Confidence and Hypnosis

Grow Your Confidence

We are what we think or more importantly we think what we are. How does this affect our lives every moment that we are awake? There is a saying that if we think we can, we are right, and if we think we can’t we are right.

How often do we tell ourselves that I would do that, only I think I probably can’t? Invariably, you attempt the said project only to have it unravel around your ears hence proving to yourself that you were right thinking you couldn’t do it. If only you had the confidence to try something that you had never allowed yourself to try before.

The key here is the word confidence where if you have the confidence you are actually thinking in a different way. Confidence allows us to start the process of thinking of a positive outcome that often allows us to achieve our goal as stated. How much easier is it to approach our tasks with that positive expectation just because we displayed the confidence and commitment to go after our goal. On the flip side, we have the person who lacks confidence and sees the challenge as to big and something that they probably can’t do. And they are right because we will sabotage our efforts, one way or another, and not achieve the result we were after. An often disputed topic is the difference between negative and positive thinking. I will delve into these aspects in detail at a later date.

However, I will ask you, how much easier would our lives be if we were to approach all of our goals with new found confidence? I can hear you now saying to yourself, yes it’s good for you because you have the confidence to do this. Well, in reply imagine how much easier your life would be if you had that confidence as well. In what way can I get this you may ask? Imagine if it was as easy as listening to a recording specifically tailored to instilling confidence within.

How would it feel to be able to approach your daily tasks with the enthusiasm and confidence that you deserve? State of the art recordings on confidence hypnosis could be the start of something special in your life now. Of course there is a lot more to add when talking about the power of the mind, so I shall expand upon these topics in future posts.

Meditation Vs Hypnosis

What is the difference between meditation and hypnosis? Which works better; mediation or hypnotherapy? I get these type of questions quite often so I will do my best to answer it as fully as I can.

I will begin by saying the two factions are very closely linked and can certainly be used in combination with one another. Both techniques involve placing the body into a comfortable and still position then focusing on controlling breathing with the eyes generally closed. In this ‘cocooned’ state of inner reflection the sensations of the body as well as the conscious thinking mind become subdued while the subconscious aspect of mind comes to the fore. This is pretty much where the similarity finishes. Hypnotherapy and meditation do overlap sometimes; visualisations are used in both practices as are differing relaxation techniques such as breathing styles, but the differences are also very clear.

There are different forms of meditation, but generally the practice has the overall goal of achieving a quiet, still mind. This can be gained using many different methods such as the use of repeating mantras (words or sounds), visualisation, or breathing practices but the idea is more or less the same, although some meditations do allow all thoughts and emotions to pass through the mind while in the state of stillness. Meditation has been used for thousands of years because of its known benefits; it brings about calmness, anti-stress, happiness and clarity of thoughts, and is also known to reduce blood pressure and boost all round health.

Hypnosis uses many of the same principles as meditation and usually starts in a similar manner. But once in the relaxed state, the mind is not simply kept quiet. Instead the subconscious is manipulated toward a specific goal through the use of hypnotic suggestions or instructions. This might be to treat depression, gain self-confidence, lose weight or stop smoking – any problem stemming from subconscious activity can be focused upon using hypnotherapy by changing the mind-set of the subconscious by programming it with new ideas. Self-hypnosis is doing hypnotherapy alone but regular hypnotherapy is conducted by a hypnotherapist who will guide their client through the entire process, and make suggestions to their subconscious mind for self- improvement purposes. Self-hypnosis can be considered more like meditation, although again it should have a specific focus with suggestions being made to the subconscious for personal improvement. Meditation can also be done by another person in ‘guided meditation’ but will not include the suggestions for a specific goal like hypnotherapy.

Meditation can take you somewhere calm, quiet and still and you can remain in that wonderful feeling for as long as you wish to, your conscious mind in a state of rest. Hypnosis takes you to the same relaxing state but then goes further in attempting to make therapeutic change for a specific cause. Hypnosis therefore has the same benefits as meditation in combination to being a very fast and powerful tool for changing personal habits or attitudes. Meditation can have great benefits also but perhaps it is not so targeted as hypnosis, but this is not to say the effects cannot be equally as effective.

My personal suggestion would be to try both techniques and see which one benefits you most. If you have not meditated before taking 15 minutes of mind-quieting time can feel wonderfully refreshing as well as mind opening, while if you are looking to alter specific aspects of your life for the better then hypnosis or self-hypnosis is certainly a great way to go about it. 

For more information on meditation practices try these pages:

http://www.how-to-meditate.org/ (free Ebook here)

http://www.project-meditation.org/?gclid=COW91NTMmawCFQaHtgodYnEmPw

http://www.learningmeditation.com/

Hypnosis Video: Past Life Regression Part 1

http://www.itv.com/

Hypnosis Video: Past Life Regression Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Xas7zWHfw

5 Quick Self Hypnosis Experiments

The only way to truly understand something like hypnosis or meditation is to discover it for yourself. For this reason I have selected five quick experiments you can do alone or with other people to experience what the sensation is like and how mind relaxing it can be. Each ‘experiment’ takes no more than 5-10 minutes to complete and if you take the opportunity to try one I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!

1.       Glued fingers

• Take a comfortable seat in a chair and take some deep breaths to centre yourself. When you are relaxed and ready to begin, look carefully at one of your hands. Connect your forefinger and your thumb making a circular shape. Then close your eyes and focus on that ring you have made actually being a solid ring glued tight together.

• Focus on that ring being as firm as steel, with a circular energy running through it, moving more powerfully with every breath that you take, making the ring ever stronger and firmer. Imagine the ring is completely sealed tight, then close your eyes but keep focusing on the ring.

• Take a deep breath and think to yourself ‘tighter stuck’ as you exhale and repeat this breath/thought pattern five times very slowly, but with a greater emphasis on each occasion. When you reach the fifth time your thumb and finger will completely be stuck together, so much so that the more you think about your thumb and finger being a solid ring the tighter they will be stuck together!

• Keep in mind the thought that the harder you try to pull them apart the tighter together they are stuck, and then actually give it a try. So long as you keep the thought in your mind you will not be able to pull your thumb and finger apart.  As soon as you believe you can pull them apart you will be able to do so.

• If you are having trouble with this one, go ahead and pretend that your thumb and finger are actually stuck together by some incredible invisible glue. Pretend and make it real enough and you might be surprised at the results!

• Variations of ‘Glued Fingers’ is glued hands together, glued backside to the chair or glued feet to the floor. If you do find yourself stuck, tell yourself simply that your hands are not stuck together and they will come apart at once.

2.       Counting Backwards

• Get comfortable in a chair and take some deep, slow breaths as you gently unwind. When you feel ready close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the chair.

• Take a slow deep breath, hold it for a second then slowly breath out thinking to yourself ‘100 Sleep Now’. Then take a second deep breath and hold it for a moment before thinking to yourself ’99 Sleep Now’ as you gently exhale.

• Continue in this way right the way back from 100. If you find yourself losing track of the numbers and their order due to sensations of drifting away, this means it is working perfectly. Don’t worry about counting anymore, simple repeat the number ‘1 Sleep Now’ over and over again with each breath.

• If you lose track of thinking ‘1 Sleep Now’ pause for a moment, then just repeat for however long you wish to deepen the experience.

 3.       Heavy Arm

• Get comfortable and relaxed in a chair same as in the other examples, and take at least three deep breaths to feel that all important inner balance then close your eyes.

• Raise one of your arms into the air above your head and make a tight fist with your hand, clenching all the muscles of the arm as hard as you feel comfortable with (don’t overdo it!)

• Hold the arm in this position above your head as you imagine the arm is slowly transforming from flesh and bone into a hard type of wood, and you feel your arm become heavier and heavier as it changes into the solid wood.

• Keep the visualisation going until your arm is completely made of wood, and then continues to get heavier and heavier.

• When your arm eventually drops down to your side you will feel a wave of relaxation sweep all across you body from head to toe, and you will know you have entered into a level of trance state. The further you continue the heavier your arm will become and the deeper you will go into hypnosis solely visualising your arm as a heavy piece of wood. If you wanted to take it further you could visualise your other arm turning to wood in the same way as well as your legs.

4.       The Elevator

• Get comfortable in a chair and take some deep, slow breaths as you gently unwind. When you feel ready close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the chair.

• Use your imagination and visualise as realistically as you can yourself sitting inside a spacious elevator, noticing at once the minute details of its inside from every angle.

• You notice a screen on the wall in front of you that tells you that you are on the tenth floor, with a notice underneath it flashing at you in a red light, telling you that when you eventually reach the first floor you will be in a deeply comfortable state of hypnosis and relaxation.

• Gently and slowly the elevator begins to move downward, and as it begins to move you begin to feel yourself feeling sleepy, and you notice the lights shining in through the cracks in the doors as you move between the different floors.

• As you reach level nine you feel the sensation of deep hypnosis sweep all over you as you begin to feel more and more relaxed. Keeping your eye fixed on the dial the elevator continues to slowly move downwards and as it moves you feel drowsier with every second and with every level you pass deeper down into the building.

• You pass the eight and the seventh level and slip deeper and deeper still, fading away as calm and comfort surrounds you. The dial ticks past six and reaches five and you are half way there already, your mind is peaceful and quiet, you are comfortable and deeply into hypnosis.

• The elevator moves past four and three, and on reaching two you realise how close you are to the finish. As the elevator moves onto one you are completely relaxed and sleepy, your mind is conscious and free. As you see the number one appear, say the words in your mind 'sleep now’ and enjoy the sensation of being in a state of complete relaxation.

• Memorise this simple process to experience the deep state of relaxation it brings and remain there as long as you like. When you wish to return simple visualise going back into the lift and up to the tenth floor again where you will feel wide awake and refreshed!

5.       Visualising a Journey

This is a quick technique to apply, but takes a little longer than the others to set up.

Sit in a comfortable chair and relax for a moment, then start this exercise by taking three deep breaths with recovery breaths in between, thinking to yourself ‘deeper relaxed’ as you exhale each time. On the third breath out slowly close your eyes and feel yourself sinking into the chair as you let go both physically and mentally, and drift away into the surrounding sensations you find yourself in, letting them come and go naturally until the sensations settle themselves and you find yourself in a state of balance.

Next you must use your imagination as vividly as you possibly can, and imagine yourself actually doing what I am about to describe in as much detail as possible.

‘You find yourself walking in a warm comfortable sun light, a gentle breeze brushing softly against you face as you find yourself outdoors and walking in the beautiful surroundings of a paradise beach, your bare feet sinking into the soft wet sand as you walk, shallow gentle waves tricking over your toes and cooling you all over with each wash. You can smell the salt of the seam and you can hear colourful birds singing from the nearby lush green palm trees, while the rhythmic sound of the lapping waves and the reflection of the light off the water takes you deeper and deeper into trance.

You continue on your walk, all your senses working together as you explore your new environment intently. A flock of distant seabirds fly overhead in the perfect blue sky as you look around and survey the stunning scenery of this paradise beach and marvel at its beauty. As you look around you see an intriguing pathway leading upwards from the beach. A gentle waterfall winds its way down from a steep slope along a series of smooth large rocks, and so you decide you begin climbing your way up. The rocks are warm on your bare feet, and as you steadily progress your way upwards you find yourself quickly surrounded by beautiful tall green plants and the sounds of the jungle, colourful wild flowers that give off the sweetest scent you have ever smelled, the sound of trickling water all around you.

The climb is quite steep and you begin to tire, the further you go the harder it becomes, but you realise you are half way from the top already, where awaiting you a hammock sits strung out between two trees overlooking a wonderful view of the paradise beach. You slow down and think about stopping for a rest but you know you are not far away and want to reach that hammock so you can lie down again in such a beautiful place. There are only five steps left…five…four…you are feeling very tired but carry on going…three steps…drowsy and heavy all over….two steps…you are almost there…one step until you can rest…last tired step now…you are there! You reach the hammock and touch its soft material, watching it sway gently in the breeze as it looks so inviting and comfortable. Feeling so tired you roll into it and feel immediately a wave of relaxation echo through your entire body from head to toe. Every muscle relaxes as you lie in the comfortable hammock overlooking the gorgeous scenery of Paradise bay. You feel fantastically relaxed and deep into hypnosis’

The exact wording of the scenario is not too important, what is important is the pleasant scenario that you can see, touch, hear, smell or even taste - that you slowly envelope yourself in at a very slow and steady pace. At the end of the imagination you will find yourself in a pleasant state of hypnosis and your subconscious mind will be open to suggestions. You may either memorise the piece described above, or record yourself telling this story (or your own) very slowly and play it back when in a comfortable position. It is a very simple method to reach a relaxed state in a relatively short time.

• How did the different techniques work for you? Did one work better than the others? What did you experience?

Hypnosis Video: Short Demonstration

http://www.youtube.com/

The Ouija Board

How does a Ouija board work?


Dear Straight Dope:

Can you please explain exactly how a Ouija board works? I know some people say it's because of spirits, and others say it's because of involuntary movements, but most people would agree that it's really not explainable. If that's the case, then how can Parker Brothers manufacture a game which process can't be explained?

— Heather and Mark

To answer your last question first--it is, as you said, a game. They don't need to explain it; they just need to know that people will buy it so they can make money.

Going back to your first question, yes, we can explain how the Ouija board works. In fact, you mentioned it in your question--involuntary movements. Evidently you didn't find that persuasive, so let me take another stab.

For those who don't know what a Oiuja board is, let's start from the beginning, with some help from the Museum of Talking Boards athttp://www.museumoftalkingboards.com (only on the net, not a museum you can visit in person). The Ouija board was invented by E.C. Reiche, Elijah Bond, and Charles Kennard in the early 1890's, and then improved upon and mass marketed by William Fuld. Before the Ouija board, spirit mediums used, among other things, a dial plate talking board, which had a letter indicator joined by a spindle to the center of the board. This rotated to pick different letters. Another way of bringing forth supposed messages from the dead was the planchette, which was generally heart-shaped, with a hole for a pencil in the tip of the heart. The medium put his/her hands on the two lobes of the heart and either moved it on a piece of paper to do "automatic writing" (writing with the pencil that supposedly came from the dead) or on a pre-printed chart to point to letters, statements, etc. The inventors of the Ouija board combined these two items.

Even back in the 1880s, the planchette was being sold as a novelty item and parlor game. The Ouija board was in the same vein--an important point. The board didn't originate with swamis, emanate from the mysterious East, or anything like that.  It was invented and marketed by American businessmen hoping to make a buck.

The Ouija board has the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 0-9 printed on it, along with YES, NO, GOODBYE, and sometimes a few other things. Copycat versions of the game may incorporate astrological, Tarot, or other New Age symbols. The idea is that you ask the spirit world a question and then rest your hand(s) on the pointer while the spirits answer you.

You may have heard that the name Oiuja (pronounced WEE-ja) is a combination of oui (French for "yes") and ja (German for "yes'). Alas, that was made up by Mr. Fuld.  Another story is that Mr. Kennard thought Ouija was Egyptian for "good luck." It isn't really, but the board itself supposedly told him, so who was he to argue?

After Kennard came up with the name, the Kennard Novelty Company advertised the first Ouija board as follows:

OUIJA

A WONDERFUL TALKING BOARD

Interesting and mysterious; surpasses in its results second sight, mind reading, clairvoyance;
will give intelligent answer to any question.
Proven at patent office before patent was allowed.

Price $1.50.

I particularly like the part about having to prove that it works at the patent office. Be interesting to see how they did that.

Having taken over Kennard, Fuld and later his family ran the Ouija board company for many years, finally selling the game to Parker Brothers in 1966. Early last year, Parker Brothers introduced a smaller glow-in-the-dark version of the game.

How does the Ouija board work? New-Agey folks think you get messages from spirits or ghosts or Invisible Pink Unicorns or something. Yeah, sure. Here's the real explanation, from the Skeptic's Dictionary (http://skepdic.com/ouija.html): "those using the board either consciously or unconsciously select what is read." If you want to prove it to yourself, follow the advice of that same site: "simply try it blindfolded for some time, having an innocent bystander take notes on what letters are selected. Usually, the result will be unintelligible nonsense."

What makes the pointer move? An effect similar to that which occurs in dowsing, known as the ideomotor effect. This is a fancy name for involuntary/unconscious movement, such as a dowser's hand flicking enough to move his stick when he passes over an area he knows has water. (In fact, Cecil has discussed this very subject.) The basic point is that your muscles can move without your consciously thinking, "move to the word YES." As the Skeptic''s Dictionary says, "suggestions can be made to the mind by others or by observations. Those suggestions can influence the mind and affect motor behavior. What is purely physiological, however, appears to some to be paranormal." In other words, if you believe this stuff and are trying to get the spirits to answer questions proving that they are all-knowing, and you ask a question that you already know the answer to (for example, "What's my father's name?"), odds are that your own hands will do the rest by spelling out your answer. That's where trying it blindfolded comes in (provided you haven't memorized the board, obviously). If it's spirits, they should be able to guide your hands no matter whether you can see or not. But if it's you doing it unconsciously, the blindfold will screw things up.

Of course, this assumes you're the one operating the pointer. If a medium is doing it instead, there's always the possibility that s/he is simply faking it as part of the show.

The point is, the Ouija board is easily explainable. Whether you'll accept that I don't know. Shall we consult the Ouija board?

— David

A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD


http://www.straightdope.com/

Understanding Depression

Reviewed by Dr Ciaran Mulholland, MRC clinical scientist, senior lecturer and honorary consultant psychiatrist

What is depression?

The word 'depression' causes much confusion. It's often used to describe when someone is feeling 'low', 'miserable', 'in a mood' or having 'got out of bed on the wrong side'. However, doctors use the word in two different ways. They can use it to describe the symptom of a 'low mood', or to refer to a specific illness, ie a 'depressive illness'. This fact sheet relates to depression, the illness.

This confusion is made all the worse because it is often difficult to tell the difference between feeling gloomy and having a depressive illness. Doctors make a diagnosis of depression after assessing the severity of the low mood, other associated symptoms and the duration of the problem. 

Depression is very common. Almost anybody can develop the illness; it's certainly NOT a sign of weakness. Depression is also treatable. You may need to see a doctor, but there are things you can do yourself or things you can do to help somebody suffering from the illness.

What you cannot do is 'pull yourself together' – no matter whether this is what you think you should be able to do or what other people tell you to do.

People who have experienced an episode of depression are at risk of developing another in the future. A small proportion may experience an episode of depression as part of a bipolar affective disorder (manic depression), which is characterised by episodes of both low and high moods.

Who gets depressed?

• Depression is very common.
• Between 5 and 10 per cent of the population are suffering from the illness to some extent at any one time.
• Over a lifetime you have a 20 per cent, or one in five, chance of having an episode of depression.
• Women are twice as likely to get depression as men.
• Bipolar affective disorder is less common than depressive illness with a life-time risk of around one to two per cent. Men and women are equally affected.

Getting depression is not a sign of weakness. There are no particular 'personality types' that are more at risk than others.

However, some risk factors have been identified. These include inherited (genetic) factors – such as having parents or grandparents, who have suffered from depression, and non-genetic factors – such as the death of a parent when you were young.

What causes depression?

• We do not fully understand the causes of depression.
• Genes or early life experiences may make some people vulnerable.
• Stressful life events, such as losing a job or a relationship ending, may trigger an episode of depression.
• Depression can be triggered by some physical illnesses, drug treatments and recreational drugs.

It's often impossible to identify a 'cause' in many people, and this can be distressing for people who want to understand the reasons why they are ill.

However depression, like any illness, can strike for no apparent reason.

It's clear that there are definite changes in the way the brain works when a person is depressed.

• Modern brain scans that can look at how 'hard' the brain is working have shown that some areas of the brain (such as at the front) are not working as well as normal.
• Depressed patients have higher than normal levels of stress hormones.
• Various chemical systems in the brain may not be working correctly, including one known as the serotonin or 5-HT system.
• Antidepressants may help to reverse these changes.

Symptoms of depression

Stress can lead to you to feeling 'down' and 'miserable'. What is different about a depressive illness is that these feelings last for weeks or months, rather than days.

In addition to feeling low most or all of the time, many other symptoms can occur in depressive illness (though not everybody has every one).

• Being unable to gain pleasure from activities that normally would be pleasurable.
• Losing interest in normal activities, hobbies and everyday life.
• Feeling tired all of the time and having no energy.
• Difficulty sleeping or waking early in the morning (though some feel that they can't get out of bed and 'face the world').
• Having a poor appetite, no interest in food and losing weight (though some people overeat and put on weight – 'comfort eating').
• Losing interest in sex.
• Finding it difficult to concentrate and think straight.
• Feeling restless, tense and anxious.
• Being irritable.
• Losing self-confidence.
• Avoiding other people.
• Finding it harder than usual to make decisions.
• Feeling useless and inadequate – 'a waste of space'.
• Feeling guilty about who you are and what you have done.
• Feeling hopeless – that nothing will make things better.
• Thinking about suicide – this is very common. If you feel this way, talk to somebody about it. If you think somebody else might be thinking this way, ask them about it – it will not make them more likely to commit suicide.

How is depression diagnosed?

Unfortunately, there's no brain scan or blood test that can be used to diagnose when a person has a depressive illness.

The diagnosis can only be made from the symptoms.

Generally speaking a diagnosis of depression will be made if a person has a persistently low mood that significantly influences their everyday life and has been present for two weeks or more, and there are also three or four or more other symptoms of depression.

Who treats people with depression?

• General practitioners (GPs), most commonly help treat people with depression.
• Patients may also be seen by counsellors, who are often attached to GP surgeries.
• If the diagnosis is unclear, or the person is particularly ill, the GP may refer the patient to a psychiatrist.
• Patients may be referred to community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) by their GP or psychiatrist.
• People suffering from depression may also be seen by CBT therapists and other psychotherapists.

Treatments for depression

Sometimes when we are going through a 'bad patch' in our life, it's enough to talk through our problems with a friend or relative.

However, this may not be enough and we may need to seek professional help.

The important thing to remember about depression is that it's treatable.

There are many different types of treatment. These include medication and talking therapies (psychotherapy).

Psychotherapy

• There are many different forms of psychotherapy.
• Simply talking to somebody or your doctor about your problems is a form of psychotherapy and can help greatly.
• It's far better to talk about your problems than 'bottling-up' your emotions.
• More formal psychotherapy includes counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and dynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis.

As a general, rule psychotherapies are as effective as medication for the treatment of mild depression. However, for more severe illnesses, medication is likely to be needed but may be supplemented with psychotherapy.

Exactly which type of therapy a doctor recommends depends on the particular problems a patient is suffering from, the views of the patient and local availability of psychotherapy. There's little evidence to suggest that one form of therapy is better than another.

Medication

• Antidepressant medication (for example fluoxetine) helps to correct the 'low' mood and other symptoms experienced during depression – they are NOT 'happy pills'.
• Antidepressants do not change your personality.
• Antidepressants are NOT addictive.

In the last few years, there has been an explosion of new antidepressant medications. The main advantage of these new drugs is that they have fewer side effects than older drugs and so are more pleasant to take.

Your doctor will choose which medication to prescribe for you based on the side-effects of the drugs and your particular symptoms. We do not fully understand how antidepressants work. However, they appear to act on chemicals in the brain to correct the abnormalities that cause the illness.

When taking medication, it's important to remember:

• to take your medication regularly
• you are unlikely to see any improvement in your symptoms for two to four weeks after starting the medication
• once you have started to respond, you should slowly improve over several weeks
• current World Health Organization guidelines recommend that patients continue to take their medication for six months after having recovered. This is to prevent a recurrence of the illness when the medication is stopped
• antidepressants are effective for both treating episodes of depression and also for preventing further episodes of illness. Some patients who have had severe or many episodes of illness are therefore recommended to take medication for a long time
• stopping to take medication once you feel well is a common cause of a return of the symptoms of depression. You should therefore only stop after discussion with your doctor
• generally coming off antidepressants is not a problem, though usually you should gradually reduce the dose of the medication over a few weeks rather than stopping abruptly. If you stop antidepressants abruptly you may notice anxiety, headaches, stomach upset, sleep disturbance or other symptoms.

What happens if you do not respond to treatment?

Some people unfortunately do not get better with simple straightforward treatments.

It may be that they need to try a higher dose or different antidepressants. A combination of medication and psychotherapy could also be helpful.

It may be necessary for these people to be referred to a psychiatrist for more specialised help. The psychiatrist will want to talk about the problems the person is suffering and find out about background information, such as work and family, previous health or emotional problems and current medication.

The psychiatrist may then recommend different treatments. Rarely, it may be necessary for the person to be admitted to hospital if the depression is very severe. This is only necessary in about 1 in 100 patients with depression.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Most people do not like the idea of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). It's a treatment that is reserved only for patients who have severe depression, for which it's highly effective and can work faster than medication.

It involves having a brief anaesthetic, which sends the person to sleep for 5 to 10 minutes. While asleep, a muscle-relaxing drug is given and a small electric current is passed through the brain for a fraction of a second.

Once the person has woken, it takes half an hour or so to get over the effects of the anaesthetic.

ECT is only given under the close supervision of an anaesthetist, a psychiatrist and nursing staff.

Most commonly, ECT is administered twice a week and around 6 to 10 treatments are necessary to treat the depression, though an effect may be seen after the first one or two treatments.

There's no evidence that properly administered ECT damages the brain in any way.

What to do if you are depressed

• Talk to people about how you feel. Don't bottle things up. It is NOT a sign of weakness to get help for your problems, in the same way that it would not be to get medical help for a broken leg or a chest infection.
• Although you may not be able to do the things you normally would (such as work), try to keep active as much as you can. Lying in bed or sitting thinking about your problems can make them seem worse. Physical exercise can also help depression and keep your mind off your worries.
• Do not increase your alcohol intake to try and 'drown your sorrows' or help you sleep better. Alcohol will only make the depression worse and harder to treat.
• If you are having problems sleeping, try not to lie in bed thinking about your problems and anxieties. Do something to take your mind off your worries, such as reading or listening to the radio.
• Self-help books may be helpful. Check out the health section of any good bookshop.
• If you are feeling suicidal or desperate contact a voluntary sector organisation, such as the Samaritans.
• Always remember that you are suffering from an illness. It is not you being weak, and you can NOT simply 'pull yourself together'. Your illness is treatable. You are also NOT ALONE. Depression is extremely common.

What to do if you know somebody who is depressed

Sometimes people are not aware that they are depressed. This can happen when the depression comes on slowly.

In addition many people suffering from depression blame themselves for not coping as they normally would, rather than thinking there might be some illness that has caused them to be this way. The illness can make a person think that it would be a sign of weakness to seek help for their difficulties. If you think that this has happened to somebody, you should try to talk to him or her about it.

Also try to remember the following.

• Listening can really help.
• Avoid saying, 'pull yourself together' or other remarks that make the person think that it is their fault that they are ill.
• If the person's problems do not sort themselves out in a week or so, suggest that the person seek professional help. Remind the person that this is not a sign of weakness or of being a failure.
• Don't nag the person or try to get them to do what they normally would. Remember they are suffering from an illness.
• Remind the person that they have an illness, it's not their fault and they'll get better no matter how hopeless they feel.
• Try to help them avoid resorting to alcohol, which does not help the situation. If the person talks of harming themself or committing suicide, take this seriously. Insist that they see a doctor.
• Remember that it does NOT increase the chances of a person committing suicide to talk to them about it.

Based on a text by Dr Hamish McAllister-Williams, MRC clinical scientist, senior lecturer and honorary consultant psychiatrist

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/whoisnd.htm

Hypnosis Success Stories

She's Life Barren & Hopeless

I have heard about a story of a woman, She was seventy years old widow with a grown family. She was living alone, on a small pension and social security. Her life seemed to her barren and hopeless.

She heard about the hypnosis but never tried. This time she decided to try. She had nothing to lose. She began to the process frequently with all the feelings she could muster. She visualized that "she is wanted, she is loved, she is happily married to a kind, loving and spiritual-minded man. She is secure and fulfilled". She kept on doing this many times a day for about two weeks. One day at the corner drugstore, she was introduced to a retired pharmacist. She found him as she needed. Within a week he proposed to her and now they are living happily together.

The intelligence within her subconscious mind brought both of them together in divine order. She conveyed her ideas to the subconscious mind by repetition, faith and expectancy and this became the greatest miracle for her.

His Daughter's Arthritis Vanished

The second miraclehappened with a man whose young daughter was suffering from arthritis and psoriasis. They tried many treatments but nothing could be happened. The man was despair and over and over he said, to himself and his friend "I would give my right arm to see my daughter cured". One day the family was out for a drive. They had the accident their and the right arm was torn off at the shoulder of a man. When he came home from the hospital, he discovered that his daughter's arthritis and skin condition had vanished.
Your subconscious doesn't know right or wrong, good or bad. It executes at your word. So never say anything negative for yourself. Be careful about your words. Never ever try to play with your subconscious mind.

Marriage & Career In Trouble

The next hypnosis miraclehappened with a man whose marriage and career were both in serious trouble. His problem was his constant irritability and bad temper. He was concerned about this himself, but if anyone tried to discuss it with him, he exploded in anger. He constantly told himself that everyone was picking on him and that he had to defend himself against them.
To counter this negative suggestion, his doctor advised him to do hypnosis. Then he started putting positive suggestion through hypnosis on his subconscious mind. Several times a day, morning, noon and at night prior to sleep, he was to repeat to himself. After a month, his wife and his coworkers remarked on how much easier he was to get along with.

Overcame From Lung Cancer

The another miracle happened with a man who made his health perfect. He overcame an advanced case of lung cancer by hypnosis. The method he used was to visualize all that things what he want to do after overcoming his problem. After practicing a month, he had a remarkable healing. The technique he used is a simple, straightforward way of visualizing the idea of perfect health. Now he is perfectly all right.

Functional Paralysis Cured

There was another man who was suffering from functional paralysis. This man had suffered from a mental block that prevented nerve impulses generated in the brain from reaching his legs and that's why he couldn't walk. Then he visualizes the picture of himself walking around in his office, touching the desk, answering the telephone and doing all the things he ordinarily would do if he were healed. His visualizations was accepted by his subconscious mind. He Had the belief that this will work and it worked.
He continued this and after some weeks, one day, the telephone rang, everybody was out so he tried to reach near the phone to answer that and what he discover that his paralysis vanished from that hour on. His body started working. He achieved what he conceived.

Story of Buddhist Monks

In Ceylon, Buddhist monks every year on the birthday of Gautam Buddha, dance on red-hot burning coal-and they don't burn.

One professor from Cambridge University, a professor of psychology, had gone especially to see it, because he could not believe that it is possible.

But when he saw twenty monks just dancing in the flames, and that they were not burned, he thought, "If these people can do it, why cannot I do it?"

So he tried…just coming a little closer it was so hot that he ran away. He would have died if he had jumped into the pit where the fire was burning and the monks were dancing.

Now, it needs a tremendous effort of hypnosis.

So this was tried on the same boy, because he was a good medium.

Thirty-three percent of the whole population is good mediums, and you should remember this thirty-three percent.

Thirty-three percent of the people are the most intelligent too, and this thirty-three percent is the more creative, most innovative people too.

These are the same people who can go into deep hypnosis; it needs immense intelligence.

People with greater intelligence-if they are ready to go into it-can go to very deep layers. And the deeper the layers are, and then things can be done which look almost miraculous.

With this boy, it was tried by putting a hot burning piece of coal on his hand and told him that it is a beautiful rose flower.

He saw it and he said, "So beautiful, and so fragrant," and it did not burn.

It was tried otherwise also: putting a rose flower on his hand and telling him it is a burning hot piece of coal. He threw it immediately, but it burned his whole hand.

Strange, It was not known that this can also be happen by hypnosis.

Brain Tumor Cured

A 6 year old boy had been diagnosed with a baseball-sized brain tumor and was given 6 months to live.

During this time he created an imaginary universe within his mind, where he was able to fight the cancer.

He imagined himself as Luke Skywalker descending on a hostile planet called "Planet Meatball."

Yes, Planet Meatball. Planet Meatball was his representation of his brain tumor. And, each night before going to bed, he visualized that he was Luke Skywalker attacking Planet Meatball.

He would shoot at the planet with laser guns and dropped bombs on it, disintegrating it bit by bit.

One evening, 6 months later, he destroyed the last little bit of Planet Meatball and announced to his parents that he was cured.

He asked to be taken for more x-rays. His parents pretended to be thrilled, but were incredibly nervous about receiving more bad news.

They took him to the doctor next day. Upon having x-rays, it was discovered that his brain tumor had disappeared.

Now, if this mental tool works on a condition as large and deadly as a baseball-sized brain tumor, imagine of all the other things you could change by using creative visualization for 10 minutes a day!

http://www.cheetu.com/real-hypnosis-stories.html