Mental Illness

Erika Slater headshot photo 300x300Mental illness touches 20% of the population either directly or indirectly. It’s treated mostly by medications but prescription drugs don’t always work or have harmful side-effects for patients. Other therapies to compliment medications include cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy to provide help in daily living and holding down jobs.

In addition, the stress on families living with a loved one with mental illness is staggering as they attempt to provide support to them in what can be ongoing erratic and stormy times. Some illnesses such as depression, OCD and PTSD can respond to therapies, and others such as bi-polar and schizophrenia are inconsistent and experimental.

The selection of materials covers realistic current assessment and case studies of therapies for mental illnesses, but also provide help for families and caregivers of those supporting a loved one.

Enjoy the articles.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Hypnosis as a Treatment

By Erika Slater
PTSD Word Cloud

Over the last 10-15 years, there’s been much discussion about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as it relates to the general population. This article will explore how PTSD awareness has evolved here…

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Suicide: Suicidal Thoughts and Prevention and Treatments

By Erika Slater
Woman sitting alone on rock staring out to sea in thoughtful pose

Suicide is one of the most difficult topics to talk about because of the stigma attached to it. Read more about prevention and treatments here…

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Can Hypnosis Help as a Treatment for Anxiety Disorders?

By Erika Slater
Anxiety Disorder depiction for woman

It’s estimated at least one quarter or more of the U.S. population suffers from anxiety or some anxiety-related disorder at any given time in their lives. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 40 million American adults in any given year are affected by anxiety disorders. The fact is, Anxiety Disorders are a recognized mental illness and not a disorder that’ll naturally cure itself with time, but rather a persistent illness that if left untreated will likely worsen and impact an individual’s quality of life. There are a number of treatments medical professionals use to help affected individuals, which often includes combinations of both prescribed medication and therapies. This article has been written for sufferers of anxiety disorders. In it, I’ll provide information and other resources for you on different forms and treatments, including the use of hypnosis as a therapy gaining traction in providing both quick and long-term relief for patients. I’ll reference studies conducted using hypnosis as a treatment and offer my own experience on what to expect from using it for my clients.

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Coping with Being a Caregiver for an Adult Family Member with a Serious Mental Illness

By Erika Slater
Couple coping with unhappy situation

If you’re a caregiver for a family member with a serious mental illness, then you know it can be a demanding and stressful role leading to burnout and negatively impacting both your life and that of your loved love. I know this from personal experience. More is expected of family caregivers, who’ve become a pillar in the recovery of their patient alongside formal caregivers. There’s no greater stress than caring for a loved one with mental illness. So, anything you can do to reduce your stress and burnout potential is of paramount importance in helping to provide quality of care to your loved one. This article discusses ways of coping as a family giver for a mentally ill person to rescue stress and avoid burnout. Read here…

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Can Hypnosis Really Help with Depression and How Does it Work?

By Erika Slater
Sad and depressed young woman holding a pillow sitting on a bed

Depression is a recognized mental health disorder affecting millions of people on a daily basis. It can happen as a secondary diagnosis of another issue such as Schizophrenia or be the primary diagnosis. We’ll discuss different types in this article. Unfortunately for many, it can affect them for years, and even their entire lives. Depression comes in various types, so, finding the actual cause and proper form of treatment for each person may vary. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment for depression can take a while. In this article I’ll focus on the current thinking around questions such as can hypnosis help for treating depression? Can it help alleviate the symptoms or the causes? Hypnosis is being used to treat a variety of other mental health issues so, can hypnosis cure depression? Read more…

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Can Hypnosis Really Help with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – OCD?

By Erika Slater
Woman with obsessive-compulsive order scrubbing a spotless floor

In this article you’ll discover: 1) What Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is about and how it manifests itself in patients with it, and what we know today, 2) Common treatments used to help with the symptoms covering medications and traditional therapies including the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy technique called ERP. 3) Introduction to use of hypnosis as an alternative treatment to answer the question can hypnosis really help with OCD. 3) Further reading and hypnosis resources around OCD covering the treatments, research, and information with the disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder affecting about 4.3 million people of all ages in the U.S. The condition if severe can render some helpless, leaving them unable to live comfortable and productive lives. It’s usually treated today with the help of medication, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other alternative and complimentary therapies including hypnosis. I’ll discuss all of these in this article. Currently, there are no medical tests that can be performed to diagnose the condition, and so it’s determined by a doctor’s assessment of the symptoms and behaviors, and the impact on the patient. Like many mental health conditions these days the professional consensus is biological and environmental factors most likely contribute to the condition, or at least place a person at risk of obtaining the disorder. There is some evidence it can be hereditary as well. OCD cannot be prevented but early diagnoses and ongoing treatment can help provide most inflicted with the condition relief from their symptoms, and provide the opportunity for a near-normal life. Now let’s start with understanding what is OCD and then move into current treatments. Read more here…

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