 being able to better control pain or anxiety or adjusting negative thought patterns that could be worsening depression symptoms.
Eg.2 In Depression, we usually want to change the debilitating effects in our current lives to a more effective, future life free of depression’s behaviours, feelings and thoughts.
A trained therapist uses various relaxation techniques to guide us into a hypnotic state. In this state, we are still conscious and aware. Our body becomes more relaxed and the mind more responsive to suggestions for the changes we’ve discussed with the therapist that we want.
If this rings a bell with you, please ring Suzy who would like to help you into a hopeful future.
STRESS AND ANXIETY REDUCTION: Hypnotherapy helps individuals relax and manage stress, leading to improved mental well-being
BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION: It assists in changing unwanted habits, such as smoking, skin picking, nail-biting
PAIN MANAGEMENT: Hypnotherapy is used to alleviate chronicpain, including migraines, arthritis, gut and irritable bowel
IMPROVED SLEEP: It helps overcome insomnia or other sleep disorders, promoting better quality sleep and clear thinking
INCREASED SELF CONFIDENCE: Hypnotherapy boosts self-esteem and self-belief, helping overcome self-doubt to achieve personal goals
PHOBIA AND FEAR REDUCTION: It can be effective in treating phobias and fears, such as fear of flying, driving over high bridges, public speaking, or spiders
ADDICTION RECOVERY: Hypnotherapy’s used to support individuals overcome addictions, such as alcohol, smoking or drug dependency
ENHANCED PERFORMANCE: It has assisted prominent athletes, musicians, and professionals in excelling focus, concentration, and performance in their respective fields
EMOTIONAL HEALING: Hypnotherapy aids in processing and resolving past traumas, grief, or emotional pain
IMPROVED OVERALL WELLBEING: By addressing underlying issues and promoting positive changes, hypnotherapy contributes to a general sense of well-being and personal growth
…and for hypnotherapy enquirers, looking for evidence that Hypnotherapy actually works.
An International Spanish Academic study in 2009 shows that …….Yes it works especially for clinical applications, especially: Pain management and other medical conditions, Anxiety, Obesity, sSmoking cessation, Trauma, Psychosomatic disorders, Gastro intestinal disorders, Diabetes, preparation for Surgery, Oncology; used with cancer patients to help them manage pain, reduce medical procedure related anxiety, and reduce post chemotherapy emesis and hyperemesis, Obstetrics, Dermatological Diseases, Asthma, Immunology, Hypertension, Tinnitus , Dentistry and Hypnosis with Children in treating medical and psychological problems.
EFFICACY OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS: A SUMMARY OF ITS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
by: M. Elena Mendoza and Antonio Capafons
Universitat de València
Hypnosis is a valuable clinical intervention for the treatment of a wide variety of psychological and medical problems which helps improve the quality of life in patients. This paper reviews the state of the evidence regarding the efficacy of hypnosis taking into account the most rigorous research results in this respect, together with other studies of clinical relevance although they do not fulfill stringent methodological criteria. Overall, the findings of research indicate that hypnosis used as an adjunctive to other medical or psychological interventions increases the efficacy and/or efficiency of these interventions. Moreover, hypnosis efficacy is well established in certain clinical applications, especially pain management and other medical conditions, and there is acceptable evidence of its efficacy in treating depression, sleep disorders, smoking cessation, obesity, asthma, and enuresis in children. According to the literature to date, continued research using randomized, controlled methodologies as well as adequate sample sizes is well justified, and it is essential in order to establish the efficacy of hypnosis in other areas. Keywords: hypnosis, efficacy, empirical evidence, theoretical study.
In Spanish
La hipnosis es una intervención clínica valiosa en el tratamiento de una amplia variedad de problemas psicológicos y médicos, ayudando a la mejora de la calidad de vida de muchos pacientes. Este artículo revisa el estado de la evidencia empírica de la eficacia de la hipnosis, teniendo en cuenta los resultados de la investigación más rigurosa al respecto, así como los de otros estudios que, a pesar de no cumplir unos criterios metodológicos rigurosos, poseen relevancia clínica. En general, y según la investigación revisada, cuando se utiliza la hipnosis como un coadyuvante a otras intervenciones médico psicológicas, incrementa la eficacia y/o eficiencia de tales intervenciones. Asimismo, la eficacia de la hipnosis está bien establecida en diversas aplicaciones clínicas, especialmente el manejo del dolor y otras condiciones médicas, existiendo evidencia aceptable de su eficacia en el tratamiento de la depresión, los trastornos del sueño, dejar de fumar, la obesidad, el asma y la enuresis infantil. De acuerdo con la investigación publicada hasta la fecha, está justificada la realización de investigaciones que utilicen estudios controlados con muestras de tamaño adecuado. Así mismo, es esencial establecer la eficacia de la hipnosis en otrasáreas aún por investigar. Palabras clave: hipnosis, eficacia, evidencia empírica, estudio teórico.
Another very helpful practise we can do to help ourselves at home, work and life.
An EFT (Tapping) practitioner in Melbourne (Jenny Johnson) recently commented on her blog “ EFT for the Soul” https://jennyjohnston.com.au, about how scientists are now studying meditation. Their studies showing us how to be better meditators. And, also revealing which meditation techniques work best for changing the brain.
Effective practice creates new neural pathways in the brain’s reward and happiness circuits. These enhance the networks associated with happiness, productivity, and cognitive ability.
EcoMeditation is a combination of Tapping and Meditation.
Researcher Dawson Church gathered findings from over 400 scientific studies. He found that 7 simple techniques are the most effective at producing rapid brain change in meditators. He named this method of 7 techniques EcoMeditation. Dawson’s research team conducted an MRI study of people who used EcoMeditation for 22 minutes a day. They found that in 28 days, the brain’s empathy circuit activated, while the “suffering self” dialled down.
In another study, EEG expert Judith Pennington (https://www.judithpennington.com, Pennington et al., 2019) reported that even in novices, “EcoMeditation produced … elevated brain states normally found only after years of meditation practice. EcoMeditation facilitated participants’ ability to induce and sustain the alpha brain waves characteristic of high-level emotional, mental, and spiritual integration … participants were able to carry elevated mental states into waking consciousness.” Carrying “elevated emotional states” we experience in meditation “into waking consciousness”……. has to be a good thing. Jenny Johnston
Many have endorsed Dawson’s work. e.g. Marilyn Schlitz, PhD, Dean of Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University, https://noetic.org/profile/marilyn-schlitz/ describes it as, “an evidence-based path to creating a happy, peaceful and resourceful brain.”
EcoMeditation is becoming the talk of the town among meditators.
“EcoMeditation produced extraordinarily high levels of Gamma Synchrony … participants acquired elevated brain states normally found only after years of meditation practice. EcoMeditation facilitated participants’ ability to induce and sustain the alpha brain waves characteristic of high-level emotional, mental, and spiritual integration.”
MRI scans show that EcoMeditation decreases activity in the brain regions associated with self-focus and suffering and increases activity in the areas of compassion
So what is this EcoMeditation?
7 Steps of EcoMeditation: a combination of Meditation and Tapping
Before you begin, turn off your cell phone, laptop, and alerts. Give yourself the gift of 20 minutes of undisturbed time. You can do this first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or during a break in the day. Sit upright in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
Step 1
Use your fingertips to tap on each of the EFT acupressure points in any order, (see previous article/post )while thinking the intention that you are in a calm and peaceful state, and nothing matters except the gift of undisturbed time you are now giving yourself. Tap from top to bottom, and when you get to the last point, start on the first point again. This is time just for you. Let all your preoccupations vanish, and allow yourself to be fully present. As you tap, say:
“I release any and all blocks to inner peace. I release all tension in my body. I release anything in my past, present or future that stands between me and inner peace.”
Step 2
Stop tapping and relax your hands. Close your eyes, and let your tongue rest loosely on the floor of your mouth.
Step 3
Feel your hands. Feel your feet. Feel the space inside your hands. Feel the space inside your feet. Feel the space inside your legs, your arms, your torso, your neck and head. Feel the space inside your whole body. Picture a big empty space behind your eyes. Picture a big empty space between your eyebrows.
If thoughts arise in your mind at any point during the meditation, just let them go. Watch them drift like clouds across the sky, without attachment.
Step 4
Breathe slowly, for 6 seconds per out-breath, and 6 seconds per in-breath. Count to 6 silently each time you breathe in, and each time you breathe out. Notice how relaxed your tongue is. Picture the big empty space behind your eyes. Keep your tongue relaxed. If physical sensations arise in your body, such as aches or pains, just observe them. You don’t have to do anything about them. Keep your attention focused on your breath, counting 6 seconds in, and 6 seconds out.
Step 5
Visualize the location in your chest where your physical heart resides. Imagine breathing in and out through your heart, while maintaining 6 second in-breaths and 6 second out-breaths. Maintain a relaxed tongue.
Step 6
Imagine a beam of love pouring out through your heart toward a person or place that you love with each out-breath. Stay in this state for several breaths. Notice the big empty space behind your eyes, and how relaxed your tongue is on the floor of your mouth
Step 7
Bring the beam of love back into your body, into the area of your physical heart. Send that love to any part of your body that is uncomfortable or in pain. To end the meditation, take 3 deep 6 second breaths.
When you feel complete with the meditation, return your attention to the room you’re in. Open your eyes and look at the object closest to you, and observe its characteristics, such as colour, texture, and weight. Shift your gaze and look at the object furthest away from you. Notice your breath. Notice the weight of your body on the chair or on the surface on which you’re sitting. Feel your hands and feet. Be aware of the time.
Bring yourself back to the here and now. While a meditative state supports our well-being, it’s also vital to orient yourself to the “real world” and function there effectively at the end of each meditation period.Do this every day for a week, and you’ll notice a difference in how you feel during the rest of the day. Do this every day for a month, and you’ll be hooked! It only requires 20 minutes, though you may want to gradually increase your time frame to 30 or 45 minutes.
What Studies Show About Master Meditators
High-resolution MRIs and EEGs are now showing us what’s going on in the body and brain of a meditation master.
They have large amounts of the slowest brain waves, alpha, theta and delta, as well as the fastest wave, gamma.
They have small amounts of beta, the signature wave of worry and stress.
Their bodies generate a unique “cocktail” of 7 hormones and neurotransmitters, including pleasure chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Their nervous systems are firing in “coherence,” relaxed but alert.
The happiness centres of their brains are lit up, while the self-absorbed parts shut down. They are literally in “bliss brain.” Amazingly, when novice meditators follow the 7 steps above, “strong echoes” of these very same changes are observed. (Pennington et al., 2019)
Clinical trial eco meditation has found:
Cortisol down 29%Immunity up 27%
Heart rate down 5%Happiness up 9%
Anxiety down 23%Brain balance up 30%
Pain down 43%
Research validating the remarkable benefits of EcoMeditation has been published in peer-reviewed professional journals.eg
