Depression is recognised as a mental illness, and there are various levels of depression. It is, in summary, a feeling of deep sadness that can last for days, weeks, months or years.
And there are proven links between depression and physiological changes – none of them good.
So it is a serious and debilitating illness.
Often depression starts with panic attacks, that when ignored can lead to depression, that when ignored can lead to a nervous breakdown.
There are many triggers to depression, but the underlying driving cause is psychological.
A common treatment for depression is medication, that typically ‘corrects’ the levels of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain – because depressed patients can display an imbalance of these chemicals.
But which comes first?
Is the chemical imbalance caused by the depression, or is the unconscious mind causing the chemical imbalance to create the depression?
The unconscious mind controls around 80% of our autonomic body functions, and it exists to help and develop us. Is it possible that the unconscious mind is deliberately causing the chemical imbalance so that the person would be more withdrawn, less risk-taking, less outward-thinking, less alert?
I have worked with a number of depressed clients, and I look for the reasons behind the change in behaviour. In hypnosis I ask the unconscious mind “how are these new behaviours benefitting the client”? The responses can be fascinating and totally unexpected, but almost always involve the unconscious mind trying to protect the client in some way.