Hypnosis for Depression: Understanding Its Role and Limitations

Hypnosis has been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms, but a person cannot simply be hypnotized into believing they are happy and have their depression "cured." Overcoming depression involves a multitude of factors including psychological therapies, lifestyle changes, medical treatments, and personal work. While hypnosis may potentially aid these steps by facilitating relaxation reducing the severity of depression for those already seeking treatment is limited in overcoming more deeply rooted aspects of the disorders.