Category: Depression

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Depression

The Difference Between Sadness and Depression | Delray Beach, FL

There is a decisive difference between sadness and depression, but the two are often misconstrued and mixed up. About one in every 15 adults will be adversely affected by depression each year with obstacles such as Covid-19 tipping the scale.

Feelings of sadness occur when we lose something we need and care about such as a job or a partner. It is often associated with the loss of some aspect of one’s identity (e.g., a job, a personal relationship, the end of a life state). Feeling sad is a natural response to unfavorable circumstances and loss. Clinical depression on the other hand negatively affects how you think, feel, and act. Fortunately, feelings of sadness will pass in time, and depression is treatable.

If you are still wondering how to classify the way you are or have been feeling, here are some symptoms of depression to be aware of.

  • Feeling down or low for no apparent reason, lasting a week or two or longer.
  • Losing interest in the activities you enjoy.
  • Experience a change in appetite leading to weight gain or loss.
  • Have difficulty sleeping or experience the desire to sleep all day.
  • Feeling worn out or fatigued.
  • Feelings of guilt or unworthiness.
  • Having difficulty thinking, keeping focused, or making decisions.
  • Thinking about death or contemplating suicide.

It’s important to remember that life ebbs and flows, and that whether you are sad or depressed, there are several ways to overcome these feelings. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT is an evidence-based psychological treatment for clinical depression. When antidepressant medication is needed, combining medication and CBT can increase the effectiveness of both treatments. CBT teaches coping skills while meds alone do not. Often hypnotherapy can enhance the effectiveness of both of the above treatments. 

If you would like to learn more about my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Pam Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

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Depression

How Hypnosis can Help with Depression| Boca Raton

Life during covid-19 pandemic. Portrait of stressed stylish woman in blue blouse with medical mask outdoors on the city street.

If you experience persistent feelings of dejection, that your energy is depleted, you don’t take joy in your day or social interactions, or your thinking patterns have become less positive than normal, these are all signs you may be suffering from depression.

Depression impacts your life beyond your mental state. Remaining in a persistent depressive state can begin to impact restorative sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, daily behavior, and self-esteem. Each of these can spiral into cyclical loops that ultimately deteriorate your ability to function in general, let alone at a high level to keep up with your peers. Over time, these symptoms which may not seem like a big deal can have serious repercussions on every area of your life.

It’s important to recognize these warning signs and seek solutions before they get out of control. I believe depression is best treated in a multimodal manner, meaning that one form of intervention may not address all the elements contributing to the way you feel. Diving into the behavioral, sensory, cognitive, social, and interpersonal reasons why you feel depressed will work to address the things drugs alone will never be able to. Through my hypnosis techniques, we can work through the different areas of your human experience that contribute to your depressive state.

For 30 years, I have helped thousands of patients who suffered from depression get relief and lead more fulfilling lives. If you would like to learn more about this practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

I proudly serve patients in and around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

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Articles Depression Pain Relief

Talk to Your Dog and Bounce Back from Depression | Boca Raton, FL

Talk to your dog. . .

You know you are depressed when you have nothing to say to anyone. But do you have nothing to say to your dog? I doubt it. Your dog needs you to take care of his or her emotional needs just as much as Fido needs you to feed him and walk him and groom him. Your dog is communicating with you all the time. Can you interpret what your furry friend is telling you? 

You don’t have to be a dog whisperer to learn your dog’s language. You simply have to pay attention and talk to your dog just like you would talk to a child or even a close friend. The benefits of talking to your dog have been documented by researchers to include lower blood pressure, relief from pain, better breathing (even for those with allergies to fur and dog hair), and relief from depression.

Think about it. Your dog loves you unconditionally. Your dog will never buy into your negative self-talk. But when you put yourself down, this is reflected in your mood state and your appearance. It even affects your scent. Your fur baby is sensitive to all these things and responds accordingly. So, when you give off a depressed scent, and evidence depressed body language, your dog gets depressed! Yup, dogs do get depressed. And dogs are exquisitely sensitive to our feelings and moods. Dogs really are our best friends.

Naturally, you don’t want to depress your dog. Please – I am not giving you another thing to blame yourself for and become more depressed about. I am simply suggesting an avenue to help you get un-depressed and as part of the bargain, make your dog happier. I am not a dog whisperer. However, I love dogs and have owned many. Currently my best bud is Leo who is a 2 ½ year old German Shepherd. I have trained him to be a therapy dog. Therefore, he is hypersensitive to the moods of people around him. In my clinical psychotherapy practice, I use dog-assisted therapy (DAT) to help depressed clients feel better more quickly. And you don’t have to own a dog to keep up the momentum. Just a few sessions of DAT can give you the necessary stimulation to get back on your feet. It is like ECT without any of the risks or negative side effects. 

If you would like more information about dog-assisted therapy, call Dr. Bruce Eimer in Boca Raton, FL at 561-377-1039 for a free consultation or visit www.bruceeimer.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves Boca Raton and all surrounding areas.

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Articles Depression Pain Relief

Multimodal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression | Boca Raton, FL

If you are depressed, read this and call me anytime. . .

You know you are depressed when it is a struggle to get up in the morning. You don’t want to face the long day because you feel you have nothing meaningful to look forward to doing. Frequently, nighttime is a welcome part of your day because the day is over, and you do not need an excuse to rest. 

Depression is your mind and body telling you they are depleted. If you have been running on empty for a while, your functioning will naturally not be like it was before you lost your energy and drive. This changes your thinking patterns also. You think more concretely and you are not as sharp. Think back to a time in the past when you were not depressed but you were overly fatigued. Your thinking and performance were spotty. 

When you are depressed, your sleep patterns are disturbed, and it is difficult to get restorative sleep. So, you have less energy to run on during the day. This is the reason one component in the medical treatment of depression is the prescription of medication that can improve the architecture of your sleep. 

Depression needs to be treated multimodally. Medicine alone does not help you address the underlying issues that led to your depletion. An effective treatment program incorporates behavioral interventions, such as structuring your daily activities, affectively focused interventions to help you address the painful feelings you live with when you are depressed, sensory focused interventions to bring a little bit of pleasure – which is the opposite of pain, imagery focused interventions to transform some of the negative images in your mind’s eye, cognitive therapy interventions to change your negative thinking patterns, interpersonal interventions to get you back to having social experiences, and biological interventions such as drugs, diet and exercise.

The above seven types of interventions spell B.A.S.I.C. I.D.  If you would like to learn more about how I incorporate the B.A.S.I.C. I.D. in my Multimodal Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression (MCBT-D), give me a call and we can schedule a free consultation. Call 561-377-1039.

If you would like more information about Multimodal Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression, call Dr. Bruce Eimer in Boca Raton, FL at 561-377-1039 or visit www.bruceeimer.com.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves Boca Raton and all surrounding areas.

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Articles Depression Stress

COVID Fatigue | Boca Raton, FL

It has been a year since Covid-19 invaded 2020 and changed life as we knew it. By now, most people are suffering from COVID Fatigue. In fact, it has given rise to what I term Covid Fatigue Syndrome or CFS. The symptoms include boredom, anxiety, depression, anger, impatience, irritability, and impulsiveness. Many people feel like they can no longer wait to get out of COVID prison. People want out. People want to end the social isolation. This is understandable. However, we still need to be careful. Covid is no picnic. I went through it. You still need to take precautions. The consequences of carelessness can be devastating. Sometimes having someone to talk with who is an empathic listener with a solution-oriented mindset can help. If you are clinically depressed, brief solution-focused therapy can often help alleviate the depression. You could benefit from seeing a clinical psychologist to evaluate your depression. I am here to help. Call me at 561-377-1039 to schedule a free consultation. 

If you would like more information about Covid Fatigue Syndrome, call Dr. Bruce Eimer in Boca Raton, FL at 561-377-1039 or visit www.bruceeimer.com.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves Boca Raton and all surrounding areas.

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Depression Meditation Stress Uncategorized

What is Hypnotic Regression Therapy

There aren’t very many people who have a good understanding of what hypnotic regression therapy is – and what it can do. As soon as they hear the words “hypnotic regression,” some people automatically think of past-life regression. Rest assured; hypnotic regression therapy is something completely different. 

If you’ve ever spent any time on around rivers, you know that there can be powerful currents flowing beneath the surface of the water. The river might look calm and tranquil, but if you were to fall in, you might easily be swept away.

Your subconscious mind is like those currents, churning away beneath the surface of your conscious mind. You might not be aware of the powerful forces being exerted on your behavior by your subconscious mind.  

If your life seems like it’s going well – on the surface – but you are struggling with emotional undercurrents or sabotaging yourself, the thoughts, feelings and ideas churning away in your subconscious mind might be to blame. Hypnotic regression therapy can help access those subconscious thoughts and feelings and reduce their ability to impact your behavior.

Hypnotic Regression Therapy

As the experts at Good Therapy explain, “Regression therapyis an approach to treatment that focuses on resolving significant past events believed to be interfering with a person’s present mental and emotional wellness.”

According to John Ryder, Ph.D., a psychologist, hypnotherapist and the author of Positive Directions writing at PsychologyToday.com, “Hypnosis is one of the best ways to help people access those ‘buried’ memories. Everyone has memories or experiences in their unconscious mind that they may not be able to recall but still play a significant role in everyday life. Hypnotic regression is the process by which you enter a trance and recall material from deep inside that is normally not available to the conscious mind.”

Hypnotic regression therapy should only be undertaken by a licensed mental health professional who has been well trained in the use of clinical hypnosis and in hypnotic regression therapy theories and techniques. If you live in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach or Boca Raton, that licensed mental health professional can be Dr. Bruce Eimer. Dr. Bruce is a licensed psychologist and certified hypnotherapist living in Lake Worth. He is the co-author of two books on regression therapy and hypnoanalysis:

Ewin, D.M., & Eimer, B.N. (2006).  Ideomotor Signals for Rapid Hypnoanalysis: A How-To Manual. 

Hunter, C.R. & Eimer, B.N. (2012). The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy: A Clinical Guide.

If you would like more information about hypnosis and regression therapy, please contact us.

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Depression Meditation Stress Uncategorized

Feeling Stressed? Meditation Can Help

Everyone is feeling the stress and strains involved with staying home and staying safe. If you suffer from chronic pain, you probably don’t need us to tell you that stress like that can exacerbate your pain. Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy help chronic pain sufferers to cope. But you can’t spend the whole day talking to your licensed psychologist in Delray Beach. Fortunately, there are things you can do on your own that will help ease your stress and your pain.

Even if you’re in good health, the stress of the current situation can be hard to manage. Mindfulness Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and help you navigate these unchartered waters. Essentially, mindfulness means being present without judging.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don’t end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and may help you manage symptoms of certain medical conditions.”

The health experts at the Mayo Clinic say that those medical conditions may include:

  • Anxiety
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Sleep problems
  • Tension headaches
  • And, yes – Chronic pain

Getting Started

Lots of people give up on meditation before they’ve even begun because they’re under the impression that meditation means stopping your brain from thinking and they know they could never quiet their brain to that extent. Good news – you don’t have to. It’s not about shutting down your thoughts; it’s about not getting caught up in all those stray thoughts that pop up in a continuing stream. It is about practicing being present and non-judgmental.

There are lots of different ways to meditate, from simple deep breathing exercises to yoga, which is considered meditation with movement. Do some exploring and find a method that works for you and try to make it part of your normal routine.

And if you are interested in incorporating mindful psychotherapy in your pain management arsenal, please contact the offices of Dr. Bruce Eimer, a licensed psychologist serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Dr. Bruce recently released his new book on Mindfulness Meditation. It is entitled Taming Chronic Pain: A Mindful Approach to Bringing Pain Relief.

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Depression Meditation Stress Uncategorized

Am I Depressed or Just Sad?

Many people looking for a licensed psychologist in the Delray Beach/Boca Raton area contact me because they are struggling with depression. Some are not sure what the problem is, they just know something is wrong. Others are familiar with the diagnosis of clinical depression and are interested in exploring the idea of hypnosis treatment for their depression.

If you think you might be depressed, you are not alone.  Estimates are that about one in every 15 adults will be affected by depression in any average year – and since this year is turning out to be anything but average – it wouldn’t be surprising to see those numbers grow.

It’s important to note, however, that being sad or feeling depressed about something – like the loss of a job as a result of Covid-19 – is not the same as having a diagnosis of clinical depression. If you lost your job or are worried about a loved one who might have been exposed to the virus, it would be only natural for you to be feeling down and/or scared. We all experience feelings of sadness; it’s a natural response when life serves up lemons, or when there is a lot of uncertainty as there has been as a result of COVID-19.

Symptoms of Depression

With clinical depression, you might be feeling down for no reason. And those feelings would last for at least two weeks, but usually longer.

Feeling sad is just one of many possible symptoms associated with depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association, if you suffer from clinical depression you may:

  • Lose interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Experience changes in appetite, leading you to lose or gain weight
  • Have difficulty sleeping or may find yourself wanting to sleep all day
  • Feel worn out and fatigued
  • Feel worthless or guilty
  • Have difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
  • Thoughts of death or suicide are also possible.

Don’t get discouraged! Depression is treatable. As a licensed psychologist serving Boynton Beach and Delray Beach, Dr. Bruce Eimer has extensive experience dealing with depression. If you would like information about hypnosis treatment for depression, contact us to arrange a free 15-minute phone consultation.