EFT and Depression

"Using EFT, I have successfully treated fears, phobias, depression, trauma, and addictions. It's effects are rapid, dramatic, and deep." - Fred P. Gallo, Ph.D. Editor, Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy

Depression from a medical perspective

Millions of people worldwide suffer from depression, in spite of intense interest and involvement from the traditional medical community to treat it with Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil. By most standards, the rise of clinical depression in spite of growing drug treatment, orthodox medical care is disappointing. Within the traditional medical community, improvement or reversal of depression symptoms is not common.

The primary internet website for depression invites readers to its site by stating, “Facts about depression, including how to manage it and how to live with this medical condition.“ Managing and coping do not sound like correction. Within the site, at the top of the first page is found, “Depression is not something you can just ‘snap out of.’ It’s thought to be an imbalance of brain chemicals, along with other factors.” Also found on that page is a major link, titled, “How depression medications work.” It appears that the medical profession is intent that the problem of depression is chemical, with a chemical treatment.

Depression is said to be a mental disorder, especially characterized by an all-consuming and profoundly low mood, a loss of interest in common daily activities that were once enjoyed, and a reduced capacity to experience pleasure in things and situations that were also once enjoyed. Popular terms to describe it, are that a person is in a “depressed mood,” “feeling very sad,” or “down.” Onset of depression commonly develops during early- to mid-adult years. Depression is often diagnosed on the basis of the individual’s own observations concerning their attitude, feelings, experiences and behavior. The actual course that depression takes can be variable. Some people are depressed mildly and only for a brief time, while others experience profound depression that can last a life time; variable onset and initiating causes are reported. When serious it is called “major depression,” causing inability to engage in work, family, social or school life; sleeping and eating habits can be greatly disturbed, with general health consequences and overall reduced ability to enjoy life. Much about depression is personal and unique, with wide variations how it affects an individual.

Julian Whitaker, MD, discusses anti-depressant use

Julian Whitaker, M.D., in his book, “The Scourge of Prozac,” tells us there is a direct and provable link between the violent school shootings, and indiscriminate increase for popular prescription antidepressant drugs. He states that many of the gun-related massacres that have made the headlines over the past decade, especially those involving people under the age of 21 years, share a common link – all were perpetrated by people taking Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Luvox, or a similar prescription medication. A common documented side-effect of this category of prescription anti-depressants, clinically known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is akathisia, a drug-induced physical and mental agitation. Dr. Whitaker colorfully explains, "akathisia is to violence what a match is to gasoline. And this condition has been reported in a significant number of Prozac users." Supporting this observation, up to 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received over 40,000 reports detailing adverse effects related to Prozac. The number is significantly higher by now.

Depression from an energy medicine perspective

Emotional Freedom Technique has voluminous case records from around the world detailing people who have successfully used EFT therapy for depression, in spite of its varied causes. EFT applies to depression the same basic format as is used for other forms of negative emotions: simple tapping on the classic EFT while firmly holding a pertinent stressful thought or memory.

Of interest to those who use Alternative Medicine and energy psychology, when using EFT correctly, there are abundant reports and records of people whose depression symptoms just vanish – sometimes after one EFT therapy session, or perhaps several more.

Gary Craig, developer of Emotional Freedom Technique, has used energy healing therapy on countless cases of depression, and closely monitors reports of others who also use EFT extensively for depression. In his work and experience, he has made observations concerning depression that should not be taken as a definitive answer to this problem. He suggests there are three categories of depression – all of which respond to EFT:

1. Depression that will disappear with just a few minutes of applying EFT tapping.

2. Depression caused by numerous and varied unresolved negative emotional issues (grief, anger, guilt, shame, jealousy, fear, etc.). This more significant level of depression often will not respond as easily or promptly as the first, and usually requires skilled EFT technique to address and transform the core emotional issues supporting the depressed state.

Probably more than any other expression of negative emotions that are treated with energy psychology, depression is by far more likely to result from diverse and numerous overlapping of interrelated stressful memories and feelings. Depressed people often hold in a large range of negative energy and stressful emotions.

3. Depression caused by numerous and varied substance sensitivities or allergies (food, animal, chemical, drug, etc.). This category of depression will benefit from EFT therapy, but primarily requires appropriate steps to reduce exposure to, or sensitivity to, the offending allergens.

For those individuals who do not gain instant depression relief, it is felt that Emotional Freedom Technique could still improve the problem to some degree, or even completely resolve it. However, if the depression appears to be in the second category described above – numerous and varied unresolved negative emotions – the treatment of this category is better left to those with considerable EFT skills.

Using EFT therapy to help depression can be like peeling an onion, with many layers to treat. After reaching an issue that appears to be a core belief of the depression, more layers and deeper issues come to the surface for additional treatment. Yet, it is easy to move deeper with EFT therapy variations such as the “Tearless Trauma Technique,” developed by EFT founder, Gary Craig, which works effectively and gently with all cases of depression. Using the standard EFT concepts of simplicity and gentle movement into core issues of greatest emotional distress, it is often necessary to peel the many-layered onion of depression.

During ten years of using Emotional Freedom Technique for depressed clients, I have learned to listen closely to their many subtle messages, and enjoy the challenge that this problem posses. After a client experiences the transformation of the negative energy of depression, they learn the dramatic power of EFT tapping as an energy healing therapy. It is always a happy and momentous time when a person suddenly emerges from their deep depressed state.

Reaching the core issue is key to depression success

Determining the basic or root issue of depression is the key to success when using EFT therapy, as it is with all emotional stress issues. Clients often believe they are aware of the actual event or events that created their depression, but not always. It is common for someone to start EFT thinking they understand the origin of their depression challenge, only to find there are yet actually deeper issues below the obvious. This is always the challenge of treating depression – to not get side-tracked by the concept of care Careful attention to details is the hallmark of a good EFT therapist and it is critical in any EFT therapy session for depression.

While not every client with depression will respond to EFT energy healing therapy in a prompt and surprising fashion, many do. With the careful, gentle, and detailed application of EFT principles, the formerly deep and morose feeling of a depressed individual can be uplifted and transformed into positive energy in moments. That is what makes EFT so exciting and rewarding, and keeps me enthused each day I have been blessed and privileged to help people with EFT.

Depression relief using EFT therapy

Those who use EFT to provide relief of depression find that results are often prompt and permanent, even though the traditional medical attitude it is a chronic mental disorder, for which it is often very difficult to determine the exact cause or a good treatment using the existing standard medical paradigm. Within Emotional Freedom Technique circles, depression is easily and quickly treated with energy psychology in a conventional office setting, or while doing EFT by phone. Most especially with depression, EFT telephone sessions make considerable sense since the depressed individual often lacks the enthusiasm, energy or will to extend themselves for care. Depression treatment seems to work best in a non-threatening, familiar, calm and comfortable environment; thus, at-home phone EFT more easily can reverse the negative emotions associated it. All of this is easily available when doing EFT on the phone while at home. After perhaps a few EFT telephone sessions, most depressed clients will notice their typical withdrawn and low energy mood to be noticeably and clearly more elevated and appropriate. They are happier and typically much more enthused about life in general, and continued treatment with EFT to bring their depression to a grand conclusion.

EFT Therapy Session for PTSD

Many people have asked me, “What should I say in the EFT set-up statement to treat depression?” This shows a fundamental misunderstanding for the EFT Discovery Statement and the concept of care that evolves from it. The exact words and context of set-up statements for depression are as varied as there are people who are depressed. Each depressed person is treated as the individuals they are, using gentle and carefully chosen set-up statements that honor their uniqueness.

EFT treatment of depression is never started expecting to receive instantaneous or miraculous recovery. When it happens, it is as much a surprise to the client as it is to the EFT therapist. All cases of depression are started with the assumption that it will require several, and perhaps many, EFT tapping sessions to eventually reach that breakthrough moment when the negative energy that creates the depressed state is completely and totally transformed into a positive energy. The key is in relying on considerable experience, respecting the deeply intense emotions that arise during an EFT session, and carefully following the direction the client leads. The key to this is being extremely thorough and listening closely to the thoughts and feelings that are expressed directly or indirectly during a session of EFT therapy.

How do people usually react to EFT?

Within the Emotional Freedom Technique archives are thousands of documented case studies of depression being treated successfully from people all over the world. There are glowing and heartwarming reports of remarkable recovery, sometimes rather rapid, for those who received EFT treatment for the chronic and previously unresponsive depression. To sample just a few from this website, please go to EFT testimonials.

Depression can respond surprisingly well to EFT, even when chronic and resistant to previous medical interventions. With skillful EFT therapy, the intense negative emotions blocking the flow energy in the body either vanish or are materially reduced within a session or two of EFT tapping. Repeated use of EFT often permanently eliminates any small carry-over feelings.

For those who do not receive instant relief of their depression while using EFT therapy, they are still likely to improve or completely resolve the problem. These cases just might require a more sophisticated approach, ideally from an experienced EFT therapist who can unravel the underlying emotional issues that reside below the surface of the traumatic event or memory.

Does EFT always work?

No. EFT is not perfect; or at least it is as imperfect as the people who use it. With continued use, improved EFT technique, greater therapist skill development, the stress relief of EFT therapy increase over time. Even so, EFT is not perfect because no one gets 100% success all the time. However, EFT is effective most of the time, closer to 80-90% of the time. Its beneficial effects are usually long lasting, and it often works where nothing else has worked.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can put you back in control and change your life.