It seems that every second person you know has therapy sessions from time to time. But you’ve never considered paying a visit to the shrink. Some think that only serious problems with mental health require psychotherapy. But such an idea is a far cry from the truth.
One in five adults experience problems with mental health. And that doesn’t mean that they are psychotic or pose a danger to themselves or society. Many people suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, or mild forms of depression – and all that requires professional help from psychotherapists or psychologists.
If you have never been in therapy, the idea may seem intimidating. The last time you’ve probably considered it is when you were cursing yourself for attempting to edit your essay on your own instead of ordering it from an essay editor service! There, professionals polish your paper in several hours – and make the finished one A-worthy.
But one of the main reasons certain people are not ready for psychotherapy is their uncertainty regarding whether it actually helps. Psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy, hence the lack of trust in it. But psychotherapy is quite helpful, especially for people who want to:
- Get over harmful behaviors;
- Identify triggers;
- Learn healthy coping mechanisms;
- Overcome end of relationships;
- Improve self-esteem.
If you often experience eating disorders, panic attacks, or suicidal thoughts, psychotherapy can solve these issues. All of those destructive behaviors are set off by triggers. The therapy sessions can help you identify those triggers and avoid them. Aside from that, you can figure out healthy mechanisms to cope with stress during sessions with the psychotherapist.
Quite often, people find themselves in situations when they can’t move on from past relationships. They experience various problems, like being unable to fully let go of their ex-partners or finding it difficult to start new relationships. They constantly compare their prospective partners to their exes.
Generally, it occurs due to not being able to talk directly with your ex. But all those problems can be solved by talking them through with the psychotherapist. As a result, you will be able to find a proper closure for your past relationship. And you will open yourself for a new relationship.
People frequently struggle with low self-esteem. As a result, their success often passes unnoticed by them. With the help of therapy sessions, you will be able to understand that, in reality, you are much more successful than you think. It will encourage you to take on new challenges without experiencing impostor syndrome.
But that’s just a tip of an iceberg of the problems people can solve with the help of psychotherapy. If the examples mentioned above seem a bit too much or irrelevant for you, there are lighter issues that attending a shrink can solve.
Fixing Anxiety Issues
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues. Around 20% of the population around the world experience this condition. Aside from that, 50% of those diagnosed with depression suffer from a form of anxiety. While you can dismiss it as simple stress, anxiety differs drastically from the occasional stress that people experience.
Clinical anxiety is a chronic symptom, which means that people with this condition feel on edge almost all the time. People with anxiety frequently expect something terrible to happen, even when nothing indicates that. As a result, the condition leads to numerous social complications.
People with anxiety often struggle to control their emotions; hence they become too self-conscious and avoidant. Just because they know that they can become overly emotional, they distance themselves from others. While that’s also a form of coping, it’s really hard to call someone who remains closed for everybody a happy person.
Psychotherapy is often called the pursuit of happiness, and it can help people with anxiety to fix the condition. By talking through with the therapist, those with the condition can provide the reasons for their emotional reactions, thus identifying the causes of anxiety. As a result, they can understand and accept their emotions and avoid being paralyzed by fear.
Fixing Obsessions and Compulsions
Have you ever suffered from constant thoughts, wanting to get something, and you can’t get to everyday life until you get it? It happens to everyone from time to time, but if it happens repeatedly and fixated on particular aspects, most likely, you are experiencing obsessions. Obsessions are dogged and unwanted thoughts that you can’t get rid of.
Ever felt that you need to repeat a specific action to feel safe or calm? Like repeatedly washing your hands? And you feel like you’re going to die if you won’t repeat that action again? Most likely, you are experiencing compulsion, an irrational repeated behavior that one feels they must do.
The most common obsessive and compulsive conditions include:
- OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) – need for repetitive rituals;
- Body Dysmorphia – fixation on perceived flaws of appearance;
- Kleptomania – unexplainable need to steal.
Other forms include hoarding, which makes an individual collect large amounts of various objects, which take a lot of space, hence affecting an individual’s quality of life. And there’s also trichotillomania, which forces people to pull out their hair when experiencing anxiety.
But working with a mental health professional can solve these conditions. A therapist will make you examine your behavior, which will reveal the thought pattern that makes you indulge in these habits. They can help you find the alternative to these behaviors, which can fix the condition.
Fixing Relationships
Helping get over the past relationship is one thing, but sometimes you can fix one that is falling apart with the help of therapy sessions. Most problems come from partners failing to communicate their concerns, fears, and grudges. A mental health professional can help find ways to express those problems.
Couples often seek therapy to gain perspective on their relationship problems and strengthen their bond. Aside from that, a therapist can help you prevent specific problems by allowing you to recognize the problem when it’s on the horizon.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of problems that you can fix with the help of a mental health professional. The most crucial point is to seek help when you need it. Many people avoid seeking mental help because they either feel ashamed or refuse to acknowledge that they have problems. But it can lead to long-lasting issues that will impact your life. The sooner the problem is identified, the higher the chances to fix it most effectively.
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