Thanks to wars, crime, relationship difficulties, financial problems, and chemical imbalances, depression has become a common thing today. The term "depression" can be defined as a mental state (or condition) that is characterized by lack of activity and a negative sense of self.

The term "juvenile delinquency" is quite common today. Have you ever wondered why this is so? Well, researchers say that depression is the most important cause of juvenile delinquency. Inability to meet the expectations of one's parents, jealousy, and failure in love are some of the major causes of depressive behavior.

Depressive behavior gives birth to a number of problems. Excessive intake of liquor, as well as violence and addiction to narcotics are some of the most prominent side effects of depression. Careers are ruined and many families are shattered when people fall prey to the problem of depressive behavior. Not only does the quality of life of the depressed person become pathetic, the lives of the people around them can become miserable.

Depression poses innumerable threats to our health. According to a survey, people who are prone to depressive behavior are more obese compared to people who are happy. The ability of a person to make decisions largely depends on his mental health; and there is scientific evidence to the fact that depression hinders the proper functioning of the human brain. There are hundreds of thousands of adolescents and middle-aged people who commit suicide every year. And once again, depression is the very cause behind this.

Before we move on to the subject of depression treatment, let's first take a look at the various symptoms of a person who is depressed. Lack of sleep (or insomnia), failure to make sound decisions, mood swings, abusive use of drugs, sadness and pessimism are some of the most common symptoms of depression.

Manic-depressive disorder, which is commonly known as "manic depression" is another result of mental imbalance. Most of the symptoms associated with depression are also symptoms of manic depression. Clinical depression is the term that doctors use to describe the more severe cases of depression, which may include a desire to commit suicide.

There are some tried and tested methods, which serve as "depression help" tools. The first method usually resorted to are the various drugs on the market, and in some cases drug therapy is warranted. But drugs often have negative side effects, and in many cases, depending on the source of the depression, there are other forms of help available.

The good news is that depression can often be cured without the use of drugs. Medical science has proven time and again that the use of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy can help cure this disease. The roots of this ailment lie deep down inside the human mind - what we generally refer to as the "unconscious mind".

Hypnosis is the Alpha state of consciousness. We pass thorough this Alpha state as we are falling asleep at night. And we pass through it again as we are awakening in the morning. We also enter the Alpha state when we are deep in a memory visualizing and imagining what occurred in that memory. Hypnosis is actually the opposite of sleep. When a person is in hypnosis, they are wide-awake and aware of everything around them. Hypnosis helps to provide direct access to the source of the negative thoughts within the unconscious.

Many clients who are suffering from mental depression have been able to lift the depression after several sessions of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy relies on the use of visualization and post-hypnotic suggestion to treat mental depression. Today, consulting hypnotists make use of dozens of hypnotherapeutic and Neuro-Linguistic techniques to help clients automatically divert their minds from thoughts that depress them, to thoughts that both relax and empower them.

Clients are often taught self hypnosis, which enables them to reinforce the work that the consulting hypnotist has started. Clients are often taught how to make use of autosuggestion to ward off negative thoughts. Many people have cured themselves using self hypnosis.

Decisions made in the past affect our present and even our future to a great extent. The bad news is that one cannot change the fact that those decisions were made. But the good news is that hypnosis can help a person to release the past and move ahead with positive expectations.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP (as it is better known as) is an excellent technique for changing what we are thinking at the unconscious level of mind. NLP has helped millions to achieve happiness and success at personal as well as professional levels. NLP is effective for one and all because it doesn't rely on the use of post-hypnotic suggestions, which can be consciously resisted. NLP relies on using the same exact thought processes that created the depression, to eliminate the depression.

In summary: Hypnosis coupled with NLP can provide a powerful pair of weapons in the war against depression. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind that we pass through dozens of times everyday. One of the best things about hypnotherapy is that it does not rely upon the use of drugs. In many instances people have merely thought themselves into a depression. And in those cases hypnosis can be used to help them rapidly think themselves out of the depression and into a more balanced state of mind. Therapy can be expensive, and affordable hypnosis treatment CDs can often provide a powerful form of relief.

Alan B. Densky, CH is a certified consulting hypnotist and NLP Practitioner. Mr. Densky began his career in 1978, and has help thousands of clients over the years. He offers self-hypnosis CDs for a wide variety of topics including depression treatment, stress management, weight loss, smoke cessation and self-confidence. You are welcome to visit his free hypnosis article library, or watch his free video hypnosis collection.