Depression – A Subconscious Response

Depression is a serious but common condition and if you are reading this because you are thinking about seeing a hypnotherapist, then that, in itself, is already a positive step to overcoming your problem. Healing and regaining control is a process that needs to begin somewhere. It is a process of learning, recognizing inner awareness, rediscovering strengths and resources that are most certainly there, no question about it! It is a process that you may find enjoyable or exciting, beneficial and rewarding.

You see, most of us know the mind is very powerful and capable of tremendous feats but it needs to know what we want. Imagine your mind travelling down a road and it comes to a fork, the sign that points left has a list of negative thought processes and the one to the right has a list of positive thought processes. Which do you think the mind should take? Well, we all know the answer to that question and it might seem slightly facetious of me for simplifying it that much, but the point still remains. Breaking the cycle of negative thoughts and behaviours will inevitably lead to a reduction of anxiety and lifting of depression. I could explain how neurotransmitters play a huge part in recovering from depression but will leave that till next time. The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of the subconscious mind when it comes to depression. The main point to remember for now is our thoughts and behaviours affect the way we feel and negative thinking is mentally and physically draining.

To understand why people suffer from depression and why thoughts are so important, we need to understand how the subconscious part of the mind works. This is covered in more detail in all the free initial consultations I provide, but I will touch on it briefly here for the purpose of this article. The subconscious mind is primitive and among other things it wants to keep us away from danger. Just like it has done since we were all living in the jungle, hunting and gathering. Intellectually we have evolved as humans in an astonishing way. We are capable of so much and we have advanced to where we are now. The subconscious mind, however, has not developed in the same way and is almost completely the same now as it was when we were swinging in trees. It is very much an instinctive mind.

While you ponder on that for a while you may begin to realize the impact our thoughts and behaviours can have on our mental health in today’s modern world? If you negatively view everything past, present and future, will the subconscious mind perceive the world as a safe and enjoyable place? No it won’t and this is where depression steps in. The subconscious wants to keep us away from that danger (the world) and the best response it can come up with to do that is depression. After all depression can completely stop someone form interacting with the world around them. It is a paradoxical situation; the subconscious wants to keep us safe but actually does more damage than good. Another way the subconscious can stop us from interacting is with anxiety. A person suffering from depression will often become anxious in social situation, leaving the house, looking for work etc.

The video below from youtube briefly explains the fight or flight response and ties in well with this post.

 

It is clear we can do lots to help lift depression on a conscious level just by understanding the importance of our thoughts and behaviours and changing them to be more positive and realistic. The subconscious mind will learn and react positively to a healthier attitude to life. I know a change like that can be very difficult to achieve on your own if suffering from depression, but it is important to think, interact and behave in a positive way. The use of hypnosis as a therapeutic tool will help enormously on a subconscious level where thing can be put into their true perspective.

I am a solution-focused hypnotherapist that specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and depression. I am based in Bristol and if you or anyone you know would like to get in touch, please don’t hesitate to contact me. My details can be found at the bottom of this page or please leave a comment. 

 

 

filipe@hypnochanges.co.uk, www.hypnochanges.co.uk