We are gradually coming to the end of the summer months in the Western hemisphere.  It has been a mainly cool summer here in the UK with abnormal amounts of rain and wind, and the signs are that we will have an early Autumn.  The trees and flowers in my garden are already starting to turn, even though we are only at the end of August.

At this time of year, I expect to see fewer clients looking for help with Weight Management, but instead an increase of clients reporting feelings of being low, even depressed, as the days draw in. 

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is classified as a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people in the UK every Winter, usually between September and April, but particularly during the darkest months of December, January and February.

We are told it is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.  For many people, SAD is seriously disabling, and can even cause severe depression, whereas for others it causes them varying degrees of discomfort and a general feeling of sadness. 

So how can we as hypnotherapists help clients who present with these kinds of symptoms?  And how come only some people have this 'disorder' and not all of us?  I would counter this by asking how come two people can have an identical negative experience, for example, a car accident, but will deal with it emotionally in a completely different way?  The answer lies in our past.  Our life experiences can make a big impression on us from a really early age and what happens it that we store all this information subconsciously.  By using hypnosis to encourage our 'SAD' clients to get in touch with the feeling that comes up inside of them, we can trace it back and find the roots and then help them to gently and effectively change those negative programs running in their subcon and replace them with good, healthy programs. 

No one person is the same as another, so the reasons for them being seasonally affected will be very different, but the one link will probably be the time of year, particularly if there was an emotionally painful or even traumatic event during the darker months, such as the death of a loved one for example.  These past events will trigger what we call emotional resonance within us, causing us to feel very uncomfortable at around the same time every year.  They can even be classified as 'emotional aniversaries'.  The good news is that we can help them, particularly if we use the powerful 5-PATH program that will allow them to improve the essential quality of their life and to 'change their minds'!

Here's to awakening to find frost on the windows, long brisk walks with crunchy leaves underfoot, steaming hot drinks and cosy nights in by the fire!

Niki Cassar

www.nikicassar.com