Hypnotherapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Professional hypnosis treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) at the Wombourne Clinic in Wolverhampton

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern which tends to occur at the same time each year, usually during the winter time leading to it also being known as “Winter Depression.”

The symptoms often begin in the autumn as the days start getting shorter and become most pronounced during December, January and February.

In most cases the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder begin to improve in the spring before eventually disappearing.

As with other types of Depression, the two main symptoms of SAD are a low mood and a lack of interest in life.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

As with all forms of depression, the main symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder include a low mood and a loss of interest in normal everyday activities.

Other symptoms can include:

• Feeling irritable
• Feelings of despair
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Low self-esteem
• Indecision
• Crying, often spontaneously
• Feeling stressed
• Loss of Interest in Sex

For many people, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be difficult to live with and it can have a significant effect on day-to-day life.

If you think that you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or any other Depression related problem, we urge you, in the first instance, to consult your Doctor prior to consulting for any kind of therapy with us.

What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?

The exact cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder isn’t fully understood, but it has been suggested that it is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days of the year.

One theory is that light stimulates a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which controls mood, appetite and sleep.

Whilst this seems like a reasonable idea it doesn’t explain why some people are affected by the dark winter nights and others (in fact the majority) are not.

Seasonal Affective Disorder may be impacted as much by limiting beliefs as by the reduced amount of sunlight, indeed, SAD may be the product of unhelpful thinking in itself!

Hypnotherapy for SAD

Hypnotherapy can be particularly effective for helping people to locate and then use many of their own inner strengths and resources to combat the problems associated with seasonal affective disorder.

In this respect, hypnotherapy helps a person to ‘help themselves’ in very much the same way as other therapeutic approaches.

Taking anywhere between 6 and 10 sessions, hypnotherapy for seasonal affective disorder involves understanding how your earlier experiences, core beliefs and values have played a role in forming and reinforcing your problem.

Hypnosis itself is very relaxing and allows you to explore memories and experiences related to your winter depression that you might want to re-think in order to produce more positive responses and outcomes.

Hypnotherapy for Young Adults

Research into 18–25-year-olds seeking therapy found that there are a number of barriers to help-seeking including difficulty identifying the problem, concerns about stigma, preference for self-reliance and uncertainty about where to go for help.

At Wolverhampton Hypnotherapy we have developed two distinct pathways to address these specific limitations, firstly a page dedicated to hypnotherapy for young adults and secondly, a page outlining how parents can help their son or daughter access therapy without taking-over or imposing the need for therapy upon them.

Initial Consultations for SAD

Joan offers all prospective clients a low cost (£30) initial consultation to discuss your winter depression.

During this 50 minute consultation Joan will discuss the various options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

At Wolverhampton Hypnotherapy we understand the importance of the therapeutic relationship and so place a great emphasis on being able to meet PRIOR to agreeing any kind of help.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking therapy with us, including both the financial, work-load and personal implications.

E-mail joan at:

Joan@WolverhamptonHypnotherapy.co.uk