M Health, Daily Mirror. 6th May 2004

Extract from Beat the blues

Retrain your mind

"The point of neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, is to use language - be that verbal or non-verbal - to change emotions" says Worthing-based behavioural specialist Jim Brackin.

"There is a definite posture to depression where people move slowly, hunch over and look towards the ground and this increases the production of negative thoughts. Breaking this posture - even by something as simple as just looking up - can stop this way of thinking. And while it won't treat the root cause of the depression, it can help break your unhappy thought patterns enough to help you explore ways to beat the problem long-term."