Depression

Do you have a low mood that has persisted for a long time? Does it affect your everyday life? Does it seem to just keep coming back? Chances are you are one of the many people in the UK that suffers from depression. Depression can vary in severity and scientists have struggled to find a cause. What research has shown is that good quality talking therapies can be effective for anyone suffering from depression, with or without traditional drug treatments.

Symptoms of depression can vary (and often include anxiety symptoms) but can include:

  • Continuous low mood
  • Feeling tearful
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling out of control
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Anxiousness and persistent worries
  • Irritability
  • Low confidence and self esteem
  • Loss of motivation and interest

It can have physical symptoms such as:

  • Weight changes
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Aches and pains
  • Lack of energy
  • Tummy problems

And social implications:

  • Avoiding activity that you once enjoyed
  • Cutting yourself off from friends and family
  • Struggling at work
  • Relationship problems

Depression can creep up slowly and it’s not uncommon for people to suffer for ten years before seeking help. Don’t wait.

Solution Focused Therapy can help you regain control. Imagine for a minute what your life would be like without the low mood, the constant tiredness, the struggle to cope and the guilt at the effect all this has on your family and friends?

Imagine waking up in the morning optimistic about the day ahead. Imagine feeling well rested and energetic... What would you do? Where would you go? Imagine yourself in six months, a year, two years from now. What will you be doing then?

I don’t know what makes you happy, I don’t know what your goals are – but you do! I can help you discover what motivates and inspires you, and once we know that, I can help you get there.

Chances are if you’ve found your way to this page then you’re ready for the change you need, you’re motivated to make that change, and you already have the resourcefulness required to take control and get your life back on track. Let me help you. Make a no obligation, no fee appointment today to get started on the new, bright future you deserve.

 

 

Anxiety

Anxiety feels horrible. It’s designed to make us take action. It’s an entirely normal, and sometimes useful, mechanism to give us puny humans an extra burst of speed and strength. Fabulous if we run into a wild animal, not so good for running our daily lives. 

So what happens when our brains become too good at looking out for danger? Well, anxiety can become focused on specific areas of our lives, such as your health or social situations, or it can give you feelings of persistent, uncontrollable fear or worries about many different areas of life. This means that symptoms are numerous and varied. Your experience of anxiety may be very different to someone else’s. You may experience:

  • Churning stomach
  • Sweaty palms 
  • Heart beating like mad
  • Breathing too fast 
  • Muscle tension

Alongside the host of unpleasant physical symptoms, there are some pretty awful psychological symptoms too:

  • Feelings of dread or panic
  • A sensation of things speeding up or slowing down
  • Feeling like everyone notices and is talking about you and your anxiety
  • Feeling like you’re out of control

The most common behavioural symptom (what we do when we feel anxious) is avoidance. We try to avoid those situations that make us feel so bad. Although this may feel helpful in the short term, it can often make things worse in the long run.

Sometimes people can identify traumatic events or big life changing events that cause anxiety (moving house, getting divorced) but often anxiety symptoms can be triggered by a seemingly insignificant event (stuck in traffic on the school run). It can help to think of anxiety as a bucket that gets filled by each everyday stressor, and sometimes overflows.

Hypnotherapy can be amazingly beneficial for people suffering from anxiety disorders. There is often an immediate relief from symptoms (as you will feel relaxed during the session), and the combination of this with Solution Focused Brief Therapy can offer lasting relief surprisingly quickly. We always work towards your new future, rather than focus on problems of the past. Imagine what your life could be like without those fears and worries. What would you do differently if you were free from the grip of anxiety? Let us show you how to empty that bucket. And keep it empty!

Page 8 of 8