DEPRESSION
Welcome to my web page explaining some basic facts about depression, and how we don't need to remain with the feelings forever. We can and do recover, it just depends on the therapy used and the time it takes.
Have you ever had these thoughts?
"I have tried to talk to my doctor, to a counsellor, to a best friend, and nothing helps."
"No one understands how low I feel and I can't explain to them why I feel this way."
"I feel lonely in a crowded room."
"People keep telling me to cheer up and snap out of it... if they only knew how I felt."
"I have no energy and no interest, I feel better and safer when I'm on my own with no one to bother me, I just don't want to do anything."
This year has been very enlightening in terms of treatment of depression. Please read the following.....
New-generation anti-depressants are largely a waste of time, research suggests.
A review of clinical trials found they worked no better than a dummy pill for mildly-depressed patients and for most people suffering severe depression. Even trials suggesting benefit for severely-depressed people did not provide evidence of clear clinical benefit, researchers said. Dr Tim Kendall, deputy director of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Research Unit, said the findings were "fantastically important".
A group of experts, led by Professor Irving Kirsch, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Hull, analysed 47 clinical trials using data released under Freedom of Information rules by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The researchers looked at four commonly-used anti-depressants and the clinical trials submitted to gain licensing approval. They included anti-depressants regularly prescribed in the UK, including fluoxetine (Prozac), venlafaxine (Efexor) and paroxetine (Seroxat).
They found little evidence of benefit when analysing both unpublished and published data from the drug companies. Furthermore, the seemingly good results for very severely-depressed patients came from the fact that a patient's response to the dummy pill (placebo) decreased rather than any notable increase in their response to antidepressants.
"Drug-placebo differences in anti-depressant efficacy increase as a function of baseline severity,
but are relatively small even for severely-depressed patients," the researchers said.
"The relationship between initial severity and antidepressant efficacy is attributable to decreased responsiveness to placebo among very severely-depressed patients, rather than to increased responsiveness to medication."
The researchers said their study was one of the most thorough investigations into the efficacy of new generation anti-depressants, known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
The researchers concluded: "We find that the overall effect of new generation anti-depressant medications is below recommended criteria for clinical significance." Professor Kirsch said: "The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking anti-depressants is not very great. This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments."
What is Depression?
Many people go through periods of feeling stressed, low, or have feelings of hopelessness however if these feelings persist, they often end up going to the doctor's and being diagnosed with Depression. In very extreme conditions, the medication they are given will alleviate the symptoms and people will feel better. However, in most cases, the underlying cause of their depression is psychological - something created
by bottled-up emotions and feelings and of course, medication cannot deal with this. I am a believer on the idea that past experiences have a bearing on experiences and feelings in the present, and those important relationships, perhaps from early childhood, may be replayed with people later in life, and that this might be best explored using hypnoanalysis.
This belief is also adopted by counsellors practising Psychodynamic Counselling. Inevitably, this results in the individual either taking higher and higher doses of the medication or the negative feelings increase because the individual becomes more and more anxious about living with these symptoms.
What is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is an extreme example of anxiety. It can strike for no apparent reason and "out of the blue". In normal circumstances, when we are anxious, adrenaline is released into our system preparing us for fight or flight. However, if there is no obvious reason for the anxiety or panic, then the adrenaline produces physical sensations such as a racing heart beat, sweatiness, lack of breath, tightness or pain in the chest, or even feelings of dizziness. Panic attacks can strike an individual at any time and can be a very frightening experience for the person on the receiving end of it.
What's the alternative?
Recently Dr Robert Holden Ph.D (sometimes known as the happy Doctor) conducted clinical trials with patients suffering from depression. These patients had been diagnosed with severe clinical depression. What he did next proved to be very positive and successful.
He took 10 patients and gave them these tasks
1) They were asked to strategically place coloured stickers around their home. The stickers represented happy experiences and future goals that had been set and reinforced during the sessions.
2) They were asked to laugh out loud for 10 or 15 minutes. Whether forced or not, laughter releases the body's own chemical serotonin, a powerful defence against, and preventor of, depression.
3) To take daily light to moderate exercise. This of course is dependant on the patients physical and mental health.
These patients were monitored using sophisticated brain scan equipment and observed by sceptical scientists. They measured the activity of the brain before and after treatment. Some scientists were so astounded that they doubted the final results and asked for a retest of the final scan. The results were the same, all of the 10 people participating in this test moved from being diagnosed with clinical depression to the
other end of the scale - being totally optimistic.
What other treatment is involved?
Taking into consideration Dr Holden's work and findings, I developed a treatment with the use of hypnotherapy and neurolinguistic programming. This became a very powerful and positive treatment.
This is how it works
The root cause is diagnosed with the use of hypnoanalysis (relaxation hypnotherapy). This is then addressed from a conscious and subconscious level.
The idea being that once a bad experience is brought up into the open from the subconscious it then loses its power. The patient from a subconscious level changes their thoughts around the experience. Once this happens, their feelings from a conscious level change.
Patients are then given positive change therapy with the use of hypnotherapy and NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming). Positive changes are made in both the subconscious and conscious mind. These positive changes increased the patients self worth, self-respect, confidence, and most importantly a belief
in themselves. Patients are given tasks to do (homework). These are the same tasks as given by Dr Holden I have, however, developed and added to this, a positive change relaxation CD recording.
They are asked to strategically place coloured stickers around their home. The stickers represent happy experiences and future goals that had been set and reinforced during the sessions.
They are asked to laugh out loud for 10 or 15 minutes. Whether forced or not, laughter releases the body's own chemical serotonin, a powerful defence against, and preventor of, depression.
They are asked to take daily light to moderate exercise. This of course is dependant on the patients physical and mental health.
They are asked to listen daily to the positive reinforcement CD that is given to the patient to take home.
I have discovered positive results when using the above treatment. I have found that the majority of patients see and feel results after just the first session. These positive changes are really quite evident not only to the patient, but to the patients close family and relatives.
These positive changes are permanent and the skills learned can be used to enrich the patient's life, moreover the skills can be used to overcome any future obstacles.
It is important that any medication you're taking is not stopped.
I feel medication works well alongside this therapy and any other, including talking therapy. You will never be advised to stop medication if considering the above treatment. The above treatment can only be giving under the supervision of your GP.
I give no opinion on any clinical trials or any comments made about these trials.
To book an appointment please fill out the form below or email: info@whoami.me.uk
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