Depression Isn’t Who You Are—It’s What You’ve Been Carrying

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is on track to become one of the biggest health challenges globally—second only to heart disease in the coming decades.

Here in Australia, around 1 in 5 people will experience it at some point in their lives. That’s not just a number—it’s people you know. People quietly carrying the weight of low mood, disconnection, and overwhelm. Maybe even you.

But let’s move away from the statistics for a moment, and look at the deeper layers—the why beneath the pain.

So what fuels depression, really?

The answer is never just one thing. (I’ve kind of set myself up with that question, haven’t I?)

But if I had to name a common thread—something I’ve seen again and again in my three short years of practice—it’s this:

• Disconnection – Our fast-paced, screen-filled lives can leave us feeling isolated, even when we're never technically “alone.”

• Powerlessness – When life feels out of your hands, depression often follows. (Like what we’ll possibly see in rural communities in Australia thanks to the live export ban—when your work is your way of life, the fallout runs deep.)

• Inadequacy – Constant pressure to be more, do more, look better, feel happy—it's exhausting.

• Old wounds – Childhood trauma and unprocessed experiences can linger quietly beneath the surface for decades.

• Exclusion – Not feeling like you belong, whether it’s loud or subtle, takes a real toll on the nervous system.

The old story about depression being just a chemical imbalance?

It’s outdated—and honestly, unhelpful. It suggests you’re broken. That your only option is to manage symptoms and hope for the best.

But the truth is more layered. Depression is shaped by a mix of genetics, life experience, thought patterns, and yes—even the way we care for our bodies. (I’ve read quite a few studies linking modern diets to increased depressive symptoms—something that really makes you think about how everything is connected.)

More recent research paints a fuller story:

A mix of genetics, environment, thought patterns, and lifestyle all contribute. But none of those are fixed. They can be shaped. They can shift.

You might come out the other side feeling like someone you barely recognise… because the weight you’ve been carrying is finally gone.

And that shift can happen more quickly—and more deeply—when your subconscious mind is part of the process. This is how you move beyond just managing symptoms. You begin to work with your inner resources, and build on them. You start to redesign your inner landscape—one belief, one pattern, one breakthrough at a time.

At Mental Leap Hypnotherapy, we support this kind of change using a blend of hypnotherapy, neuroscience, deep behavioural restructure, and mindset work. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right work—the kind that creates lasting change.

You might come out the other side feeling like someone you barely recognise… because the weight you’ve been carrying is finally gone.

This isn’t about fixing you. It’s about meeting you where you are—and helping you move forward in a way that feels steady, spacious, and yours.