Smiling Through Depression Even Though it’s a False Smile

Smiling through depression, even though it’s a false smile, actually helps. The action of smiling, signals the brain to produce some happy chemicals.

Depression is a common psychological disorder and the truth is, anyone can become depressed. Some people find it hard to hide their feelings, while some just grin and bear it.

I think the word depression is used lightly or even flippantly. A bit like the word love. Being in love with your partner and loving a new car for instance. Same word different depth of meaning.

For the majority of individuals, feeling a bit low, or a bit down are

feelings that don’t usually last very long, they tend to pass soon after the issue, worry or memory has faded.

However, depression is more than just feeling a little low, unhappy, bored or fed up. Depression can be brought on by any number of reasons, the loss of a loved one, financial worries, divorce, losing your job, or medical conditions such as a thyroid disorder. If the depressive feeling doesn’t go away after a short time, or they start affecting your everyday life, it could be time to seek professional help.

Clinical depression is the more severe form of depression, also known as Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

According to research, approximately one in four people in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem at any one time throughout the year, with depression being one of the most common types.

And then of course there are variants on the theme:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Individuals suffer symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder during a specific time of year, usually winter.

Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder is often considered a “mood disorder” and not a form of depression. However, Bipolar disorder is characterized by moods that swing from depression (severe lows) to manic episodes (severe highs).

Dysthymia or Chronic Depression. Dysthymia is considered a milder form of depression than a major depressive disorder because its symptoms usually last longer. However, it can often be the more debilitating of the two.

Postpartum or Post Natal Depression.

After childbirth, hormonal changes in a woman’s body may trigger symptoms of depression. More than half of the women suffering from postpartum depression will experience it again with the birth of another child.

There have been many high-profile celebrities speaking out on Postpartum Depression in recent years, perhaps having been thrust into the spotlight by Brooke Shields in 2005. Her open and candid admission of her condition was followed by a blistering and thoughtless personal attack delivered publicly by Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise has made public his disdain for psychiatry, and the mental health profession in general, and I am sure some will agree that Mr Cruise has ego and ignorance in equal measure. Let’s move on shall we?

It’s a normal human condition to feel down once in a while, but if you feel sad most of the time and it affects your daily life, you may have clinical depression.

With the right support and treatment, such as medication, counselling and hypnotherapy, many people can overcome or at least manage, this common mental health condition.

Hypnotherapy for depression

Hypnosis has become widely recognised as an effective treatment for many individuals with depression. Recent studies have shown that hypnotherapy is more effective than cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) which in the past, was the most common therapy approach in treating people with clinical depression.

The aim of hypnotherapy in treating depression is to target the root cause of the issue and to develop better coping mechanisms.

In many circumstances, people forget or suppress, the cause of their depression because of the association with negative feelings. It’s not difficult to forget an event on a conscious level, but it is difficult to forget on a subconscious level. Hypnotherapy connects directly with the subconscious mind and can therefore address or reframe the perception of an event that may have triggered the depression. Hypnotherapy can improve self-esteem, and mood and help the client to regain control, independence and emotional freedom.