All people experience moments of sadness. For most people, these feelings last for only hours or days. Up to one-fifth of the world’s population, however, suffer from clinical depression, in which these moods last several days, weeks, or months. These moods cause the person to develop impaired performance in work, family, or social relationships, which can become severe.

Females who have signs of depression when they become pregnant are sometimes diagnosed with perinatal depression. This problem can begin any time after a woman becomes pregnant, and up till the baby is one year old. Typically, however, those who encounter this condition after childbirth are diagnosed with postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression or postpartum depression is linked with a number of factors. These factors may be physical. For instance, women who have a personal or familial history of clinical depression or other mental health problems are more likely to experience perinatal depression or postpartum depression. Moreover, alterations in hormone levels after childbirth, like decreases in estrogen and progesterone levels, can cause this condition. Postpartum thyroid problems may result in signs of depression such as tiredness, irritability, and hopelessness.

Often, mental depression results from emotional issues. Women often feel tired and overwhelmed in learning to manage the needs of the new infant. These feelings are often increased by a lack of assistance from family, friends, or significant other. Money issues can also contribute to the development of postpartum depression.

Perinatal depression and postpartum depression may have serious results for both the mother and her new child. Worry and depression can hinder a mother from connecting fully with her baby or being able to meet her infant’s physical and psychological requirements. This can further compound the mother’s feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and self-doubt.

The baby is also harmed by the new mother’s issues. Failure to bond with his or her mother can cause the infant to experience trust issues in emotional relationships throughout life. Moreover, children who do not get their physical or psychological requirements met typically fail to grow and develop properly. This condition, described as “failure to thrive,” can be very serious or even deadly to the baby.

Perinatal depression or postpartum depression can affect the entire family. The spouse or significant other may feel neglected or powerless to help these depression symptoms. This may irreparably wound their partnership. Older children in the family often experience comparable emotions, and develop academic or peer problems as well.

Depression damages the entire family. Therefore, women experiencing perinatal depression or postpartum depression ought to seek depression treatment as soon as possible. Many treatments are available, such as talk therapy and drug therapy. Medications, however, can be dangerous for nursing babies, and sometimes yield erratic outcomes because of the tremendous hormone variations a mother experiences during these hectic months. Furthermore, traditional counseling approaches are usually time-consuming and costly.

Two approaches for dealing with depression that do not require medications and can rapidly demonstrate incredibly effective outcomes are hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Traditional Hypnotherapy is most effective for persons who are easily hypnotized or can accept suggestions without needing to critique or understand them. Ericksonian hypnosis is quite effective for clients who tend to overanalyze. These techniques aid people to relax and eliminate tension.

For clients who are more critical or analytical thinkers, NLP is often more effective. With this technique, trained practitioners give individuals depression help by coaching them to restructure their mental processes. This approach can, quite literally, assist a client think through the depressive mood and conquer it.

Individuals can conquer depression by learning NLP techniques like anchoring. They are taught to focus on situations when they were happy and in control of their circumstances. Recalling the event revives these emotions. Clients are taught to put two fingers together and remember these emotions. The unconscious mind relates the touch of the two fingers with the emotions. Therefore, the finger touch becomes an “anchor.”

Then, if the client starts to become overwhelmed, he or she triggers the anchor by touching these same two fingers together again. This brings back emotions of self-control and creates empowerment.

Through another approach called the Flash, people learn to think away harmful emotions. They instruct their unconscious minds to automatically exchange positive thoughts for negative ones. When negative thoughts develop, the brain automatically substitutes them for positive responses. After developing this strategy, people find it nearly impossible to think negative thoughts!

Summary: Perinatal depression and postpartum depression can have disastrous effects for a mother and her new baby. The rest of their family may also be profoundly affected because of these problems. Because of the possible gravity of the results of this disorder, women with depression ought to seek treatment as soon as symptoms begin. Two quite effective strategies that do not use medicine or great outlays of time and money are hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Alan B. Densky, CH specializes in stress and depression related symptoms as an NGH certified hypnotist. During his 30-year career he has helped thousands of clients. He supplies hypnotic depression therapy CDs. Visit his Neuro-VISION self-hypnosis site for the hypnosis article repository, or watch his free video hypnosis collection.

– Alan B. Densky, CH