22 Nov When Should I Seek Therapy?

Seeking Therapy

When we think of “therapy”, two conventionally popular images conjure up in our mind as informed by media and literature. We picture a stressed client on a couch fixed in the corner of a morose room, with a stern psychologist scribbling away. In another image, we see the counselor as a motivational speaker giving us slogans to dissolve the complexities of life. Both of these notions are far from accurate and keep us from accessing the wonderful process of therapy. Therapy is a two-way interaction that can be instrumental in helping us enhance our well-being, function better, learn more about ourselves and our relationships, heal from hidden and evident traumas, identify the behavioral patterns that hold us back, navigate through major life changes, deal with intense emotions like grief, and address an array of mental health issues along with their symptoms.

A common misconception is that therapy is sought only when one’s mental health is in shambles and life is in crisis. While therapy can provide dedicated time and non-judgmental space to delve into acute mental health concerns, it can also provide the same time and space for exploration and support for just about anything that might be on our minds. One can go to therapy without having major life problems and just with the intention of growth, talking to a neutral individual, and living life to the best of one’s fulfillment. There are various forms of therapy that are designed to help us deal with different concerns.

The American Psychological Association suggests considering therapy when something causes distress and interferes with some part of life, particularly when:

• Thinking about or coping with the challenge takes up at least an hour each day
• The challenge results in embarrassment and makes you want to avoid others
• The challenge has reduced your quality of life
• The challenge has negatively affected school, work, or relationships
• You’ve made changes in your life or develop habits to cope with the challenge

Additionally, therapy can be helpful in addressing following emotions or feelings when they start interfering with our lives. It is especially important to seek help if the symptoms have the potential to harm ourselves or others:

• Overwhelming feelings
• Fatigue
• Disproportionate rage or resentment
• Fear, panic or anxiety
• Apathy
• Hopelessness
• Social withdrawal
• Flashbacks of hurtful memories
• Repetitive thoughts or actions that seemed uncontrolled
• Acute and unpredictable fluctuations in mood
• Violent or dark thoughts

Therapy can not only help alleviate the aforementioned symptoms and issues; research also shows that the benefits of therapy last longer than medication. Medication can bring relief with some acute symptoms, but therapy can help us develop skills to address symptoms on our own. These skills last long after therapy ends and help us recognize the symptoms quicker in due course of time. (The lists above are only suggestive, and not exhaustive)

Further, the following are some more areas in our day-to-day life where therapy can be advantageous for improving our quality and experience of our lives:

• To learn more about ourselves

  – a therapist holds space to actively listen and help us make vital connections if we feel lost. They do not tell us what to do but empower us to take enabling actions on our own.

• To achieve our goals

  Even if we aren’t sure what our goals are, therapy can help us get clarity and set up realistic steps to achieve them.

• To have more fulfilling relationships

  Irrespective of whether or not one is in a romantic relationship, therapy can help us identify our patterns and difficulties in relating or attaching with others. This knowledge helps us strengthen the most important relationships of all: one with our own selves!

• To improve health

  Science proves a strong link between mind and body wellness. Unidentified mental stress can manifest in somatic symptoms, and poor physical health can in turn affect mental health adversely.

• To live life to the fullest

  If something holds us back from realizing our favorite life as how we envision it, therapy can help us address that. If we aren’t sure what is keeping us from making that change, a therapist can work with us to figure that out and address it.

AtEase plays an important role in normalizing therapy for the intention of wellness, not merely when one is in crisis. Speak to one of our experts here to start your healing journey or to explore areas in your life that can bring you greater joy, growth, and fulfillment.