the Free Hypnosis Social Network
Depression: What is it and how do we treat it?
A discussion has broken out on my Facebook wall which has fairly well polarised into the biomedical it's-an-illness pole against the no-it's-all-early-programming pole.
This came about because I made a status update that said we can choose to be happy if we know how. The debate that has ensued claims that some who are depressed have no choice and that it's not a case of knowing how.
If we are all spiritually responsible for who we are and how we live, where does the idea of depression being thrust upon us by our wayward brain chemicals fit into that?
Just thought I'd throw down the gauntlet!
Best wishes
Jenny
Tags: Depression, Spiritual, choice
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on -
I am afraid that for those of us in the USA who do not hold a state certified mental health or medical credential, depression is simply a medical condition that is diagnosed by someone who does have one. A lot of us cannot even treat diagnosed depression, we are restricted to client identified goal-oriented interventions only.
John
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Permalink Reply by Vince C on -
As a hypnotist, I do not treat, diagnose, or prescribe for any psychological conditions.
With a written referral from a licensed professional, I do adjunct hypnosis which usually improves their condition.
For instance, my protocol for weight loss includes "removing" emotional eating and whenever a client who ate because they were depressed goes through it, they are amazed that they "can't find" that sorry feeling again.
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Lynn on
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Oh I see what you mean, John. When you say Client identified goal-oriented interventions would that not also include those who choose to treat their own depression by visiting a private hypno-psychotherapy practitioner?
And generally, this is where I feel so passionate about depression being labelled an 'illness'. While I know depression has had to be named an 'illness' to be given some much needed legitimacy, it has been swept up into the biomedical model and there's nothing more ludicrous (in my humble opinion) than to expect an improvement of a spiritual or existential condition such as in the case of some depressions, with drugs and CBT. We might be able to inhibit the excesses of disordered thinking in such a way, but to resolve or remedy our contextual malaise may be questionable.
We have as a society, been hypnotised to believe only psychiatric experts are qualified...and it seems to have been endorsed and upheld by the legal system. And though we are less structured in the UK here there's alot of noise being made about following your example in the US. I wonder how motivated we will be as a body of therapists to resist this kind of legal imposition?
Best wishes
Jenny
John Cleesattel said:I am afraid that for those of us in the USA who do not hold a state certified mental health or medical credential, depression is simply a medical condition that is diagnosed by someone who does have one. A lot of us cannot even treat diagnosed depression, we are restricted to client identified goal-oriented interventions only.
John
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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on -
I am not a licensed mental health care professional and I do not treat people with "depression" I am a medical hypnotist and I have helped 1000s of people put the fun back in their lives and doing so often automatically lifted their depressive feelings to the point that I started paying very close attention to the similarities between what is called depression and what I call fun deficiency disorders...
Generally speaking, the symptoms of what is called "depression" and FDD are:
* Generalized seriousity * Feeling stuck * Never having enough time * Always feeling tired * Extreme boredom * Every thing seems just so damn hard to do * Nothing is fun any more. Again, I am not qualified to diagnose or treat depression - I can talk about and help people overcome FDDs - I invented FDDs
FDD sufferers are in “chronic survivor mode”. Everything seems more frightening, more
painful, and more stressful in these “fight or flight” states. Untreated, FDD often becomes a vicious reactive loop and the symptoms become more severe over time. FDD sufferers are acutely aware that they desperately need fun in their lives, but wonder how can they possibly relax and have fun when there is just so much to do? Or maybe they just have forgotten how to have fun...
The great news is that QUANTUM FOCUSING is a series of easy- to-learn mental
exercises that Alan Barsky and I developed to help health professionals and their
patients or clients develop emotional flexibility and relaxation skills. These exercises
automatically help them feel better, heal faster, and have more fun. QUANTUM
FOCUSING teaches people how to focus their attention in ways that automatically
move them out of their "survival states" and into mindsets that promote thriving and
enjoying work and play.
Michael E. @ http://www.nycanxietyhypnosis.com
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Permalink Reply by Michael Haifleigh on -
Jenny,
…we can choose to be happy if we know how.
That may be so. It may depend on what someone means when they use the word “happy”.
What is being “spiritually responsible for who we are and how we live”?
Michael
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fun deficiency disorders...
I love it! Ha ha.
Jenny
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I absolutely love your perspective here! What a creative way round it....Can we all use this FDD label and host it on our sites! I've not had so much fun reading your post for ages!
Really excellent. I love the cloaked rebellion that's actually really very creative and enlivening. I think this is our way of circumnavigating the overwhelming presence of medical psychiatry.
Tell us more!
Jenny
Michael Ellner said:I am not a licensed mental health care professional and I do not treat people with "depression" I am a medical hypnotist and I have helped 1000s of people put the fun back in their lives and doing so often automatically lifted their depressive feelings to the point that I started paying very close attention to the similarities between what is called depression and what I call fun deficiency disorders...
Generally speaking, the symptoms of what is called "depression" and FDD are:
* Generalized seriousity * Feeling stuck * Never having enough time * Always feeling tired * Extreme boredom * Every thing seems just so damn hard to do * Nothing is fun any more. Again, I am not qualified to diagnose or treat depression - I can talk about and help people overcome FDDs - I invented FDDs
FDD sufferers are in “chronic survivor mode”. Everything seems more frightening, more
painful, and more stressful in these “fight or flight” states. Untreated, FDD often becomes a vicious reactive loop and the symptoms become more severe over time. FDD sufferers are acutely aware that they desperately need fun in their lives, but wonder how can they possibly relax and have fun when there is just so much to do? Or maybe they just have forgotten how to have fun...
The great news is that QUANTUM FOCUSING is a series of easy- to-learn mental
exercises that Alan Barsky and I developed to help health professionals and their
patients or clients develop emotional flexibility and relaxation skills. These exercises
automatically help them feel better, heal faster, and have more fun. QUANTUM
FOCUSING teaches people how to focus their attention in ways that automatically
move them out of their "survival states" and into mindsets that promote thriving and
enjoying work and play.
Michael E. @ http://www.nycanxietyhypnosis.com
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Yes. Difficult to define what we mean. Happy? Perhaps just accepting, rolling with the blows, not being fazed, finding creative solutions to problems, feeling valuable,....could be many things. I guess I mean those elements I list here and just a centred self knowledge that we are in control of our lives, which I guess leads onto spiritually responsible.
Best
Jenny
Michael Haifleigh said:Jenny,
…we can choose to be happy if we know how.
That may be so. It may depend on what someone means when they use the word “happy”.
What is being “spiritually responsible for who we are and how we live”?
Michael
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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on
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Hi Jenny,I believe that the medicalization of human behaviors is unhealthy and I mock "the" Power every chance that I get. I believe that I am operating within the scope of my hypnosis practice and the law when I describe FDDs and offer to "treat" (assist) clients who want the cure (assistance). If you agree - please feel free to run with it with my blessing.FYI: I just noticed that James H. is doing the same thing, his way-- (James is not a licensed health care professional and he can not legally treat depression, but he can help people get out of a funk:** Reply by James HazlerigWell, technically, as a hypnotist, I never treat depression. But I have some techniques for helping people get out of a funk. ;-) http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/whats-the-best-for-this-caseWarmest regards,Michael E. @ http://www.nycanxiety.com
Jenny Lynn said:
I absolutely love your perspective here! What a creative way round it....Can we all use this FDD label and host it on our sites! I've not had so much fun reading your post for ages!
Really excellent. I love the cloaked rebellion that's actually really very creative and enlivening. I think this is our way of circumnavigating the overwhelming presence of medical psychiatry.
Tell us more!
Jenny
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Permalink Reply by John Cleesattel on
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As you can see; it's not that some of us don't know how, and it's not that I don't agree with you. I just like to make sure I stay on the right side of the law.
John
Jenny Lynn said:Oh I see what you mean, John. When you say Client identified goal-oriented interventions would that not also include those who choose to treat their own depression by visiting a private hypno-psychotherapy practitioner?
And generally, this is where I feel so passionate about depression being labelled an 'illness'. While I know depression has had to be named an 'illness' to be given some much needed legitimacy, it has been swept up into the biomedical model and there's nothing more ludicrous (in my humble opinion) than to expect an improvement of a spiritual or existential condition such as in the case of some depressions, with drugs and CBT. We might be able to inhibit the excesses of disordered thinking in such a way, but to resolve or remedy our contextual malaise may be questionable.
We have as a society, been hypnotised to believe only psychiatric experts are qualified...and it seems to have been endorsed and upheld by the legal system. And though we are less structured in the UK here there's alot of noise being made about following your example in the US. I wonder how motivated we will be as a body of therapists to resist this kind of legal imposition?
Best wishes
Jenny
John Cleesattel said:I am afraid that for those of us in the USA who do not hold a state certified mental health or medical credential, depression is simply a medical condition that is diagnosed by someone who does have one. A lot of us cannot even treat diagnosed depression, we are restricted to client identified goal-oriented interventions only.
John
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Permalink Reply by Bill Kennedy on -
Depression is a nominalisation, i.e. a process turned into a noun. It is often a symptom of something else. Hypnosis has been documented (here and elsewhere) to help people change the process that causes depression. I would just caution people to be aware of the risk of the "something else" and make sure that the right resources are engaged to deal with it.
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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on -
Jenny,
A close cousin to Michael's Fun Deficiency Disorder is ANTS ~ Automatic Negative Thoughts Syndrome. I like Michael enjoy helping people banish these pests!
I also help my clients who have difficulty believing they might become "happy" into accepting a sense of contentment because sometimes the path needs to take a little twist along the way to Oz.
Best wishes,
Kelley
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