TO YOUR HEALTH Hypnotic Help for Seasonal Affective Disorder
BY BETH CHARBONNEAU, LCSW-C The long, dark nights of winter, bare tree branches and colder tem- peratures might be delightfully inviting to some people that long for more rest and quiet, ready to cozy up with blankets and books for a while. But for others, it can be a disheartening time of year — the long nights can seem oppressive as they feel antsy or sluggish after being stuck inside all the time, frustrated in their melancholy or agitation. This condition has a clinical term known as Seasonal Affective Dis - order (S.A.D), also sometimes called the winter blues, and it impacts millions of Americans every year, with higher rates among women than men, as well as for people already living with depression. Researchers aren’t completely sure how S.A.D. works, but believe that the reduced daylight hours impacts both melatonin and serotonin production in the brain, leading to the common symptoms of low en- ergy and mood, problems with sleep, and difficulties with concentra - tion. There are a variety of strategies for managing S.A.D. and improv - ing wellness throughout the winter months. Many people find light therapy very helpful, as well as getting exposure to the daylight that is available. Physical activity, psychotherapy and medication are also proven treatment options and supports. In addition to these wonder- ful options, hypnosis can help provide a boost in lightening the load of dealing with S.A.D. Hypnosis for S.A.D. There are a lot of misconceptions about what hypnosis is and is not. Simply put, it’s a focused state of relaxed awareness. In this re- laxed, focused state, helpful suggestions may be more easily and read- ily absorbed. Many hypnotherapists believe all hypnosis is essentially self-hypnosis — the client is always in control over what suggestions they wish to take in and also their own depth of absorption in the
trance. A good hypnotherapist can help facilitate that for a client, with custom suggestions tailored to be optimally helpful for each individ- ual; but ultimately, the client is in full control. Hypnotherapy is all
about helping clients ac- cess inner resources, and learning self-hypnosis is a key element in this. Some elements of self-hypnosis can be used by anyone, even without any formal hyp- nosis experience, and may be useful for reliev- ing some of the difficul - ties of S.A.D. When we can intensely imagine an event, using all of our senses, we can have the experience of feeling, in this moment, how we feel in that event that we are intensely imagining. While this can be a chal- lenging thing when we are stuck in our thoughts, ruminating about a neg- ative experience, it can be of great benefit by
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