Society has made major strides when it comes to discussing mental health and the struggles many of us face when it comes to depression, anxiety, and other disorders (diagnosed or otherwise). However, for many people, there’s still a fair amount of shame surrounding asking for help. There shouldn’t be! If you’re experiencing any of the following things, it’s likely you need therapy. Don’t feel bad about it — getting impartial feedback and guidance from a professional can help you get your life back when it feels like it’s slipping from your hands.
- You feel like you’re constantly on an emotional roller coaster and you can’t get off. We all experience mood swings from time to time — hello, PMS! — but if your emotions are so unpredictable and extreme that it’s interfering with your daily life, that’s a problem. There are numerous reasons this may be happening, from hormonal imbalances to unresolved trauma, just to name a few. However, you’ll never know if you don’t seek help with the problem.
- You have too many sleepless nights to count. Tossing and turning or having nightmares regularly? Your insomnia is trying to tell you something. Not being able to switch off once your head hits the pillow does happen on occasion, especially when something major is happening in your life. That being said, if lying awake until just before your alarm goes off turning over a million different things in your brain is your norm, there’s something bigger going on.
- Your relationships are never-ending dramas. Sure, you may have dated a couple of people who brought out the worst in you, but if all of your relationships were toxic and traumatizing, you have to look at the common denominator here: you. It could be that you need therapy to identify harmful patterns, as well as to learn how to address them and brush up on skills like compromise, understanding, and communication.
- You’re stressed AF and can’t find relief. Modern life can pile on stress, but if it feels like a never-ending avalanche, therapy can give you tools to manage it and find your inner zen. Self-care plays a huge role in our mental health, but if bubble baths, long runs, and meditation sessions aren’t doing the trick, bringing in the big guns (i.e. seeing a licensed professional) might do the trick.
- Your self-esteem is in the gutter. Everyone has things they don’t like about themselves, but if your self-worth is pretty much non-existent, you have to do something to change it. A therapist can help you shift your mindset so that you’re able to focus on all the wonderful things about you — and yes, there are many! — so that you can truly learn to love yourself.
- You’re still hanging on to past trauma. Past trauma can cast a long shadow if it’s not dealt with. There’s only so long you can compartmentalize or pretend that you’re okay until it comes back to bite you. If you went through a scarring experience, you need therapy to sort through the feelings it left you with so that you can begin to heal and move on. You can’t let your past control your future.
- You feel overwhelmed by the prospect of navigating your life. Major life changes like new jobs, moving, or breakups can be overwhelming. Therapy can help to provide a roadmap through tricky situations and empower you with the knowledge and flexibility you need to navigate them more easily.
- You are aware of your toxic habits and behaviors, but you don’t know how to break them. Self-awareness plays a big role in life, and if you know that you are doing certain things in life that are not good for you, you are half the battle. However, you may need therapy to actually change these behaviors to healthier alternatives.
- You feel like you have lost your passion for life. If you have lost interest in the things that once made you happy and find it difficult to find motivation, you may be suffering from depression. While some people need medication to restore their mood balance, it may be that regular visits to a therapist help identify the blockage so that you can remove it and return to happiness.
- Your life feels stagnant and unchanging. Do you feel like your life is at a standstill? Therapy can help you get back on track, set goals, and move forward. Your therapist will never tell you how to live your life, but they can act as a sounding board to help you identify a path forward to help you get out of a rut.
- Your inner dialogue is full of criticism and negativity. Do you have a never-ending inner critic that’s always telling you you’re not good enough? This isn’t true, and therapy can help you silence this harsh voice by giving you the tools to reframe your destructive inner dialogue into something more affirming. After all, you wouldn’t let anyone talk to you that way, so why are you doing it to yourself?
- You find yourself slowly withdrawing from your life. If you’ve started canceling plans with friends and spending more and more time alone, you’re at risk of seriously isolating yourself and getting into a bad place. In fact, you may already be there. You may need therapy to identify why this has happened and to coax you back into the life you built and once loved.
- You suffer from panic attacks. Frequent panic attacks can be overwhelming, and therapy can teach you techniques to reduce their frequency or even prevent them altogether. Mental health professionals have tools that can help you dig deeper into the things you fear or that cause you high levels of stress and anxiety, leading to panic attacks. Once you learn these tools and coping techniques, you’ll feel much better.
- You have trouble setting boundaries. Many of us struggle with people-pleasing tendencies or tend to overvalue ourselves or give second chances when they don’t deserve them. If you just can’t set boundaries and stick to them, seeking advice from a therapist can change that.
- You rely on drugs or alcohol to feel better. If you use substances to cope with emotional pain or stress, therapy can be a crucial step in recovery and healing. Addiction is a problem that can ruin your entire life, so it’s vital to get it under control as soon as possible. Find a therapist who specializes in addictive behaviors to get the most out of your sessions.
It’s important to note that there are many different types of therapy, as it’s not a “one size fits all” practice. You may need to contact several different professionals to find one with whom you can work and whose advice and recommendations will be most helpful. Don’t give up – you deserve to be happy.
Originally Published: www.bolde.com
