Are you considering seeing a therapist? Want to improve your life and your relationships but don't think you need to see a psychologist? We aim to help you understand the top 3 reasons you should consider seeing a therapist for.
In 2020, it was estimated that around 41.4 million adults in the U.S. received mental health treatment or counselling at some time in the previous year.
Even more stunning is 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2–8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental, behavioural, or developmental disorder, so it's safe to say that therapy could be beneficial for all age groups, no matter if you have it diagnosed or not.
Keep reading to find out the top three reasons for seeing a therapist no matter what problems you’re facing.
3 Reasons For Seeing A Therapist
When it comes to keeping a healthy, productive life, many people would agree that one of the most important things you can do is invest in your health. Seeing a therapist is a great way to accomplish just that!
A therapist can help you pinpoint and address some of your emotions or stressors, which will lead to long-term beneficial effects such as peace of mind and clarity when facing tough situations.
Addiction
Substance abuse, whether it's alcohol, nicotine, or narcotics, is frequently used to cope with an unsolved problem. The same is true for problematic behaviours such as gambling addiction, binge eating, and purging.
A psychologist can aid in solving both the troublesome behaviour and its underlying problem, which might be stress, depression, or childhood traumas.
Therapists can also help family and friends who are battling the addiction of a cherished relative. Individual and group therapy can assist members of the family and caretakers in a good understanding of how to better support their loved one's rehabilitation while also managing their own emotions.
Depression
Depression is one of the most prevalent health issues in the United States, affecting people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. In 2017, 17.3 million individuals in the United States suffered at least one episode of serious depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Trusted Source.
Depression makes it difficult to operate daily. It can have an impact on your job, relationships, sleep, energy, and appetite. It frequently results in overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and guilt.
Therapy can assist you in determining the source of your depression and managing your symptoms, which can give relief.
Anxiety and stress
It's entirely ordinary to feel stressed out about specific scenarios, such as a performance review, a first date, or a school presentation. A therapist will work with you to identify stressors in your life and will assist you in developing good coping techniques.
It's also a smart option to get treatment if you're having problems dealing with day-to-day pressure and anxiety. Excessive stress and anxiety may contribute to a plethora of disorders, including sleep disturbances, harmful behaviours, and depression. While anxiety may never go away altogether, you can learn to control its effects.
Why You Should See A Therapist
With all of life's problems, you may be having difficulty managing your countless duties. You may be overwhelmed and find it tough to manage and organize all of your emotions. And it's imaginable that you're not coping with them in the most efficient ways—a therapist can help you understand your emotions and give you techniques to handle them.
Many mental health disorders can benefit from therapy. People can learn to manage symptoms that may not respond to treatment immediately in therapy. According to research, the benefits of treatment outlast the effects of medicine alone.
Medication can help with certain symptoms of mental health problems, but treatment teaches patients how to deal with many of them on their own without needing medication or a visit to the doctor.
These abilities endure long after treatment has ended, and symptoms may continue to improve with regular contact with the therapist.
Individual Therapy
Individual psychotherapy is often considered a kind of counselling, or talk therapy. It is used to help resolve many kinds of issues, including depression, anxiety, relationship problems and addiction.
In individual therapy, you will meet with your therapist regularly to discuss your concerns. Your therapist may be able to offer insights into why you feel as you do and give suggestions for how to change negative patterns of thinking or behaviour to alleviate your distress.
The primary benefit of individual therapy is that it allows you access to an objective outside opinion on your problems and how best to solve them. This can be especially helpful if you have trouble making sense of your feelings and thoughts, which can happen when you are dealing with depression or other mental health issues.
Couples Therapy
When we fight with our partners, there’s bound to be hurt feelings and tension. But couple’s therapy is an option for anyone struggling in their relationship; it’s especially valuable for those who have never been in couple’s therapy before.
If you and your partner both want to save your relationship and are willing to put forth the effort, it could prove beneficial. Santa Monica therapist Brooke Sprawl offers another reason why so many couples don't stay together:
They don't make therapy part of their routine as they continue living together as a married couple or otherwise.
Family Therapy
It’s important to understand that family issues don’t exist in a vacuum. If something is going wrong with your marriage or your children, seeing a family therapist may be the best way to start untangling the mysteries behind sudden behaviour changes or mood swings.
Whether you’re looking for someone to help you resolve conflicts or are working through deep-seated issues with loved ones, family therapy can help. Couples and family therapists focus on strengthening relationships between members of groups and improving communication skills.
Many therapists specialize in helping children, teens or elders within families—especially if there are problems related to those age groups. This can include anything from eating disorders and ADHD to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Conclusions
Therapy has come a long way since Freud first opened his practice in 1885. Many therapists today believe that no one theory is best when it comes to treating clients, so nothing is stopping you from picking up the phone and having a one-to-one with a local therapist and potentially setting up an appointment for yourself or your family.
If you’re interested in communicating better with your partner or dealing with trauma stemming from childhood, therapy might be right for you.
Take some time to explore therapists and services in Santa Monica near you to begin the change process towards a better life for yourself and your family.
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