There are many misconceptions about talking to a mental health professional. The fear of feeling ashamed or insecure or becoming the talk of the town, being the major one. In spite of so many recent developments in mental health awareness the stigma of seeking therapy for mental health is still there, more so in Pakistan where we are curious to know more about other people’s lives than our own.
But the fact is that therapy *is much more than sitting on a couch or a comfortable chair and pouring your heart out.
It is an amazing way to deal with a range of issues like anxiety, sleep disorders, or relationship issues.
Therapy helps people manage their mental health and wellbeing in a better way.
The general perception of seeking therapy ONLY when you have a mental health issue is wrong. You can seek therapy whenever you are in conflict or unsure of your own feelings and emotions or find it difficult to accept or handle a particular situation.
Following are some situations where therapy must be sought and this professional assistance can incredibly bring in effective change.
- Whenever you face a new challenging situation that brings about some CHANGE in your life.
“Therapy often involves the development of skills and strategies to reduce or manage life stressors”. (Folgelberg). This change can be a new role or responsibility, change in career or relationship patterns. - Sudden mood swings affect the life of the concerned person as well as those around him.
- Whenever someone has suicidal or self harming thoughts.
Self-harm can be prevented with treatment by a qualified mental health professional. - Lack of motivation or withdrawing from situations that make you happy is a Red Flag in itself and signifies a deeper problem that needs to be addressed.
A therapist is trained to help a person uncover why this is occurring, Folgelberg explained. - Feelings of loneliness can have adverse effects on a person’s life . Therapy gives an assurance that the person is not alone. Someone very trustworthy is there for him and this brings both comfort and hope.
- Seeking refuge in substance use, misuse or abuse can be very harmful where a person enters into a delusional world, far away from reality. Addiction and substance abuse are medical conditions, not character flaws, as stressed by McCorry.
- The feeling of losing control can keep a person in the cycle of addiction , trying to avoid painful feelings.
- Handling or managing relationships is not easy. Therapy helps in appropriate interpretation of misunderstandings or communication issues.
- Disturbance in sleep is a key symptom of depression.
We need to watch out and seek help whenever any conflict arises . Professional help is better than experimenting life on your own and ending up with wrong and complicated experiences.
Seeking therapy helps improve the quality of life and decreases the life-stressors”.
The best therapy in the world is ” time out with your friends .”.
Seeking Therapy is important because it helps.