8 Reasons People Seek Therapy

therapy
Written By Dr. Quincee Gideon

Myth: You need to be in a crisis to seek therapy.

Truth: There is nothing wrong with seeking help with anything you might be going through.

Here are 8 good reasons to seek therapy:

You’re experiencing a life change.

Major life changes are stressful! Life changes include a new career, change in the family (think getting married or having a child), or moving to a different city. Research supports that new ventures are challenging and taxing. It’s normal to need help with something novel. Therapy often involves the development of skills and strategies to reduce or manage life stressors. In therapy, you get to learn coping skills that work for you and practice them. Find out what works and what doesn’t, then refine those skills. How cool is that?

You’re feeling isolated or alone.

Many people who experience mental health issues feel like they’re alone in dealing with their experience. It’s not uncommon to feel like you’re the only one experiencing difficulties. In case you didn’t realize, we’re still in a global pandemic and so many people still feel isolated after a very difficult year. Therapy can provide relief in knowing you have someone with you in the trenches making sense of what’s going on. You have space to feel heard and understood. This can bring a sense of both comfort and hope.

You’re withdrawing from things that used to bring you joy.

Loss of motivation could signal that something is off. Do you enjoy things like you used to? If you’re normally a social butterfly and you’re suddenly pulling away from weekly commitments, you could be experiencing something deeper. A therapist is trained to help you uncover what’s occurring and why.

You’re using a substance to cope with issues in your life.

If you find yourself turning to alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, or recreational drugs as a means to deal with what’s going on in your life, it might be time to reach out to a therapist. Addiction and substance abuse are not character flaws. Research has improved our understanding of the biology of addiction and evidence-based treatment to assist people in achieving treatment goals. Going to therapy allows a person to gain the knowledge and insight needed to fully address the use of a substance to cope with difficulties in their life.

Your relationships feel strained.

Relationships, whether platonic or romantic, are hard work. You’re not expected to have all the answers. If you notice trouble connecting with friends, something might be up. Or, if you’re struggling with a partner, therapy can help you explore better ways to communicate and deal with other issues that seem to pop up. Couples therapy can be beneficial, and individual therapy can help you navigate relationships and find better ways to relate to others.

You feel like you’ve lost control.

The feeling of being out of control often arises when people are dealing with a number of issues and don’t have adequate skills to manage the situation. This can include loss of a job or loved one, a substance issue, feeling depressed, struggling to manage crippling anxiety, or, you know, managing the tail end of a global pandemic. Lack of control can keep a person in a repetitive cycle of maladaptive coping strategies, further worsening the problem.

Your sleep patterns are off.

A key symptom of several mental health issues include sleep difficulties - whether it be too little or too much sleep. If you’ve noticed any significant change in your sleep cycle, it might be time to investigate any underlying issue. In therapy, you can learn how to manage your sleep and so many other parts of your life in order to keep yourself healthy and fully engaged in life.

You’re having thoughts of self-harm.

Serious mental illness affects almost 10 million adults in America in a given year. If you’ve noticed you’ve taken on a more negative mood or thought process, and it’s persistent, it might be worth taking a closer look at. Self-injurious behavior and suicide are preventable with treatment by a qualified licensed professional. If you’re having thoughts of hurting yourself immediately, seek help right away through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line (741741). These issues and more can be worked on in therapy.

Whatever the reason, there is no shame in seeking help. If you need a mental health professional to help you better understand your feelings and thoughts, you can sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with our therapist matchmaker to help pair you with a therapist who feels like a great therapeutic fit for you (California residents only). We provide virtual online therapy and have therapists who are trained in EMDR therapy. We also offer many different types of trauma therapy groups in addition to the Women’s Support Group mentioned above. All of our therapists specialize in trauma-informed care, and informed trauma therapy.

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