Society teaches us that therapy is for people who’ve run out of options. Unless you have a mental illness or a shattered relationship, you should be able to solve your problems.
Therapists are trained not to judge you and can help you map out a new strategy for life. Therapists give you an unbiased opinion; they will say things that your friends won’t or don’t know what to say.
Therapy is ALL ABOUT YOU. You control the narrative & your therapist is there for support.
If you’re not sure whether making a therapy appointment is right for you, here are five signs that you might benefit from therapy.
1. You feel like you can’t control your emotions.
There are people who are more emotional than others, and that doesn’t always necessarily mean they need therapy.
I, personally, am a very emotionally sensitive person.
Our society only talks about positive emotions; we do not have a clue on how to deal with the more complex emotions. Since these emotions are not openly talked about we do not know how to deal with these emotions.
2. You’re unhappy with your life.
This is a tough topic for me. I was talking to my thrapist recently about it. I don’t think I’ve ever been happy. There are glimpses of when I was happy (ish), but they are fleeting. I doubt if I ever will be happy.
Social Media, especially Twitter, is known for its self- deprecating humor, and that is my favorite kind of humor. It’s a self-defense mechanism that I have mastered the art in it.
3. You’re human.
We are emotional beings, yet we feel things differently. Everybody doesn’t need to go to therapy, but if you are going through a tough season, you might be time to start working with a mental health professional.
So take a chance on therapy, and see what it can do for you. You can ask your doctor for a recommendation, or check out Psychology Today for a list of local professionals.
Who knows, maybe you’ll find a trick or two for how to be a little kinder to yourself.
Or perhaps you’ll find that you have the answers already, and you just needed someone to hear you say them out loud.
4. You mentally beat yourself up.
We are our own worst critic, some of the kindest people in this world have a secret battle being waged in their brains. Nothing they do is good enough.
We relive our mistakes like a live replay of a football play. As much as we care for others, we struggle to extend the patience we have for friends towards ourselves.
When you learn to start seeing problems as external forces rather than character flaws, you can begin to prioritize your mental health.
5. You have triggers quite often.
Triggers are unique for every individual. If certain things make you feel anxious, stressed, or depressed, you might to consider therapy.
You might have even considered finding trained protection dogs for sale to help keep you feeling safe. Therapy could help you come to this kind of decision rationally.
photo: YMC
