Even though we have made strides in mental health awareness in the past decade, there are still some misconceptions surrounding mental health treatment. Therapy is not only for those living with major mental health challenges, and it’s not a lifelong treatment either.
Anyone can decide to start therapy to learn healthy coping mechanisms, heal from past trauma, boost communication skills, and gain control of their life. Psychotherapy can help identify challenging and complex emotions and reset negative thought patterns.
Here are some of the most common reasons people decide to start therapy.
You Have Lost A Loved One
Losing a loved one is understandably devastating, and grief can be a prolonged and difficult journey for anyone. Even though there’s no avoiding the overwhelming and complex emotions when coping with loss, therapy can help you navigate the stages of grief in a healthy way.
Maintaining Healthy Relationships Is Hard
Maintaining relationships is not without its hurdles. But if you’re finding it impossible to build healthy relationships with romantic partners and friends, you might be dealing with childhood trauma, attachment-style concerns, emotional baggage, trust issues, or, in rarer cases, a mood or personality disorder.
Therapy can help you effectively identify the root cause of your relationship struggles and help you find ways to foster healthy, meaningful bonds.
You’re Feeling Alone Or Isolated
While almost everyone experiences feelings of isolation and loneliness from time to time, when unmanaged, these emotions can spiral into depression.
If you are battling to overcome these uncomfortable emotions, it’s wise to reach out to a professional therapist. Psychotherapy can help you identify triggers, cope with difficult feelings, and improve emotional regulation.
You Are Struggling With Your Mental Health
The most common types of mental health struggles are heightened anger, paranoia, chronic stress, insomnia, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.
These mental health battles tend to degrade your quality of life, which is why it’s crucial to reach out for help as soon as possible. While some of these struggles can be treated with psychotherapy alone, there are instances when additional treatments, such as medication, are recommended in addition to therapy.
Anxiety Is Keeping You Up At Night
Almost everyone battles to get a good night’s rest at one point or another. But when trouble sleeping becomes a chronic complaint, anxiety, and heightened stress levels could be to blame.
Even though there are over-the-counter sleep medications and various natural remedies worth trying, psychotherapy can help you get to the bottom of your anxious thoughts. So even though you can remedy your sleep problems quickly, therapy can provide permanent relief from insomnia and chronic anxiety.
You Sometimes Use Substances To Cope
While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in the occasional drink, using alcohol or substances to suppress trauma and difficult emotions is a self-destructive coping mechanism that will almost always leave devastating long-term impacts.
Instead of risking a future of crippling addiction, reach out to a therapist for guidance. Professional therapy is the best way to overcome addiction and substance use. Moreover, there is often no need to visit a rehabilitation center short-term when patients are devoted to recovery.