Some people call it the 'pits' and some people call it the 'blues' and some call it 'feeling down in the dumps'. But whatever you may call it, being depressed is a terrible feeling. The most common types of depression are:

Major Depression, which is characterized by sadness, sleep disorders, and the lack of desire for food. Often when an individual is in a state of major depression, there is a total lack of drive and motivation and the sufferer doesn't want to participate in life. Some people are rendered completely disabled by depression, and some individuals even consider suicide. 

Dysthymia: This is a less severe form of long-term depression that typically does not totally disable the individual. But it keeps the person from feeling motivated and functioning at their best. Sometimes people who are struggling with Dysthymia also suffer from Major Depression, and when this occurs it is referred to as double depression. 

Manic Depression is also known as Bipolar Disorder. This type of depression is not as common as major depression or Dysthymia. It involves phases of the manic state, alternated with the depressed state. This is often a long-term recurring disorder. Sometimes the mood swings occur suddenly. But generally speaking, onset tends to be gradual. 

There are many variations of depression; the above are only three of the most common. 

Some symptoms of depression include: 

Pessimism; sadness; anxiety; insomnia and sleep disorders; feelings of worthlessness; guilt; restlessness; weight loss; pain; fatigue; headaches; and thoughts of suicide. 

Sources of Depression:

Many types of depression run in families. Living in a stressful environment can lead to depression. A trauma such as financial trouble, a serious loss, or relationship problems can also lead to depression. 

Women are twice as likely to become depressed as men are, but we do not yet know why. 

If you suffer from depression, you will want to consult with your physician. Your healthcare provider may prescribe drugs for you. But you should keep in mind that every medication causes side effects. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could control and eliminate your depression just by having certain thoughts? I know that this sounds too good to be true, but quite frequently, many types of depression are simply caused by having negative thoughts. 

You can see this for yourself at this very moment. It is really quite basic and simple. Just use your imagination to think about something that you find very troubling or sad. Go ahead, think about it right now! Then return to this article. 

Okay, so what happened? If you really got into it and visualized the sad situation, you began to feel unhappy and a little depressed. And the longer you permit yourself to stay in that pattern of thought, the sadder you'll feel. As you continue having sad thoughts and keep feeling sadder, you lead yourself into a gradually deepening depression. 

The good news is that if you think about a positive thought, then you'll supplant that sadness and depression and have happy feelings instead. 

Listen closely now, because here are the solutions to eliminating your depression: Our persistent thoughts emerge from our unconscious mind. These are the thoughts that we find ourselves repeatedly thinking about throughout the day. 

If the persistent thoughts that are continually popping into your head are about your problems or sad experiences, then you raise your levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. 

But here is the 'Light at the end of the tunnel': Since hypnosis can be used to alter our unconscious thoughts, NLP and self hypnosis stress management programs will rapidly alter the way that you feel, think, and behave. The best part is that the exact same techniques that help reduce stress also work as well for eliminating depression!

Listen to me now, because I'm going to tell you exactly how and why it's going to happen. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind. Specifically, it's the Alpha state of consciousness. We pass through the Alpha state as we are falling asleep at night. And we pass through it once more as we awaken from sleeping. We also enter the Alpha state when we are daydreaming and imagining.

The unconscious mind is the seat of our emotions, and it's similar to a computer; the input controls the output! Hypnotherapy is an excellent tool for engaging directly with the unconscious mind and reprogramming it to automatically divert you from negative thoughts, and towards positive thoughts. It is a tool that allows you to bypass the consciousness to create positive expectations, which will in turn generate positive feelings. You can beat your depression through hypnotherapy.

Alan B. Densky, CH is an NGH certified hypnotist. He has helped thousands of clients since 1978. He offers MP3s for self-hypnosis therapy for depression. Visit his Best Hypnosis Downloads self hypnosis site for the hypnosis article index, or watch his free videos on hypnosis.

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