BENEFITS OF THERAPY
It’s 2023, and for most of us the past 3 years have been challenging on many levels. While this has led to an increased focus on mental health, not everyone is taking the necessary actions to take care of their mental health. Therapy has long been associated with the stigma of mental health, frowned upon by a very vocal part of society. However, there is no need for this view and there is no need to feel guilty going to therapy. If you feel sick physically, often the common response is “Go to the doctor.” However, when we don’t feel ourselves mentally, this is hardly the response. When we are struggling mentally or emotionally, it is hard to find and act on our motivations. Here are five reasons to go for therapy when you don’t feel like yourself.
Goals- Something does not have to be bothering you to seek therapy. While therapists are trained in helping us cope and navigate through our difficult emotions, they are also available to help us improve ourselves. Beginning therapy with a goal-oriented plan will help you start your therapeutic experience positively and allow you to more actively work on your goals. Therapy will also teach you strategies to maintain progress in pursuing your goals while at the same time providing a space to keep yourself accountable for working at them.
Stress and Anxiety- Whether certain circumstances trigger your anxiety or it is experienced every day, anxiety can be extremely challenging to live with. While anxiety is most likely not going to be outright removed from your life, therapy can teach healthy coping strategies to help manage this anxiety. If anxiety is not taken care of, it can lead to other issues becoming more prevalent and intense. Such issues include sleep loss, depression, and unhealthy coping strategies. Learning to manage anxiety can help us prevent these negative consequences of not managing anxiety. Speaking of sleep…
Sleep Issues- It is recommended that the average adult obtains between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day to function properly. However, when people have consistent problems falling asleep, they often are not able to fix them without therapy. Most of the time, we are not able to sleep because our mind is still preoccupied by something enough to not be able to shut down for sleep. Research shows that therapy is a strong alternative to medicine when treating insomnia, which makes functioning every day more difficult.
Relationships- Relationships, whether they are romantic, familial, friendly, or even professional can become sources of anxiety and stress. Seeing a therapist makes it possible to not only navigate our many relationships, but nurture the ones that are most beneficial to us and distance ourselves when possible from relationships that harm us. Therapy can also help you recognize unhealthy relationships that you may not consider unhealthy as well as provide ways to strengthen that relationship or cut ties.
Grief- This might be the most important reason for therapy. Grief is one of the heaviest emotions we as people experience. The common response for dealing with grief is “It gets more manageable over time.” However, there is no timetable on how one may experience grief. Speaking to a therapist makes the healing process of grief more manageable by addressing the emotions surrounding the loss as well as the root of them, easing any confusion and helping to create a healthy response to it.
Going to therapy may be intimidating for a number of reasons, but there is no denying the benefits of it. The stigma surrounding therapy is unwarranted and only by fighting the stigma surrounding mental health can we make it a more welcome idea for everyone! Stay motivated, stay valid, and have a great week!