Autogenic training for depression. How to deal with depression on your own: a step-by-step action plan. These include

According to statistics, almost ¼ of the world's population suffers from various forms of depression. Constantly bad mood, inability to feel joy and happiness, causeless anxiety - these are just the most harmless symptoms of this disease. Few people think that it can ultimately result in serious problems in their personal and professional lives, the emergence of phobias, decreased mental abilities, weakened libido, suicidal tendencies, and deterioration in physical health (from asthenic syndrome to thrombosis).

Hoping that everything will go away on its own, people rarely turn to professionals for help. This only aggravates the situation and leads to irreversible consequences. Although, as practice shows, psychotherapy is a fairly effective method of treatment.

Peculiarities

Psychotherapy for depression involves influencing the patient’s psyche using all sorts of techniques and techniques within various schools, directions and trends. Main tasks:

identify and eliminate deconstructive elements of the psyche;
relieve the main symptoms;
teach the patient to independently cope with depression and control emotions.

The problem is that the mechanism of depression is complex and can affect several levels simultaneously:

vegetative (disturbances of the complex of central and peripheral structures that regulate the functionality of the body);
neurological (diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system);
mental (mental state);
somatoorgan (disturbances in the functioning of individual organs);
somatosystemic (disturbances in the functioning of entire body systems).

In addition, the degree of manifestation of depression at each of these levels is individual. Therefore, the psychotherapy program is selected in accordance with the specific case.

Approaches

Depending on the individual characteristics of the course of depression, the specialist chooses one of the areas of psychotherapy that most successfully cope with them.

Cognitive-behavioral approach

Psychodynamic approach

Psychodynamic psychotherapy sees depression as a result of internal unconscious conflict. For example, a kind and gentle person in the position of boss must constantly show strictness. Or a melancholic person - in the position of a teacher or social worker. The main goal is to identify and eliminate this contradiction. Priority methods are free associations, dream analysis.

Methods

Psychotherapy has a huge number of techniques and methods that can lead a person suffering from depression to recovery. Selection is carried out depending on:

the direction in which treatment is being carried out;
individual characteristics of the patient;
degree of neglect and type of depression;
professionalism of a psychotherapist.

You need to understand that a specialist can choose only one direction and conduct the course of treatment until the very end in accordance with it (for example, only art therapy). But most often, a variety of methods and techniques are used, borrowed from several movements (hypnosis and NLP, operant conditioning and flooding techniques, etc.).

Autotraining (according to Schultz)

The goal is to teach a person to control his own thoughts and emotions, eliminating destructive and traumatic ones. At the initial stage of the disease, this is one of the most effective treatment methods. However, in advanced forms, an increase in depression may be observed when using it. It involves volitional potential and self-focus, so with a high level of anxiety and too low self-esteem, a reverse reaction may occur. Having failed to complete the next task, a person closes down, blames himself and suffers even more. In this regard, the technique is prohibited for use in the treatment of adolescents.

Art therapy

It is used in the psychotherapy of depressive states as an independent direction and as an additional technique within the framework of other trends. Particularly effective when working with children. Has no contraindications. A person opens up, demonstrating exciting moments and conflicts through creativity.

Bibliotherapy

Used in two forms. Non-specific - when reading books is aimed at obtaining pleasure, positive emotions and detachment from problems. Specific - selection of literary works that reflect the essence of a person’s main internal conflict. The goal is to show him, firstly, that he is not alone in his experiences; secondly, to demonstrate possible ways out of the current situation.

Self-hypnosis

The most effective and popular techniques: autogenic training, meditation, relaxation, yoga. Often becomes homework for those suffering from depression. The technique is carried out according to a single scheme: persuasion - suggestion - instruction - reinforcement. Addresses not the problem as such, but the resources and capabilities of a person. Used in child psychotherapy.

Gaming techniques

They are most often used in psychotherapy for childhood depression. They allow you to bring out the child’s fears and experiences that he does not talk about (he does not yet know how to put thoughts into words, he is shy, afraid). Each school offers its own methods:

Freud's psychoanalytic play psychotherapy - can cope with the most advanced forms of depression;
non-directive child-centered play therapy, Axline and Landreth - focused on relationships between children and adults;
freeing, structured play psychotherapy of Levy's response - immersion in a psychotraumatic situation;
building relationships between Allen and Tufts - treatment of depression based on the “here and now” principle;
Containing anxiety Di Cagno, Gandione and Massaglia - working with parents.

Hypnotherapy

Can be used in the treatment of depression, but does not always give positive results. This is due to the fact that the main goal in such a situation is to identify and strengthen positive memories, to create from them new models for assessing oneself and behavior. However, the problem arises at the very first stage: patients cannot find pleasant moments in their memory. An example of dialogue during a hypnotic trance demonstrating this turn of events:

- Remember a moment in life when you felt pleasant, easy, good.
- I can’t remember (as an option: This has never happened).

This is where hypnosis can end, since the main goal has been failed. But this can happen at other stages as well. Suppose the patient still remembered happy moments in his life, but perceived them as a symbol of the futility of efforts, which deepens the painful experience. He compares the joyful and carefree self with today's anxious loser, which can worsen the course of depression.

Therefore, not all specialists undertake to use hypnosis in the psychotherapy of such a disease.

Course of treatment

Many people are interested in the question of how psychotherapists treat depression. Any course can be divided into 4 stages.

Stage 1 - establishing contact

An introduction is made between the psychotherapist and the patient (possibly relatives). The main problem is identified.

Stage 2 - conclusion of the contract

Both parties clearly articulate the goals and objectives of joint work. An approximate lesson program, an action plan, a session schedule are drawn up, the issue of confidentiality of meetings is raised, and personal boundaries are established.

Stage 3 - psychotherapy sessions

They can be carried out on an outpatient basis, in a hospital setting or in a home environment (if the patient needs to create a favorable atmosphere). Forms - to choose from: individual, family, group. Psychotherapy sessions for childhood depression last no more than half an hour; for adults, they can last for an indefinite period of time, but on average they last about an hour. The frequency depends on many factors (the neglect of the case and the method used, for example). So classes can be held either daily or once a week. Minor problems with the right approach and professionalism of the psychotherapist can be eliminated in 3-4 sessions. Advanced forms require more thorough and lengthy treatment, which can take months or even years.

Sessions conducted directly by a psychotherapist can be directive, when he actively intervenes in what is happening, and non-directive - everything is done by the patient himself (drawing, acting out roles, pouring out his soul). Often a video or audio session is used with inspiring affirmations that awaken the desire to live. They can also be organized at home.

Stage 4 - summing up

In a joint conversation, it is analyzed whether the goal has been achieved, whether the tasks have been solved, preliminary results are summed up, how effective the psychotherapist’s help was. The plan for further action is discussed: is there a need for supportive psychotherapy or psychological counseling.

From the world of stars. With the help of psychotherapy, celebrities such as model Cara Delevingne (diagnosed at the age of 15), actress Winona Ryder (suffered from the age of 12), singer Lady Gaga (survived psychotrauma as a teenager), actress Halle Berry (who suffered a difficult divorce) got rid of depression from depression ) and even everyone’s favorite Rock - actor Dwayne Johnson (after failure in his football career).

Advice from a psychotherapist to help cope with bad mood and anxiety in non-advanced forms of depression:

Keep a diary. At the end or during the day, write down exciting thoughts, feelings, experiences, and events that happened.
Analyze the past day, find positive moments even in bad ones, draw conclusions, learn lessons.
Just before going to bed, say 10 “thank yous” to people, events, places for today.
In the evening, create a schedule for the next day with real goals and objectives. Try to follow it strictly.
Every day include in your routine activities that bring joy, happiness, positive emotions (date, get-togethers with friends, going out into nature).
Exercise.
Set aside time every day for creativity, hobbies, to create something with your own hands.
Control emotions and thoughts.
Surround yourself with positive people and bright colors (force yourself to wear an orange sweater, not a black one).

Successful treatment of depression with psychotherapy largely depends on the type and severity of the disease. But one of the most important factors for a successful outcome is the patient’s personal desire to get rid of bad thoughts and an ever-depressing mood. If he was literally dragged by the hand to the appointment by relatives or friends, but he himself does not intend to make any efforts, you should not pin your hopes on a specialist, because he is not a magician. The interaction process must be two-way.

Depression is a vision of the world in gray tones, but the world itself is neither good nor bad. We must decorate it. Auto-training helps to decorate the world in bright, cheerful colors through self-hypnosis of positive life attitudes.

Considering that during times of nervous exhaustion, loss of spirit, and stress, the only way out of the situation is to change your vision of the world, auto-training is considered one of the best means for this, moreover, a person can master this technique himself and practice, improving, all his life.

Principles of auto-training

There is a very good comparison of your consciousness under the influence of auto-training and emotion management. Imagine that asphalt is being laid in the yard. Asphalt is inherently hard, but now it is hot and soft. You can leave a mark from the sole in it, or you can lay out a pattern with pebbles. The same thing happens to your consciousness during two phases of training:

The first phase is auto-training for relaxation. Your consciousness becomes soft and receptive to change.
The second phase is self-hypnosis. You lay out a pattern on the asphalt, which will subsequently harden. In practice, this looks like pronouncing special auto-training formulas, which your brain perceives as instructions

. Carrying out auto-training

Auto-training can be useful not only during depression and various mental disorders, it is also applicable in the everyday life of each of us to raise morale, cheerfulness, and optimism. For example, the most useful auto-training for women is complimenting yourself every day. Such things increase attractiveness and sexuality. Also, auto-training can be used for rejuvenation, or getting rid of bad habits.

Settings

An integral part of auto-training is positive attitudes. They should be short and extremely unambiguous, without “not” particles. For example: instead of talking “I’m not sick,” you should say “I’m healthy.”

Relaxation

But, above all, auto-training affects calm and balance. For example, if you find yourself in a stressful situation where you just want to rip your interlocutor’s throat out of rage, you can tell yourself “Dissolve!” or “All clear!”

Auto-training is carried out in a relaxed state of mind and body. The training begins with you saying to yourself: “I am relaxed,” then from your toes to the very top of your head you relax one part of the body at a time - “my toes are relaxed” (and you feel instant relaxation), “my feet are relaxed,” “my calves are relaxed.” "etc.

Autotraining is a psychotherapeutic technique that you can practice on your own. This method of treatment is effective for various forms of depression, in which there is a decrease in emotional background, depression, sadness, and a tendency to suicidal thinking. Auto-training for depression, in combination with other treatment methods, can significantly reduce the manifestations of a psychosomatic disorder and instill in a person a positive attitude. Before starting auto-training exercises, you should consult a specialist who will familiarize you with the main nuances of the method and, after an examination, will be able to assess the feasibility of using such therapy.

Specifics of treatment

With the development of depression, neurochemical reactions occur in the human body caused by a loss of mental balance. The main task of autotraining is to normalize the mental state, as a result of which it will be possible not only to stop the processes of destabilization, but also to reverse them.

Auto-training for depression has an effect on the brain, similar to hypnosis. The only difference is that hypnosis requires the help of a qualified specialist, and auto-training is carried out by the patient himself and with his active participation.

The principle of such hypnotic treatment is based on the repeated pronunciation of certain phrases - a psychological attitude to which the formed thought processes will subsequently obey.

Rules for conducting auto-training

An effective treatment result is possible only under the condition of complete immersion in a trance, in which verbal constructions take on the form of an order for the individual. If auto-training exercises are performed correctly, the patient experiences personal changes, gains positive emotions and begins to perceive life positively.

Classic Schultz technique

Autotraining according to the Schultz method includes 2 stages:

Relaxation.
Going into a trance state.

To achieve relaxation, a person suffering from depression needs to relax all the muscles, feel the heaviness of the body and the spreading warmth, and establish control over the rhythm of the heartbeat and breathing. To achieve complete relaxation, you should take a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.

At the first stage, you need to pronounce mental formulas that promote complete relaxation. After the heaviness in the body and spreading warmth begin to be felt, you need to begin voicing mental commands aimed at eliminating depressive manifestations of thinking. All spoken phrases must carry a firm conviction of complete well-being. You can choose the words yourself, the main thing is that they have a positive meaning and they help increase self-confidence.

Auto-training for depression helps everyone, without exception, get rid of the signs of the disorder. Everyone is able to choose for themselves an effective option for self-hypnosis. Success depends primarily on the patient’s persistence and regularity of exercises. It is recommended to conduct auto-training daily, in the evening or lunchtime.

Panic attack is an outbreak of causeless fears and worries, which is accompanied by various kinds of physical and mental indicators. They manifest themselves in mental and behavioral activity.
Although it is believed that a panic attack is a consequence of a dysfunction of the nervous system, there is no need to be afraid. A completely healthy person can find himself in such a situation. The reason may be a certain life situation or increased mental and mental work. People don't know how to relax and calm down in a stressful situation. Many doctors recommend using auto-training for panic attacks.
Signs of a panic attack
To develop the right treatment, it is necessary to determine how severe the panic disorder is. Such an attack may occur due to a real danger to human life. Sometimes a fictitious reason arises, which is formed on a subconscious level.
Important! If you do not seek help from specialists in time, such a disorder can develop into a chronic form or lead to mental illness.

When the right treatment is chosen, it is possible to be completely cured. To reduce or completely remove the signs of an attack, it is necessary to help a person regain control of his own psyche.
The symptoms of this disease are similar to those that appear during a heart attack. But this does not mean that the patient has heart problems. Often the consequence of a panic attack is a disruption of the nervous system and brain.
A characteristic feature of such a disease is an outbreak of causeless fear, which can manifest itself in the form of the following bodily signs:
Tachycardia (increased heart rate);
Increased sweating;
Trembling muscles, feeling cold;
Short-term feeling of heat;
Physical or dystonic tremors;
Difficulty breathing, feeling of lack of air;
Attacks of suffocation;
Pain syndrome in the abdominal area with irradiation in the left half of the sternum;
Stool disorders;
Attacks of nausea and vomiting;
Frequent urination;
Feeling of a “lump” in the throat;
Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs;
Disturbed gait;
Impaired hearing and vision;
Dizziness, conditions close to fainting;
High blood pressure.

In some cases, this illness is accompanied by behavioral disorders, which are manifested by the following symptoms:
Feeling of loss of reality;
Detachment from personal mental functions;
Inability to think clearly;
Fear of losing control over one's own actions;
Fear of dying;
Sleep dysfunction.

Attention! If you experience the above symptoms, it is better to seek help from a doctor. Depending on the severity of the disorder, drug treatment will be prescribed or simply the use of auto-training when a panic attack occurs.

Origin of auto-training

Such treatment of certain disorders in the nervous system as auto-training arose in the thirties of the twentieth century. The author of this technique is a famous psychologist and psychotherapist from Germany, Johann Schultz. He proposed the method as a treatment for psychological disorders in 1932. Subsequently, based on his methods, various methods were developed to improve the qualities of the human psyche and physical functions.

What is treated with auto-training?

Over a fairly long period of use of various types of auto-training for attacks, it was possible to determine that this method of treatment does not produce positive effects, and in some cases can lead to negative results in diseases such as hysteria, psychasthenia, hypochondriasis syndrome, obsessive-compulsive malaise.
While a positive effect can be observed when auto-training treats panic attacks in patients with diseases such as neurasthenia, psychosomatic illness, depression, emotional stress.
With the help of auto-training, nervous disorders are treated, but only in the absence of a crisis. For example, when a patient has a panic attack, doing auto-training will help get rid of it. During an exacerbation, the patient should sit quietly and try not to think about anything.
Also, auto-training for fear is used with a positive effect to treat disorders such as:
bronchial asthma;
initial stage of hypertension;
dyspnea;
angina and tachycardia;
a small positive result can be seen in the treatment of stomach ulcers.

Attention! Mainly, psychosomatic disorders are treated with the help of auto-training. Treatment of VSD with this method must be performed all the time, except for moments of crisis.

It is worth noting that before starting treatment with auto-training, it is necessary to understand the real reason for the appearance of a panic attack. For example, if you mean severe depression, then this method is unlikely to help. For treatment to have a positive effect, the patient should not be very irritated, he needs to relax and be interested in what he hears from the doctor, and not argue with him.

If you are sure that you are capable of this, then you have mild autogenic depression. In this case, the auto-training technique will really help. People who actually suffer from such disorders simply do not know how to relax and listen to a specialist, so auto-training will not help them.
Important! You should not use training if you have fears related to your own health. If a person has gotten it into his head that he is sick, for example, with cancer or AIDS, then it is difficult to convince him otherwise. As a result, the use of auto-training during such a panic attack is completely pointless.

Is auto-training necessary for a panic attack?
Anxiety disorders are not a deviation from the norm. Sometimes our psyche is not ready for overstrain. In this case, emotions, thoughts, feelings are blocked in the brain, and everything accumulated appears as signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia. You can call this condition a panic attack. With such a deviation in the functioning of the nervous system, the human body is constantly overstrained. The muscles become toned, the brain is actively functioning, adrenaline goes beyond normal limits.
A person is looking for a way out of the current situation, and the first thing he does is take sedatives (which corresponds to the recommendations of specialists). However, panic attacks return.
After some time, the patient nevertheless finds out that there is autogenic training (in other words, autotraining) and that it can be used in the treatment of a panic attack. When using auto-training, the patient learns to control his own nervous system and feelings, which is important for understanding his internal state, and as a result, for protection against panic attacks.

Action of auto-training

When the panic attack passes, auto-training helps you calm down thanks to the relaxing effect and self-hypnosis. You learn relaxation and calming at home, and then use these skills when necessary. However, simply relaxing is not enough. You need to learn to give commands to your own brain so that it calms down.
However, if feelings go beyond the norm, such commands enter the subconscious with difficulty, since the excited brain tries to find a method of dealing with the imagined danger. In other words, you are telling your brain to calm down, but it is not working because you subconsciously believe that you are in danger. Especially when you have had repeated panic attacks, and dealing with phobias and managing your own condition have become an integral part of life.
When performing some specialized auto-training tasks for neuroses, it is possible to remove the unconscious defense that prevents recovery from outbreaks of panic attacks. The patient falls into a light or moderate state of trance, thanks to which such positive attitudes as “I’m fine”, “nothing bothers me”, etc. gives the opportunity to reach the subconscious.
When you master auto-training skills for panic attacks, you will be able to:
Relieve nervous tension;
Gain access to spiritual potentials;
Be psychologically prepared for possible stressful situations;
Control your own feelings (even during panic attacks);
Engage in self-hypnosis of what is required to bring the condition back to normal.

The trance state is beneficial. A person experiences an involuntary trance every 1.5-2 hours; at this moment, in the brain, all received information is, so to speak, “sorted out” on the shelves. This effect can be observed when you think about it and don’t notice that a lot of time has passed. A feeling of lightness comes, as if a stone has been lifted from the soul. It is in a state of trance that the influence of command words on the subconscious occurs. Only in this case will the command to calm down work.

Results

If you periodically engage in auto-training for panic disorders, over time the block from psychological dead ends in the subconscious is removed.
With proper attention, the human consciousness is capable of healing itself:
The use of relaxation will help reduce signals from the receptive nervous system;
You gain access to your own capabilities, which will give you strength;
Thanks to commands and attitudes, behavioral characteristics change.

Once you experience the impact of auto-training, you will gain an important, memorable skill. In the future, this experience lives with you at the level of reflexes.

How often can the training be used?

Autotraining can be used at any time and countless times. If you approach this treatment with persistence, you will gain the ability to control your feelings, behavior, and mood. The more often you practice, the more experience you have. Over the course of the crescent, you will notice a decrease in anxiety. This is a big plus in solving problems.
If you add insomnia to panic attacks, use auto-training at night. Also do auto-training during your lunch break to regain your strength.

Exercises are best done in a lying position. If this is not possible, use a chair. Sit more comfortably, throw your head back and put your hands, stretch your legs forward. You can close your eyes.
When you relax your muscles, you focus on certain senses. This leads, in a way, to hypnosis. At this moment, you give the subconscious a command aimed at calming and certainty. This is the basis of auto-training. A special text is read to calm the nervous system.
In this regard, the following stages of auto-training under stress are distinguished:
Relaxation.
Self-hypnosis.
Exit from a trance state.

You can download various video lessons that will allow you to master the basics of auto-training. You can add a breathing exercise with manual energy boost to your classes.

Conclusions
Not only people with diseases of the nervous system are susceptible to panic attacks, but also those who simply find themselves in a difficult life situation. A psychiatrist or psychotherapist can help in learning to use a method such as auto-training in the treatment of panic attacks.
Such treatment has many advantages: you will be able to control your own subconscious in stressful situations and learn to manage your feelings if necessary. Auto-training for relieving anxiety and stress is recommended by psychotherapists because it is harmless and has good results.

Considering that during times of nervous exhaustion, loss of spirit, and stress, the only way out is to change your vision of the world, auto-training is considered one of the best remedies for depression, and besides, a person can master this technique himself and practice it, improving, throughout his life.

The first phase is auto-training for relaxation. Your consciousness becomes soft and receptive to change.
The second phase is self-hypnosis. You lay out a pattern on the asphalt, which will subsequently harden. In practice, this looks like pronouncing special auto-training formulas, which your brain perceives as instructions

Carrying out auto-training

Auto-training can be useful not only during depression and various mental disorders, it is also applicable in the everyday life of each of us to raise morale, cheerfulness, and optimism. For example, the most useful auto-training for women is complimenting yourself every day. Such things increase self-esteem, attractiveness, and sexuality. Also, auto-training can be used for rejuvenation, or getting rid of bad habits.

An integral part of auto-training is positive attitudes. They should be short and extremely unambiguous, without “not” particles. For example: instead of saying “I am not sick,” you should say “I am healthy.”

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Autotraining - self-therapy for depression

Specifics of treatment

Auto-training for depression has an effect on the brain, similar to hypnosis. The only difference is that hypnosis requires the help of a qualified specialist, and auto-training is carried out by the patient himself and with his active participation.

The principle of such hypnotic treatment is based on the repeated pronunciation of certain phrases - a psychological attitude to which the formed thought processes will subsequently obey.

Rules for conducting auto-training

Classic Schultz technique

Autotraining according to the Schultz method includes 2 stages:

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The information on the site is presented for informational purposes. Do not self-medicate under any circumstances. At the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor first.

Auto-training for depression

Each person is free to color their emotions in different tones: deep red, pastel pink... However, this does not always work out, and in some cases the gray picture of the world remains unchanged - this condition is classified as depression. It occurs due to chronic stress, exhaustion of the nervous system, illnesses of loved ones and various chronic problems in life.

In this case, auto-training will help you change your attitude towards the world around you and see all its delights again. Moreover, everyone is able to master and apply this technique.

Basic principles and phases of auto-training

Auto-training for depression is a kind of potter’s work. At first, in the hands of the master, the clay is soft and plastic; it can be given different shapes. However, the result is a beautiful vase that is essentially solid. And she is exactly what we wanted. The same gradual changes in consciousness are observed during self-hypnosis.

Stage 1 – maximum muscle relaxation. To begin with, the toes are included in the process. Then we go higher and higher, relaxing the places of frequent “clamps” - the neck and face. Persistently convince yourself that parts of your body are becoming heavier and filled with pleasant warmth. For example: “I feel a surge of warmth in my left hand,” “my fingers are relaxed,” etc. It is not always possible to achieve complete relaxation on the first try. Everything will come in time.
Stage 2 – self-hypnosis, when special verbal combinations (formulas) are spoken to form attitudes.

How is auto-training carried out?

Depression is not the only indication for auto-training. Sometimes it is very useful in certain life situations when it is necessary to recharge with optimism and raise morale. A woman, for example, can significantly increase her self-esteem if she starts every day with compliments to her beloved. Auto-training helps fight bad addictions and get out of depression. It is also able to “stimulate” rejuvenation processes.

Settings

Self-hypnosis is exclusively positive attitudes. A prerequisite: they should not contain the particle “not”. For example, you can say “I am healthy” instead of the phrase “I am not sick.”

Relaxation

Auto-training helps a person control his emotions. And even in critical situations, remain calm and balanced. And if after the next “flight” you are burning with the desire to immediately strangle your boss, you should just say: “Stop!”

Many experts are confident that for depression, auto-training is a necessary component of complex treatment.

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How to deal with depression on your own: a step-by-step action plan

There is an opinion that depression is one of the diseases that cannot be treated, that there is no way to get out of depression on your own. But, fortunately, this opinion is just a misconception, the conclusions of insufficiently educated people. Nowadays, with the right treatment, you can even get out of depression on your own.

How to get rid of depression? How to deal with depression? How to get out of depression on your own? These and many other questions concern relatives and friends, and those suffering from depression themselves. Let's figure out what can be done for this.

When you feel sad and depressed, you want to communicate with the same sad people. But you need to overcome this feeling and try to surround yourself with optimistic people who quickly restore mental strength, so that you yourself have a desire to recover and return to normal life. To achieve this, you need to meet and communicate with people who make your life better and happier at least once a week. It will be difficult at first, but it is necessary. It is worth remembering that emotions have the function of “contagion”, and experiencing positive emotions is useful.

Depression tends to limit your enjoyment of hobbies and activities that you previously enjoyed. In order to overcome this, you need to continue doing what brought you joy. At first, a hobby may not bring satisfaction, but you need to try to imitate joy and pleasure, and soon the joy from your favorite activity will be true.

Step 2: autogenic training

This technique will help in the fight against stress, which quite often accompanies depression. Autogenic training is a relaxation technique that includes a set of exercises that achieve feelings of warmth in the body and heaviness in the arms, legs and torso, and visualization that helps in relaxing the mind.

The methodology is as follows. You need to make sure that your clothes do not restrict your movements and do not put pressure on you - loosen the belt and collar, then you need to take a comfortable position that will not cause muscle tension, and close your eyes.

Having assumed a comfortable position, you need to perform the following exercises in the order in which they are presented:

Awakening of a feeling of heaviness. You need to mentally repeat several times: “My right hand is very heavy.” Having achieved this, we awaken the same sensation in the other hand, then in both hands, in both legs, then in both the arms and legs.
Awakening a feeling of warmth. You need to mentally repeat several times: “My right hand is very warm.” Further - by analogy, as in point 1.
Regulation of cardiac rhythm.
Regulation of breathing rhythm. You need to mentally repeat several times: “I am breathing absolutely calmly.”
Awakening a feeling of warmth in the abdominal area. You need to mentally repeat several times: “My solar weave radiates heat.”
Awakening a feeling of coolness above the eyebrows (forehead). You need to mentally repeat “My forehead is cool” several times.

You need to work on these exercises for about 20 minutes every day for 2.5-3 months. To achieve the best effect, it is recommended to keep a diary in which you need to describe the sensations experienced during the session.

Step 3: progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is also a method of dealing with stress. When performing this technique, first, with the help of concentration, the ability to become aware of the tension in each muscle and the feeling of its relaxation is formed. Next, you need to develop the ability to master the free relaxation of muscles that are tense.

The technique is as follows. You need to take a comfortable sitting position, lean your head against the wall, put your hands on the armrests. First, while inhaling, tension is caused, a feeling of warmth is instilled for 6-8 seconds, then, with a quick and sharp exhalation, the muscles relax within seconds.

The order of muscle tension and relaxation:

hands;
arm muscles;
shoulder area, reach the earlobes;
chest and back area, shoulder blades are reduced;
both feet, reach with your fingers to the middle of the shin;
shins and thighs, raise the heels, fingers do not move;
upper third of the face, wrinkling forehead;
middle third of the face, wrinkling the nose;
lower third of the face, “smile from ear to ear”;
the lower third of the face, as if we were kissing - stretching the lips in the form of a proboscis.

These exercises are worked on for minutes three times a week for 5-11 months.

Step 4: Don't focus on the negative

With depression, a change in outlook on life occurs, namely, attention is focused on negative events: it seems that there are only troubles around, and at the same time there is a feeling that they arise through your fault.

Even when pleasant things happen in life, a person suffering from depression perceives them as exceptional (“This is good, but the rest is terrible”), impermanent (“This will definitely not last long, tomorrow will be bad”). That is, the phenomenon of “depressive bias” is observed. In everything pleasant and good, a person looks for the negative, and negative things are perceived even more negative.

In order to overcome depression, you need to get rid of the habit of darkening all events, you need to think positively, look for the positive and pleasant in everything. To do this, you can keep a diary, where three times a week you write down a list of events, situations, things for which you are grateful, even if these are minor amenities. Example: “I am grateful to the birds outside the window for their beautiful singing, they made my morning ringing and joyful.”

Step 5: hydrotherapy

In addition to the above, methods by which you can get out of depression on your own include hydrotherapy or water treatment. This is a fairly simple and accessible method. There are several types of hydrotherapy procedures, these include:

Hydrotherapy using a shower. Showers come in the form of rain and dust. There are also circular, needle showers, etc.
Hydrotherapy using a bath or whirlpool bath. There is a shared bath and a local one.
Swimming, therapeutic exercises in water.
Hydrotherapy with thermal (underground) waters.
Hydrotherapy with mineral water.
Hydrotherapy by dousing, i.e. hardening procedure.
Hydrotherapy using saunas and steam rooms.

These procedures must be carried out regularly in order to achieve a good effect both in the treatment of depression and to improve the functioning of the body as a whole.

Step 6: good sleep

This is an important component of both treatment and prevention of depression. A full night's sleep is needed so that the body can rest and recover; for this you need to sleep 8-8.5 hours a day.

Sleeping more than 9 hours is less effective, as after a long sleep you will feel tired and drowsy. The best time to go to bed is before midnight, namely 10 pm.

The optimal time to wake up is 6-7 am. If you have difficulty falling asleep, taking a warm bath before bed, massage, and airing the room will be helpful. Warm milk with honey also helps you fall asleep quickly.

Step 7: aromatherapy

Another excellent method in addition to the main treatment of depression is aromatherapy - a treatment that uses natural essential oils. This therapy can be carried out through inhalation (inhaling vapors of essential oils) or as a massage using oils. You can also take baths with oils or make various compresses.

The effect of essential oils is very diverse: they act as antibiotics (slow down inflammatory processes), promote regenerative processes in the body, slow down the development of atherosclerosis, etc. For the treatment of depression, the essential oils of chamomile, lemon balm and valerian are most effective, as they have a relaxing and calming effect.

Step 8: proper nutrition

In addition to the above, an important condition for treating depression is proper nutrition. This does not mean following a diet for depression, but means that there are foods that promote rapid treatment. These include:

Protein-rich foods. This includes chicken, turkey, fish, legumes (beans, legumes), eggs, cottage cheese, and milk. These foods are rich in tyrosine, which increases dopamine levels, which helps reduce a person’s anxiety, which is important in the treatment of depression.
Foods rich in carbohydrates. Not necessarily flour products (donuts, cookies, etc.), fruits and grains are better, as they will not only help fight depression, but will cleanse the body of non-dietary fiber.
Foods rich in vitamin B, namely B2 and B6. These include a variety of whole nuts, seeds, fruits and legumes.

There are also foods that you should avoid if you are depressed. These are alcohol and excess caffeine consumption, they sharply increase glucose levels, which in turn can lead to sudden mood swings.

The most important step

And finally, the most important step in the treatment of depression, which does not have a number because it is the most important, is psychotherapy and drug treatment.

In order for the treatment of depression to be quite effective, a psychologist or psychotherapist individually, depending on the patient’s needs, selects various methods of psychotherapy - these include behavioral psychotherapy, cognitive psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, etc.

When treating depression, the most effective psychotherapeutic methods include behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, since they are capable of reducing the risk of relapse for a sufficiently long period of time and can be used both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital.

These psychotherapeutic methods are aimed at finding solutions and mobilizing the resources of a person suffering from depression, and not at searching for the causes of conflicts. Thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person are closely connected and have a certain effect on the activity of organs and the body.

Thus, negative thoughts further increase depressed mood. Any deviations in social contacts, the cause of which is poor health, further aggravate painful thoughts. This, in turn, causes stress, which makes the situation even worse. Psychotherapy treatment can break this vicious circle.

Please note: all the steps listed above must be combined with treatment for depression by a doctor! Self-treatment of such a complex illness as depression can be dangerous. Be sure to seek help from a psychotherapist!

Depression can also be treated with medication, i.e. a psychotherapist or psychiatrist, if necessary, can prescribe antidepressants, the choice of which will depend on the patient’s symptoms. We hope we have given a comprehensive answer to the question - “How to get out of depression on your own.”

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Autogenic depression

Self-hypnosis and autogenic training

No one doubts the effectiveness of hypnotic therapy - the list of diseases that can be cured by introducing special states of consciousness is almost limitless. However, going to a psychotherapist is a difficult step for many. People would rather go to more traditional doctors than hypnotherapists. Therefore, we consider it necessary to talk in this book about self-hypnosis and autogenic training.

Self-hypnosis, or autohypnosis, is a special state of consciousness that a person induces in himself. How to learn this method? Many people advise first going to a psychiatrist so that he can hypnotize you and introduce a special formula into your subconscious through which you can induce self-hypnosis. But if it is not possible to go to a doctor, you can use a special technique that will help you independently master the technique of self-immersion.

To start, you'll need something to focus your attention on.

You can choose a picture, any thing or point. It is best to use fire - as you know, flame attracts the eye. So if you light a candle and look at it, it will be easier for you to concentrate. Quiet soothing music won't hurt either.

Make yourself comfortable; you can sit or lie down. Look at the chosen object without looking up, take a few very deep breaths and exhalations to relieve tension. Mentally pronounce the suggestion.

For example, while looking at a burning candle, you can inspire yourself with the following: “I look at the fire, and the longer I look into the flame, the heavier my eyelids become. Soon my eyes will close and I will enter a hypnotic sleep.”

The suggestion should be repeated several times. You will feel that your eyelids have become heavy. Close your eyes. When you do this, you need to say a keyword or phrase that you will say whenever you enter a hypnotic trance. For example, you can say: “Now relax!”

After this you should relax. You can start with your feet.

First, tense all your muscles and then shake your leg to release the tension. Do the same with the second leg. Relax the muscles of your stomach and chest, back, shoulders and neck. Then move on to the arms and facial muscles. Mentally imagine that you are going down the stairs into a deep tunnel. You can't see what's below and you don't know how deep the descent is. At the same time as you descend, begin counting down from 10 to 0. At the count of “0,” step off the step onto an imaginary ground. If you want, you can replace the stairs with an escalator or elevator. The direction of movement can also be changed, for example, move up instead of down.

Now that you are in a trance, take your mind off everything and relax. Imagine some beautiful landscapes, nature, in a word, something that brings you peace.

To come out of a hypnotic trance cheerful and rested, you need to say the following: “I’ll wake up now,” and then count to five or ten. When you return to your normal state, you will feel refreshed and gained new strength. If you feel a headache, it can be eliminated through the same suggestion.

If you go into a trance while tired, there is a possibility that the hypnotic state will transition into normal sleep. And if you consider that in a trance state time is not felt, then you risk sleeping the whole day. To prevent this from happening, you need to “book” a wake-up time. Having convinced yourself that you need to wake up at exactly that time, you don’t have to worry and don’t think about the alarm clock: your subconscious is the best clock, it will wake you up on time.

Indications and contraindications for self-hypnosis

There are no healthy people; we all suffer from something. Even those lucky people who seem to be immune to any illness also experience illness, although they do not admit it to themselves.

In other words, there are no absolutely healthy people. Everyone has their own problem: someone is at the mercy of bad habits, someone is not all right with their psyche and nerves. But few people go to the doctor right away - we tend to wait until the disease manifests itself. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the benefits of self-hypnosis - systematically practicing this practice will help you avoid many diseases and improve your health in general. And if you consider that all diseases, as we know, are caused by nerves, autohypnosis is simply a must for everyone.

However, with all this, self-hypnosis cannot be practiced by some people.

Contraindications to autohypnosis

Sometimes self-medication is not possible. The reason for this may be the neglect of the disease or the disease itself, which cannot be treated. For example, those who suffer from acute psychosis should go to a psychiatrist, since such a patient will not be able to recover on their own due to a biased attitude towards their illness.

Autohypnosis should not be used by people prone to depression or suicidal thoughts. In this case, alas, there is no way to do without qualified help.

Sometimes self-medication helps those suffering from obsessive disorders, including phobias. If the disease is not very severe, it is quite possible to recover on your own. But when the disease is advanced, it is better to leave treatment to a specialist. Neuroses include alcoholism, drug addiction and other types of addiction.

Let us first consider diseases caused by emotional disorders.

Such thoughts, of course, are not a disease. However, they can be called the cause of many diseases, and those associated not only with the psycho-emotional sphere. As you know, illness sticks to pessimists, while optimists are almost always in an excellent mood. A person who believes in luck and success always achieves his goals, easily experiences failures and is protected from neuroses and other diseases. A pessimist, on the contrary, constantly experiences anxiety, dissatisfaction with himself and others, anger at the whole world, as a result of which he creates favorable conditions for the development of all kinds of diseases. He has a highly developed inferiority complex, that is, lack of confidence in himself and his own strengths. Very often, behind the feigned bravado and importance, it is precisely the fear of one’s own inferiority that is hidden. A person cannot make independent decisions because he is afraid of failure.

How to learn to think positively? Even if you have discovered in yourself the qualities that were mentioned, do not rush to panic. The situation can be improved. To do this, you need to engage in self-hypnosis, although, of course, you won’t be able to change dramatically right away. You need long and hard training to change your attitude towards the entire world around you. However, if you overcome yourself, rest assured that your health will improve, because optimists recover much faster than those who do not believe in healing.

Why are fears dangerous?

Man is designed in such a way that he is constantly afraid of something. Fears surround us everywhere and have accompanied us since birth. Fear contributes to the development of negativism. Fear of death, fear of getting sick, fear of losing money, being of no use to anyone... You can’t list it all. Fear, which appears in the form of premonitions, often unclear, but unpleasant, is called anxiety. And anxiety contributes to the development of neurosis - the so-called anxious state, when a person is susceptible to outbursts of inexplicable, unaccountable panic. How to overcome obsessive fears using self-hypnosis will be discussed below.

Man is a being sinful by nature. He tends to commit actions that he will later repent of, and admit thoughts that he will later regret. We all have a feeling of guilt, this is quite natural. However, any quality, when it manifests itself too brightly, even if initially positive, becomes negative. Overly expressed conscientiousness brings nothing but negative emotions. Therefore, an exaggerated sense of guilt causes the development of other mental illnesses.

Anxiety, like guilt, can be both natural and abnormal. So-called chronic anxiety is a condition in which a number of negative changes occur. For example, a person’s sleep is disturbed because painful thoughts prevent him from falling asleep. Constantly expecting trouble leads to nervous tension. How to overcome anxiety? There is a fairly effective technique proposed by N. Dunbar. It lies in the fact that a person suffering from constant fears and worries must come up with the worst thing that can happen, after which he convinces himself that this terrible thing will happen now. However, as the alarmist “winds up” himself, convincing himself of inevitability, he becomes more and more convinced of the absurdity and absurdity of the situation. In the end, he can only laugh at himself.

Envy and jealousy

The source of these negative emotions is still the same - an inferiority complex. If a person truly loves and feels that he loves, if he is self-sufficient, then he will not need any evidence of the sincerity of feelings. And he certainly will not stoop to petty suspicions and intrigues. Only weak people who are unable to control themselves are susceptible to jealousy. The same goes for envy. If a person has found his place in life, if he does what he likes, he will have no reason to desire what another has. Although there is an opinion that envy can be white, in fact this feeling has no other color than black. Envy is a negative emotion, so you need to learn to overcome it.

Nervous tension is due to the fact that a person cannot relax, which leads to overstrain.

The latter is fraught with the occurrence of various diseases, both mental and somatic.

For example, stomach ulcers develop due to nervous overstrain, so to avoid this, everyone should learn relaxation techniques.

So, in order to calm your nervous system and relax, you need to get as comfortable as possible on the couch. Sit down, close your eyes and make circular movements with your head: four times clockwise and four times counterclockwise. Relax your shoulders and neck. Raise one leg first, tense it, and then lower it, relaxing it. Repeat the same with the other leg. Raise your right hand, hold it up, and then let it fall freely, do the same with the other hand.

Now that you are completely relaxed, raise your eyes to the ceiling and imagine a circle with a diameter of 1 m. Walk along it with your gaze - four times clockwise, four times counterclockwise. In the same way, imagine a square on the wall, and similarly walk your eyes along its perimeter four times in both directions.

After finishing this exercise, lie still for a few seconds. Think about something good and let your eyes rest. If you carry out such training systematically, you will very soon feel the tension leaving you. You will find peace and inner freedom, and you will feel more relaxed in everyday life. In addition, you will learn to deal with stress without straining your nervous system.

We offer you an effective breathing exercise that will help saturate your body with oxygen. It is used by yogis and is ideal for people suffering from asthma and bronchitis. In addition, exercise will help you relieve mental stress.

Breathing according to the “4-8-4” method is carried out as follows: sit comfortably and relax, keep your back straight, straighten your shoulders. Place your left hand on your knee and raise your right hand towards your face. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale deeply. The inhalation should be very slow and last 4 seconds. Then hold your breath for 8 seconds, release your right nostril and close your left. Exhale as forcefully as possible, pushing all the air out of your lungs. Then inhale through your right nostril, after which you do not breathe for 8 seconds. Exhale through your left nostril. Thus, you have completed the first respiratory cycle.

The exercise consists of four cycles in total. It should be done twice a day, morning and evening.

How to overcome an inferiority complex

A person who does not experience feelings of inferiority can probably be called lucky. Most of us tend to underestimate our own abilities, worry about our imperfections, and as a result experience a lot of inconvenience.

There are plenty of reasons for self-deprecation, starting with your own appearance and ending with your abilities. Many people see shortcomings even where they do not exist. How many of us are happy with our appearance? Some people don’t like being too thin, others have a complex about being overweight, others think they have an ugly face... It’s good if a person learns to accept himself for who he is, or at least put up with what seems imperfect to him. However, we usually try to change something in ourselves, and the result is not always what we want. And what can we say about people who really have serious injuries and physical disabilities! Feeling their own inferiority, they avoid communication, fence themselves off from the outside world and withdraw into themselves.

Many famous personalities have left their mark on history despite physical disabilities. For example, Olga Skorokhodova, who is deaf-blind, wrote the book “How I understand and perceive the world around me.” Possessing a serious physical disability, she nevertheless found the strength to overcome herself and realize herself in life.

How to avoid complexes or overcome them? First of all, you should not focus on what seems to be a shortcoming. This is especially true for appearance. Beauty is a relative concept. Everyone has their own ideas about what is attractive and what is repulsive. Each historical era has had its own concepts of beauty, and fashion is constantly changing. The true essence of beauty is not the outer shell, but what lies inside. “Appearances are deceiving” is not just an aphorism or a saying. It is the soul of a person that is attractive, not his appearance.

Many women and girls are unhappy with their figure. Some people dream of losing weight, others dream of being curvy, and few people accept themselves for who they really are. What kind of sacrifices do young ladies make in order to possess unearthly beauty! Often it even comes to plastic surgery. And only the lazy ones didn’t go on a diet.

If you have similar problems, perhaps autohypnosis will help you get rid of them.

With its help, it is quite possible to achieve the desired figure and appearance!

You may not believe it, but it is true. Psychotherapists have developed a visualization method. It consisted of the following: girls and women who were dissatisfied with their figure spent several minutes before going to bed in front of the mirror. At the same time, looking at their reflection, they imagined how they wanted to look. Gradually, many convinced themselves that in fact their appearance was the ideal, the standard to which they aspired. Thus, many subjects lost their complexes associated with appearance.

Tips for overcoming complexes

How to overcome complexes? After all, you cannot be happy when you constantly feel your own inferiority and inadequacy. Not everyone has enough willpower to ignore this. It is difficult for a complex person to live in society; he consciously tries to isolate himself from other people. As a result, it seems to him that there is nothing worth living, and such thoughts lead to depression, which can even result in a suicide attempt.

People who are fixated on the awareness of their inferiority cannot choose the purpose of life. And it is simply necessary: a person must constantly strive for something, fight for something, in a word, live, and not exist. Only those who have achieved their goal for a long time, overcoming difficulties and obstacles, can fully experience the happiness of achieving what they want.

So, to overcome complexes, it is important to choose a goal. Many people are unconsciously afraid to set themselves any task for fear of failure. These people reason something like this: if it doesn't work out in the end, why do anything at all? What's the point of trying if it's doomed to failure?

Of course, if you set some global goal that is difficult to achieve, it will not be surprising that over time your enthusiasm will disappear and you will not want to achieve what you want. Therefore, you should first set yourself small goals, the achievement of which does not require supernatural efforts. Train yourself to enjoy small victories, then over time you will be able to achieve more. Even after completing a simple task, you will receive an incentive to further work on yourself.

Of course, you can overcome complexes through personal self-reevaluation. To do this, you should engage in written self-analysis. Take a piece of paper and write what you think about yourself.

Give reasons for your reasons and explain why you think this way. It is quite difficult to express your thoughts orally, whereas on paper they acquire orderliness and accuracy. Try to analyze why you have this particular idea of yourself, what influenced your self-esteem? Perhaps you were teased as a child, did you lack communication or parental affection? Or were you overly looked after, not given the right to your own opinion? Think, remember everything - perhaps this way you will find the root of all problems.

Now divide the page into two columns. Write down all your shortcomings in one, and your advantages in the other.

Perhaps as a result, you will come to the conclusion that you have much more positive qualities than negative ones, because you paid attention only to the shortcomings, skipping the advantages. You will understand: what you don’t like can be corrected and adjusted. Until now, you have perceived yourself in an “upside down” form and your personal assessment has been largely inadequate. Self-hypnosis will help you learn to look at yourself objectively.

Getting rid of bad habits

Let's talk about an addiction like smoking. Everyone knows perfectly well that smoking is harmful, that nicotine is detrimental to our health. But it’s one thing to think about the effects of poisons on the body, and quite another to give specific recommendations on how to get rid of a bad habit. Will self-hypnosis help here?

Many people think that by hypnotizing a smoker, you can instill in him a persistent aversion to tobacco, and he will never pick up a cigarette in his life. However, this, unfortunately, is not the case, otherwise no one would have smoked for a long time. Of course, some people quit smoking on their own, with little or no effort. But most suffer, forcing themselves to abstain from smoking for several years, then break down, and everything starts all over again.

The reason why many people fail to quit a bad habit has a psychological aspect. In order to quit smoking, you need to truly believe in success, and not even allow the possibility that the attempt may fail. Believe in your own strength - others give up, which means you will succeed too! If it is difficult to get rid of addiction, you should resort to self-hypnosis. Moreover, the suggestion should not contain an aversion to cigarettes, but the reasons why you need to quit smoking. It is simply impossible to convince yourself of the lack of desire to smoke.

So, if you decide to end your nicotine addiction, start today. Many people believe that it is best to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day, but this method requires a lot of willpower. You can try to knock out the wedge with a wedge. Mark an exact date on the calendar, and two days before it, start smoking twice as much as usual. Even the smell of tobacco smoke will disgust you so much that you won’t even be able to look at the pack. In other words, you choose: either smoke or not. There are simply no other options.

How to resist in the first days after quitting smoking? Those who quit smoking become irritable, hot-tempered, and their appetite sharply increases. There is a danger of gaining excess weight and acquiring another bad habit - overeating. Self-hypnosis will help you avoid all this.

Every time you feel the urge to pick up a cigarette, you need to tell yourself: “I don’t smoke anymore, I don’t feel the need or desire to smoke,” after which you should switch your attention to something else.

When the habit is defeated and you practically do not feel the craving for cigarettes, it is very important not to relapse and not smoke again. The “critical moment” occurs 3 months after quitting smoking and after 1 year. At this time, it is necessary to engage in self-hypnosis, tuning yourself to the fact that addiction no longer has power over you.

How to overcome depression with self-hypnosis

Depression is a real disaster for modern people. Most of the suicides are committed through the fault of this unfriendly “lady in black”. Everyone experiences feelings of depression and sadness, but there is chronic depression that poses the greatest danger. In this state, nothing pleases a person; everything appears in gloomy colors. Negative, gloomy thoughts arise more and more often, life loses its attractiveness.

How to deal with a dangerous condition? First of all, it is recommended to create a “mood change schedule.” On the coordinate plane, plot the entire spectrum of positive emotions along the ordinate upward, and negative emotions from zero and down. However, a schedule is only half the battle; with its help it is easy to control your own emotional state. This method was developed by Hart and is called the “Five Step Self-Correcting Method.” First, you find out the source of anxiety, relax, enter a special state of consciousness and pronounce several self-hypnosis. After that, you wake up and, if necessary, repeat the installation again. This will help you get rid of painful, unpleasant thoughts and avoid depression.

Fear or phobia

Fears and phobias are the psychological problems with which people most often go to a psychotherapist.

Let us remind you how fear differs from phobia. Fear is a completely natural human feeling that can be explained. Let's say a person experiences a completely natural fear of predatory animals, for example sharks. Everything is clear here: a shark can attack, kill or maim. Thus, we are afraid of sharks.

But if a person is terribly afraid of caterpillars, so much so that at the sight of a small insect he almost faints, there is already a phobia. A phobia is an unconscious fear.

How to overcome a phobia? First, let's find out what causes it. A phobia is a fear hidden in the depths of the subconscious, experienced in childhood. Perhaps a long time ago, when a person was little, something scared him greatly. He most likely had already forgotten about the event itself, but the imprint remained for the rest of his life. For example, a small child is punished by being placed in a dark corner and the lights are turned off, which is why he experiences a wild fear of the dark. Subsequently, it is quite possible that he will develop a phobia of darkness and closed spaces.

How to overcome fear

We can talk a lot about the types of fear. However, the technique of overcoming phobias is, in principle, the same for everyone. You need to act as follows: first identify the source of fear, and then eliminate negative emotions.

The problem is that in order to get rid of the fear, you will have to relive the episode of life that caused the phobia. Of course, the procedure is unpleasant, but effective. Emotional neutralization (desensitization) is the only way to eliminate a phobia.

In order to establish the source of fear, you will have to mentally travel back in time (regression was discussed in one of the previous chapters). This method will help you go back to the time when the event that caused the phobia occurred. However, before you “travel into the past,” you need to ask your subconscious if you can go back and relive the shock. If you feel you are not ready for this yet, put off trying for a while and then try again.

Identification of the source is followed by repeated processing of the traumatic event. By reliving a painful incident, you will thus instill “immunity” in yourself, that is, you will not react painfully to fear.

D. Wulp proposed the following method of overcoming fear: a person writes in descending order everything that he is afraid of, and then mentally creates an illustration of his fears. You need to start from the end, because if you immediately plunge into your greatest fear, the subconscious will react with protest.

The Wolpe method is good because it helps to get to the true cause of the phobia. Sometimes our real fears are so disguised that it is impossible to accurately determine what causes the phobia. When a person analyzes his fears, starting from small things, he reaches the true cause. And knowing the enemy by sight makes it easier to neutralize him.

Self-hypnosis instead of diets

This chapter will discuss the problem of overweight and obesity. Scientific and technological progress and general computerization have led to the fact that most of us lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not play sports. On the contrary, psycho-emotional overload and stress attack us from all sides. Many see the only solace in food; food becomes not a means of ensuring survival, but a pleasure with which we reward ourselves and soothe us during periods of failure. A craving for sweets can be a consequence of a lack of love: a person replaces positive emotions with chocolate, cakes and other sweets. This is where the extra pounds come from. On top of that, nervous overstrain has a detrimental effect on metabolism, the disruption of which leads to obesity and diabetes.

Many problems come from childhood, excess weight is no exception. Remember: as a child, you were probably forced to finish everything that was left on your plate. Your parents literally instilled in you the mindset to consume food: “Eat everything, otherwise you won’t be strong,” “Until you eat lunch, you won’t go for a walk.” If adults knew what such “hypnosis” could lead to, they would probably not torment the unfortunate child with demands to eat everything clean.

Overweight can also be a consequence of an inferiority complex.

A person places increased demands on his own appearance, he develops self-rejection, and masochistic tendencies appear. He is sure: since nothing can be done and he will never get closer to the ideal, then he has nothing to lose, he can absorb food non-stop.

How to overcome excess weight

Some people prefer to fight excess weight with the help of diets, but sooner or later strict restrictions on food lead to breakdowns and a person attacks food like a hungry concentration camp prisoner. The kilograms lost with incredible difficulty come back, taking with them a couple more. It turns out to be a vicious circle. Such self-mockery, in addition to everything else, has a traumatic effect on the subconscious, which actively resists violence against the body. Therefore, discard even the thought of diets - they are not only ineffective, but also harmful.

We propose to solve this problem with the help of self-hypnosis and hypnosis. Thought is material, there is no doubt about it. Many people know from their own experience: what you fear will definitely happen. Therefore, the first step is to convince yourself that getting rid of extra pounds is easy, and you will definitely succeed. Losing a few kilograms is actually not difficult, you just need to be confident of success. In addition, you need to convince yourself that no one is forcing you to lose weight, you yourself made this decision. You should inspire your subconscious that living slim is much more pleasant and easier. When losing weight is not seen as torture or torment, but as a means to improve your life, the subconscious will help you achieve your goal, and not get in the way.

The fight against extra pounds should begin by identifying the goals and motives for the decision made. To do this, write down on a piece of paper all the reasons that prompted you to lose excess weight. Firstly, obesity is a disease that leads to rapid deterioration of the body.

Secondly, we are driven to fight extra pounds by the desire to be attractive and beautiful. Naturally, “rolls” of belly fat will not add charm to you. And finally, those who are obese do not have a very comfortable life. Excess weight prevents you from fully enjoying and enjoying life.

So, everything is clear with goals and motives. To achieve results, you should change your eating habits. It is not at all necessary to deprive yourself of delicious food and switch to low-calorie dishes. It has long been noticed that an overweight person has poor eating habits. He eats very quickly, trying to stuff as much food into his mouth as possible. Try to turn the process of satiation into enjoying the taste. Concentrate all your attention on eating. Chew each piece thoroughly, feel all the flavor nuances. You will find that you need much less food to feel full than you are used to consuming.

Death from hunger is terrible, but death from satiety is even more terrible and absurd. Overweight people are more likely to suffer from heart attacks, hypertension, diabetes and other dangerous diseases. Obesity is one of the reasons for the increase in mortality among the world's population.

Metabolic features also play a very important role. It is individual for each of us. By eating in a similar way, one person constantly loses weight, while another, on the contrary, gains extra pounds. Therefore, you just need to regulate your metabolism. This can be done through suggestion. Everyone dreams of eating the way they want and getting fewer calories. To do this, you need to set a formula to your subconscious: “From today I will consume the amount of calories that I need to maintain a weight ten kilograms less than my current one.”

Repeat this formula daily. When you are drawn to the refrigerator for a snack, repeat this attitude to yourself. Come up with some barriers that prevent you from having an unplanned snack, for example, hang a red cloth or piece of paper on the refrigerator where you write down all the reasons why you want to lose weight. Having achieved the desired result, support it with self-hypnosis and do not forget to control your appetite.

How to overcome a headache

Every second resident of Russia suffers from headaches. People of all ages are susceptible to it - schoolchildren and pensioners. For example, women suffer from migraines more often than the stronger sex. Additionally, there are many types of headaches. Due to the prevalence of headaches, let’s look at how to overcome them using self-hypnosis.

The symptoms of migraine are as follows: a person experiences a severe headache that lasts for a long time. At times, he may even experience worsening vision. Before a migraine, visual impairment occurs: everything is seen in a hazy haze.

As for the reasons why migraine occurs, it should be noted that people susceptible to this disease tend to keep all their feelings to themselves. They do not splash out their emotions and are outwardly a little phlegmatic and imperturbable. However, all the accumulated feelings are looking for a way out, which manifests itself in the form of a terrible headache.

Interestingly, migraines are common among fragile, petite women and tall, athletic men. Both of them have character traits such as gentleness, accuracy and diligence.

Another scheme for the occurrence of the disease is also possible. Chronic headaches are often inherited, from mother to children.

Education also plays a significant role: if a child is taught from an early age that all negative emotions must be kept to himself, migraines in adulthood are simply inevitable.

A migraine victim first of all needs to find out the true causes of his illness, and only then take any measures. The patient (as we have already said, women are most susceptible to migraines) must understand that there is nothing wrong with her so-called bad feelings, they are completely natural. Everyone tends to experience anger, irritation, and a bad mood, and it would be much better to throw out all the negative emotions rather than poison your body with them. It is not necessary to destroy furniture and break dishes - you can tell a loved one about your problems, do physical exercise, or, at worst, beat a pillow. In any case, after the discharge, calm will come.

If you decide to do autotherapy, the same principle applies. First you need to determine the cause of the headache. Remember why it arose, perhaps you will be able to establish the true cause of the disease. You can turn to the help of regression: recall the events that preceded the migraine in your memory, scroll through them in your head. The more you “look through” them, the weaker the pain will be each time. You can give yourself a “painkiller” suggestion. It goes like this: “In a few seconds, your head will stop hurting. The heaviness will subside, the blood will drain from the head. Soon the pain will go away and I will feel much better.”

Repeat the installation several times and try to imagine some pleasant event. Think about something good, forget about the headache. You will soon notice your migraines subsiding and you feeling better.

Self-hypnosis in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Psychological stress is the main enemy of our body. And this is not an exaggeration. The list of diseases caused by stress is truly enormous. There are ulcers, gastritis, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids...

Of course, all these diseases can be the result of poor nutrition and other reasons, but the main factor remains emotional stress.

Stomach ulcers are a very common disease and are very difficult to cure. In most cases, surgery is required, as well as a strict diet and appropriate nutritional regimen. However, this does not always help, because the main cause of the disease – stress – has not been eliminated. Emotional stress is a constant companion of an ulcer sufferer. The patient does not know how to distract himself from obsessive thoughts, he is constantly tormented by worries and anxieties, and a constant fear of doing something wrong. Therefore, a person suffering from a stomach ulcer first of all needs a good psychotherapist.

It is interesting to note that the victims of stomach ulcers are nervous, aggressive people who constantly bear great responsibility. First of all, the ulcer affects conscientious employees, doctors and administrators.

If you suffer from this disease, take up auto-hypnosis. Take the first step - learn to relax, put your nervous system in order. You will benefit from meditation and autogenic training, which will be discussed below.

Autogenic training is a set of exercises that are performed either in a state of relaxation or in a special state of consciousness.

It is used for disorders of the central and autonomic nervous system. Autogenic training was developed based on the experience of ancient yogis, research in the field of psychotherapy and the practice of self-hypnosis of various schools of hypnosis.

This training is in many ways similar to autohypnosis, in particular in that its tasks include relieving nervous tension, eliminating negative emotions and getting rid of anxieties and worries.

The creator of autogenic training is I. Schultz. He proposed his method in 1932. The principles of autogenic training were outlined in his work “On the Stages of the Hypnotic State of the Soul.”

How to master autogenic training techniques

Autogenic training (AT) skills are easy to achieve, especially for those who are self-confident and trust the therapy leader. This technique will be mastered more quickly by someone who has a strong motivation than by a person who came simply out of curiosity or to kill time. Anyone who wants to engage in AT must first of all understand what the purpose of attending sessions is and why he needs it. A positive attitude is very important: a person who does not take AT seriously will not be able to fulfill the requirements of the leader, as a result of which there will be no effect from the classes. And, of course, self-confidence and faith in the success of AT are necessary.

Auto-training is harder for people who are not inclined to take anything for granted. For those who always need proof and logical reasoning, it is much more difficult to believe in the success of AT. It is believed that soft, spineless people master AT more easily than self-sufficient and independent people. Individual characteristics of a person’s character play a big role in this. Explosive, impulsive individuals find it more difficult to concentrate than patient and flexible people. Auto-training is most easily mastered by people who are able to trust first impressions and follow their inner voice.

When to do AT

Any business requires consistency, systematicity and consistency. The same goes for AT. For beginners, it is best to follow the instructions of the leader exactly, fulfill all the requirements and rules.

Sessions should take place 3-4 times a day, and it is necessary to do AT before falling asleep. At first, the duration of classes is only 1–3 minutes, but later increases to 30 minutes. If you decide to train on your own, you still need to take part in a group training session at least once a week.

Immediately before the start of the session, you must have a conversation with a psychotherapist. They will explain the physiological basis of the method and tell you about the effect that AT has on the body. Thus, during relaxation of the striated muscles, a special state of consciousness arises in which it is possible to influence various functions of the body. The formulas should be repeated slowly, without straining.

It is best to conduct an AT session in a darkened room with closed windows. You should not be distracted by extraneous irritants or noises. It is best to exercise on an empty stomach, as after eating you always feel sleepy and it is impossible to concentrate. It is not recommended to drink tonic drinks, such as coffee or strong tea. Some people prefer to take a walk in the fresh air before the session - this promotes better concentration and focus.

Pose for autogenic training

The position in which the exercises should be performed should be relaxed. During group sessions, it is customary to sit in the coachman position. You need to sit straight on a chair and straighten your back, and then relax all its muscles. You don't need to lean forward too much. The head should be lowered to the chest, legs apart, hands placed loosely on the knees, elbows rounded. It is better to keep the eyes closed, the lower jaw should be relaxed, but the mouth should be kept closed.

At home, you can do autogenic training in a passive position. To do this, you will need a soft chair or armchair. In this case, the back and back of the head rest on the back of the chair, hands rest on the armrests. Legs bent and spread, toes apart. Hands should not touch feet.

You can also train before going to bed while lying in bed. AT can be performed in any comfortable position, even on the side and stomach. It is important to maintain the selected position throughout the entire workout without changing it.

AT exercises

For each exercise there are certain self-hypnosis formulas. They must be followed, and it is advisable not to deviate from them at least in the first sessions.

While performing this exercise, a person should create a feeling of heaviness. Before pronouncing the basic formula, you should say: “I am calm.” Then the following attitude is pronounced: “My right hand is heavy.”

A left-hander starts with his left hand. When you pronounce this formula, you need to imagine how the muscles of the hand relax - fingers, hand, forearm, shoulder. You should feel as if your hand has become as heavy as lead. Next you should say: “I am calm.” The self-hypnosis formula is said six times, and the formula “I am completely calm” – once. The phrase “I am calm” completes the exercise.

Many people find it difficult to concentrate on the formula. It should be remembered that it is necessary to concentrate on the spoken attitude and not allow extraneous thoughts into the mind. Of course, at first it will be difficult, but with each training it will become easier to imagine the heaviness in your hand, and in the end this feeling will be achieved reflexively. Some people feel heaviness already at the first AT session, while for others it takes several weeks. In any case, if you practice systematically, sooner or later you will be able to achieve your goal.

This exercise is aimed at creating a feeling of warmth. It should be performed only two weeks after starting AT classes. The formula goes like this: “My right (left) hand is warm.”

The whole exercise looks like this:

My body is heavy (1 time).

My right hand is heavy (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).”

Subsequently, the exercise to create a feeling of warmth extends to the legs, and the wording sounds like this: “My arms and legs are heavy and warm.” If you feel that sensations of heaviness and warmth are easily evoked in your body, then the exercise has been completed successfully.

This exercise is aimed at stabilizing the heart. It is performed with the previous two, and should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. This is necessary as some side effects may occur. The formula for the exercise is: “My heart beats evenly and calmly.”

People suffering from low blood pressure should say a different attitude: “My heart beats evenly and strongly.”

The formula is pronounced after instilling heaviness and warmth. The right hand should be placed on the heart area, and the formula should be spoken to oneself 5-6 times. In this case, you need to count your pulse.

If you have arrhythmia or other abnormalities in the functioning of the heart, you should choose a different installation.

However, if you do not have the opportunity to conduct autogenic training in special classes, you can use the following simple formula: “My heart beats smoothly, my pulse is full and calm.” It is recommended to repeat the same attitude for people prone to increased emotionality.

The general formula for the heart is:

“I am completely calm (1 time).

My right hand is heavy (6 times).

I am completely calm (1 time).

My heart beats smoothly and calmly, my pulse is calm and full (6 times).

I am completely calm (1 time).”

There is a formula for getting out of this autogenic state. It must be pronounced when the previous formula has already been spoken: “My arms are tense, my breathing is deep. I open my eyes. I relax my hands."

The exercise is considered successfully completed if it ultimately manages to influence the heart rate.

This is an exercise to control your breathing. With AT, some changes in breathing are noted, it becomes smoother and deeper. The following formula is used for self-hypnosis: “My breathing is smooth and calm.”

It should be noted that you can use both the standard formula (“I am completely calm”) and the more concise formulation: “Perfect peace.” The choice of option depends on which one you like and suits best.

The exercise goes like this:

“I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My right hand is heavy (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My right hand is warm (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My breathing is even and calm (6 times).”

While performing this exercise, you should fully concentrate on your breathing. You can imagine how easy it is to breathe in a pine forest or in the morning after rain.

This is an exercise for the solar plexus. It helps normalize the functioning of the abdominal organs. The solar plexus is also called the abdominal brain. It is located midway between the end of the sternum and the navel. In this area there is a nerve plexus center that controls a person’s well-being.

Solar plexus training is recommended to be carried out within two weeks of AT classes. The formula for the solar plexus looks like this: “The solar plexus is warm. It radiates warmth."

First, a feeling of heaviness and warmth is evoked in the body, a steady heartbeat, deep breathing, after which the formula for the solar plexus is pronounced. It is also repeated 5-6 times, and at the end - twice 6 times. The exit from autogenic immersion is the same as in the other exercises: “My arms are tense, my breathing is deep. I open my eyes. I relax my hands."

This is a head exercise. It helps to create a pleasant cool sensation in the forehead. Usually this exercise is easier to master than the previous ones, since this state is familiar to many. It is enough to remember the feeling of pleasant coolness when the room is blown by a light breeze. The formula for the sixth exercise is: “My forehead is pleasantly cool.”

It should be noted that changes to settings are not allowed in AT. Let's say you think that this formula can be converted into the phrase “My forehead is cold.” It would seem that one word has been replaced with a synonym, but such a replacement can lead to headaches, migraines and even dizziness, since the blood vessels of the brain narrow and the cells experience oxygen starvation. Therefore, it is better to remember the formulas in which they are given:

“I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My right hand is heavy (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My right hand is warm (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My heart beats evenly and calmly (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My breathing is even and calm (6 times).

I breathe evenly and deeply (1 time).

My breathing is calm and even (6 times).

Solar plexus is warm (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My forehead is pleasantly cool (6 times).

I am absolutely calm (1 time).

My forehead is pleasantly cool (6 times).”

This complete formula should be recited until autogenic immersion becomes a skill. After this, you can use abbreviated formulas:

“Perfect peace – heaviness and warmth.”

“The heart is calm, the breathing is even.”

“The solar plexus is warm.”

To exit autogenic immersion, the following formula is used: “Bend your arms – inhale – open your eyes – relax your arms.”

The Schultz method is by no means the only AT method. There are a number of other techniques, each of which has its own characteristics. For example, psychotonic training developed by K. Mirovsky and A. Shogam is interesting. If conventional AT is aimed at relaxation and calming, then this technique, on the contrary, is intended to achieve the opposite effect.

It is needed to stimulate the body and increase its tone. In this AT there are practically no exercises for relaxation, but activating exercises occupy the main place. Before the mobilizing formula, you should say a relaxation mindset: “I am calm. Nothing distracts me. I am completely calm."

The activating formula sounds like this: “A slight chill occurs in the shoulders and back. My muscles become elastic and strong. They are tense and become hard as steel. I'm focused and fully prepared to fight."

Typically, psychotonic training is used in sports. There are varieties of this AT: psychomuscular training, psychophysical training, emotional-volitional training and many others.

Some AT formulas for healing the body

AT is an excellent method not only for relaxation (during training a person relaxes and gives his body the opportunity to rest), but also for normalizing the functioning of the body. Here are some settings that will help eliminate various mental and somatic disorders.

AT for mental peace

Since we have already talked about the harmful effects of stress on the functioning of the entire body, we will give a formula for restoring mental balance. If you are nervous all the time, worry, if your work imposes responsibility on you and you cannot part with problems, this attitude will help you:

“I am absolutely calm and peaceful.

My life is joyful and full of pleasant events.

I am reliably protected from problems and difficulties.

Systematic repetition of this formula will help you calmly respond to any troubles, even those that previously seemed insurmountable to you. You will be able to soberly assess the situation and get out of stress with the least harm to the nervous system.

How to deal with insomnia

The problem of falling asleep worries both the elderly and the young. The reasons for this lie in excessive stress at work and school, constant anxiety and other psycho-emotional overloads. But sleep gives the body the necessary rest, which cannot be replaced by anything.

If you suffer from insomnia, repeat the following formula before going to bed:

“My head is free of thoughts.

I don't think about anything, nothing worries me.

I feel at peace. I am calm and want to rest. My eyes close, my eyelids heavy as lead.

I am calm, I want peace. I'm falling asleep."

AT against colds

There is hardly a person who does not want to be healthy. Someone is lucky and avoids a cold. And some “lucky ones” are simply overcome by endless illnesses. Meanwhile, a cold can be driven away with the help of AT. People who have completed AT courses can walk without outerwear in winter without fear of getting sick. All this is because they know how to make the body immune to cold.

Practice inducing a feeling of warmth using the following settings:

“My skin feels pleasantly warm.

I don't care about the cold.

The wind doesn't affect me.

My feet are pleasantly warm.”

How to quit smoking with AT

Smoking can be called a psychological addiction. This is a reflex action and can be suppressed through suggestion. Of course, many will say that they tried to quit smoking by force of will, but after some time they returned to the addiction. However, effort alone is not enough.

According to one method, a patient who intends to quit smoking must record the time of day when he picks up a cigarette while smoking and rate the pleasure of smoking on a five-point scale. Usually the highest score is achieved after five cigarettes, so the smoker concludes that he does not need more than this amount.

You need to overcome yourself, and part with the cigarette once and for all.

With the help of AT, many people were able to quit smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked. However, if the mindset to get rid of the habit is not strong enough, you will not be able to give up cigarettes.

A person must really want to quit smoking and be patient so as not to stop halfway.

A quitter should remember the following formulas:

“Smoking is poison. Smoking is bad for me. Giving up cigarettes will give me joy and satisfaction. I don't need cigarettes."