Breaking Free from Depression Through the New Life Source Program

Ms. Diep experienced recurrent depression for many years. The first time the illness appeared was about 10 years before she shared her story. At that time, she did not understand what was happening to her. Her body was constantly restless, agitated, uncomfortable; she couldn't stand still, couldn't sit still, couldn't lie still. When she was at home, she wanted to go out; when she went out, she wanted to come home. Her mind was constantly confused, anxious, fearful; she didn't want to see anyone, and when she met others, she couldn't talk normally.

Every morning when she opened her eyes, she felt afraid of the new day because she knew she would have to continue enduring those terrible feelings. She went to the doctor and was told she had nervous exhaustion, but in her heart she knew her condition was more severe than that. When she couldn't find a way out, she thought about death because she felt she could not continue living in that state.

Depression is not simply ordinary sadness. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, depression can cause severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working; genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors can all contribute to the disorder. (National Institute of Mental Health) [https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression]

Relapse and feelings of hopelessness

After the first episode, when she thought she had recovered, she always prayed that the illness would never return. But exactly 6 years later, depression relapsed. For the first three days, she had total sleepless nights, feeling like "a crazy person" in the house. All the old symptoms returned at once: panic, restlessness, anxiety, loss of emotional control, and the feeling that she could not live normally.

This time, she sought help from a doctor at Bach Mai Psychiatric Hospital. After more than a month of medication, she gradually felt better and was glad that medication could help her stabilize. From then on, she took her medication regularly, hoping the illness would not relapse, even accepting that she might have to take medication for life.

However, the illness stabilized only for a while and then returned. By 2012, the condition persisted for 6 months. She fell into a state of deep pessimism, boredom, and hopelessness. Even though she still took her medication regularly, she almost completely lost her ability to communicate, work, focus, and feel interest. Her memory deteriorated severely, her head felt tight as a guitar string, her body was tired, sluggish, sad, and depressed. Encouragement from others had no effect at that time, because her mind was only immersed in illness and thoughts of death.

The World Health Organization emphasizes that depression can greatly affect the ability to learn, work, have social relationships, and quality of life; at its most severe, depression can lead to suicide. (World Health Organization) [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression]

The opportunity to attend the "Igniting a New Vitality" course

At a time when she had almost lost all hope, her brother happened to search online and learned about the "Igniting a New Vitality" course by Expert Nguyen Manh Quan. Her brother encouraged her to attend, but initially she did not believe. When suffering from severe depression, even learning something new becomes a pressure; patients often fear meeting strangers, fear crowded environments, and fear having to make additional efforts.

Nevertheless, she still went to class. After three days of listening, practicing, and experiencing the guided methods, she described herself as having been "transformed." Her spirit became comfortable, negative thoughts dissipated, the feeling of illness no longer occupied her entire mind. Instead, she felt relief, comfort, joy, and happiness, as if being reborn.

Why can mind-body therapy support people with depression?

From a scientific perspective, depression often involves multiple systems at once: sleep, stress hormones, the autonomic nervous system, emotions, cognition, memory, beliefs, and daily behaviors. When a person suffers from prolonged depression, the body can become trapped in a state of tension, insomnia, repetitive negative thinking, and reduced ability to experience pleasure.

Mind-body methods such as deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, slow breathing, positive visualization, emotion regulation, and positive suggestion can help learners shift the body from a vigilant state to a more stable one. NCCIH, part of the NIH, states that relaxation techniques can produce the body's "relaxation response," usually accompanied by slower breathing, reduced heart rate, and lower blood pressure. (NCCIH) [https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know]

Hypnotherapy has also been studied in many health contexts, including pain, pre-procedure anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, PTSD, and smoking cessation; the level of evidence varies by condition. (NCCIH) [https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/hypnosis] In the context of depression, self-hypnosis and deep relaxation should not be understood as replacements for psychiatric treatment, but as supportive tools to help patients calm the nervous system, reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase feelings of agency.

The role of sleep, emotions, and beliefs

In Ms. Diep's story, insomnia was a very prominent sign. Three days of total sleeplessness made her psychological symptoms much more intense. This is consistent with the modern understanding that sleep and mental health have a bidirectional relationship. When insomnia persists, the brain struggles to recover, emotion regulation ability decreases, negative thinking increases, and the body easily falls into a state of exhaustion.

Another important point is the change in emotions and beliefs after the course. She did not only say that her symptoms reduced; she described feeling "reborn," "transformed," as if negative feelings were "blown away." Psychologically, when a person who is in despair suddenly perceives relief, joy, and hope again, that can be a very significant turning point. Restored belief does not by itself replace treatment, but it can help the patient continue living, continue practicing, continue caring for themselves, and reconnect with those around them.

Excerpt from Ms. Diep's reflection

"I suffered from depression for the first time exactly 10 years ago. The first time I got sick, I thought I was being haunted by ghosts because I didn't understand why I was having such terrible symptoms and feelings."

"Every morning when I opened my eyes, I felt afraid, deeply afraid of a new day because I knew I would have to endure those horrible feelings again."

"In 2012, I suffered for 6 months. You can't imagine how pessimistic, bored, and hopeless I was."

"I almost completely lost all abilities, from speaking and communicating to working; I had no interest in anything at all."

"How lucky I was to learn about the 'Igniting a New Vitality' course of Teacher Nguyen Manh Quan."

"After 3 days of listening to the Teacher's lectures, I felt like I was transformed, my spirit was extremely comfortable, and I never thought about being sick again."

"As if by a miracle, I had a truly miraculous rebirth."

The value of the course in the recovery journey

The "Igniting a New Vitality" course is valuable not only for its techniques but also for its experiential environment. Learners hear explanations, practice, witness others change, and are placed in a space that reawakens belief in inner strength. For a person with depression, the feeling that "I am not alone" and "I can still change" is sometimes a very important thing.

From a therapeutic perspective, mind-body methods can help learners recognize emotions, calm stress responses, change internal self-talk, reduce feelings of helplessness, and rebuild a positive image of the future. These factors are closely related to psychological resilience.

Scientific and safety note

Ms. Diep's story is a personal experience after the course. Results may vary depending on the individual, severity of depression, medical history, current medications, living environment, sleep, family support, and level of practice after the course.

Methods such as hypnotherapy, self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, and emotion regulation should be viewed as mind-body supportive tools. They do not replace diagnosis, medication, psychological therapy, psychiatric treatment, or emergency care when necessary. NIMH recommends that anyone having suicidal thoughts or in crisis should call or text the appropriate crisis helpline; in life-threatening situations, call emergency services immediately. (National Institute of Mental Health) [https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression]

Related course: Haruva – Igniting a New Vitality

Orientation: Self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, emotion regulation, sleep support, mind-body recovery

Hotline: 0904.606.965

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References

- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

- World Health Organization (WHO). Depressive disorder (depression). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression

- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know

- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Hypnosis. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/hypnosis

Under the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations, the center trains special methods to improve health, prevent and support treatment of physical and mental issues, and provides training in learning methods, thinking, and applied psychology for communication, business, negotiation, and sales.

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