5 Reasons To Talk To a Therapist, Coming From to Someone Who Does
If you’re looking for a sign, this is it.
by Rachel Linder
For some reason, taking the step from considering therapy to actually reaching out to a therapist and setting up an appointment can feel like an extremely difficult hurdle. There’s a stigma that likely comes along with therapy in your mind—one that you have to move past to actually make the move of reaching out to a professional.
It’s important to look at therapy the same way you’d look at researching mental health at home. It’s only helpful when you approach it as just a part of the way to cope with mental health, not the full coping mechanism. Therapy provides you with a toolkit, but it’s the way you work with those tools and your attitude towards approaching them that will give you the confidence you need to start feeling your best. If this sounds like something you could be interested in, but are still not totally sure (you’re definitely not alone), these are some signs to look for in your life that could mean maybe it’s time to make the call.
You’re having harmful thoughts.
Before starting the research to find a therapist (which could take a little time), if you’re having thoughts of harming yourself call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or text the Crisis Text Line immediately. After doing that, finding a therapist to speak to regularly can help you to manage and cope with those thoughts. Professionals are trained to handle this—they’ll provide insight and coping strategies that will prove invaluable.
You’re feeling alone.
If you’re finding yourself withdrawing from close friends or family, or simply not speaking with anyone about your personal challenges, you should talk to a therapist. No one should have to deal with these immense struggles alone—even if you don’t want to take action or make changes necessarily. Just having someone to talk through everything with will take a burden off your shoulders, as you’ll no longer have to go it alone.
You want to take steps forward in understanding your mental health, but aren’t sure how.
This is where we’re going to make the point that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. While our site has done thorough research on each topic addressed regarding mental health, others are much less thorough. If you’re looking for clarity, and especially personalized insight, talking to a professional therapist can help you achieve that.
You’re looking for a different perspective.
Maybe the closest people to you are the people you want to talk to someone about. If that’s the case, or even if you’re finding that you’re always talking to the same person about your challenges, it could be time to talk to a professional—someone new. Not only will they have expertise that often friends or family lack, but they will also provide an outside perspective, one that could be essential to helping you truly understand your situation objectively.
You don’t need a reason.
This is probably the most important part of therapy to understand—you absolutely don’t need to fit into a particular box to qualify. Everyone’s mental health challenges are different, and just because you aren’t experiencing any of the reasons listed above doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek help. Everyone deserves answers to their questions and reaching out to a therapist can likely help you do that.