Let's Talk About Therapy & Why You Might Need It In Your Life

Why therapy?

Therapy can be a difficult and confusing process for many people. There are so many different types of therapy that it can be hard to know which is the best for you. This blog looks at two types of therapy and what signs to look for to know that you might need therapy. Everything from therapy for children to adults.

What is therapy?

Therapy is a treatment method that focuses on the improvement and healing of a person's mental, emotional, and behavioral health. The word therapy comes from Greek, where it means "to pass through". The goal of therapy is to help the client feel better, not just recover from a condition. Therapy can help with a variety of mental or behavioral health issues, such as anxiety, self-esteem, depression, addiction, abuse, eating disorders, and more. This blog will share with you a detailed explanation of what therapy is in a smart way.

2 Types of Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy

It is a form of psychotherapy that is based on the idea that how a person thinks and behaves are influenced by their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It helps people identify and change the negative thoughts and behaviors that are causing them to experience distress or difficulties. It is typically done through a series of one-on-one sessions with a therapist. 

Mindfulness-based Cognitive behavioral therapy

Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT) is a type of therapy that is based on mindfulness. It is used to address an array of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all deeply interconnected. The therapy helps people learn how to observe their thoughts and feelings without either getting caught up in them or reacting to them. The therapy also helps people develop new ways of relating to the world, and to themselves. It helps people change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is typically used to treat anxiety and depression.

The idea of mindfulness is that it can help people live in the present moment and respond to the world in a more skillful manner.

Do I need therapy? 5 signs you need therapy

1.    1.  You're feeling overwhelmed or burdened by your life.

Maybe you're feeling low or empty and are unable to "snap out of it". Or, maybe you're noticing certain negative patterns in your lifestyle that you can't seem to break. Sometimes the signs of mental or emotional distress are obvious. But at other times, they are harder to pinpoint.

Or maybe you are feeling like your thoughts are consuming you, weighing you down, or keeping you from being able to do anything. It has all become too much and is spilling over. Feeling overwhelmed can be caused by several things ranging from work stress to relationships. It influences how we cope and process all our emotions and feelings. Feeling out of control or unable to process what is going on in your life can be helped with therapy. It does so by providing you with a space where you can work through your thoughts and feelings.

 

2.     2.  You're finding it difficult to connect with others.

Sometimes a lack of connection might be related to the presence of a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. You should talk to your healthcare provider or a therapist if you are experiencing symptoms that are concerning or making it difficult to function as you normally do in your daily life.

 

3.     3.  You're struggling with anxiety or depression.

Like many people, you’ve tried everything—talked to a friend, exercised more, watched self-help videos—but nothing seems to have made a difference. This may be a sign it’s time to talk to a behavioral health specialist who can help you figure out what is causing you to feel this way.

You’ve been feeling excessive worry or mental preoccupation with certain subjects A LOT, and it’s getting in the way of your ability to be present at work or with relationships. Your mental strain is a clue it could be time to seek out medical advice, diagnosis, support, or all of the above.

 

4.    4.   You feel like you're trapped in a cycle of negative thinking.

Since you are a thinking being, negative thoughts will occur. However, when you get stuck in a thought loop that you can’t get out of, distressing feelings can increase and your mental health can suffer. You can have trouble sleeping and become easily agitated. It can even begin to change your worldview and sense of safety. When you are stuck in a negative thought loop, it can impact your sense of self. Instead of your thoughts being about what happened, they can turn into being about what is inherently wrong with you. How you are not good enough and what a horrible person you are. When this happens, the negative thought loop reinforces the negative self-beliefs which can lead to unwanted behaviors. However, there are some things you can try to stop the negative thought loop.

Write the thought loop down on paper. The act of forming letters engages the logical side of your brain. This helps get you out of the imaginative side of your brain where you can catastrophize a situation and make it much worse than reality. Sometimes just writing it down is enough to stop the thought loop. If not, you can read over what you wrote and check it for accuracy. If it is not accurate, or if you can think of other ways to look at it, write those down as well. Writing down your negative thought loop can help you look at it more objectively.

 

5.    5.   You're having difficulty regulating your emotions.

You're having difficulty regulating your emotions. While we all feel sad, anxious, or angry at some point in our lives, it's important to pay attention to how often or how intensely we feel these emotions. "Anger is often a part of a depressive presentation," says Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a California-based licensed clinical psychologist and author of Don't You Know Who I Am? How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility. In fact, in men, depression is often missed because their short temper or irritability is wrongly assumed as a masculine trait. Besides depression, "uncontrolled anger may also reflect negative feelings about the self or the world, frustration, or a poorly regulated response to stress," adds the psychologist. Similarly, if someone continually feels sad, empty, and disinterested in everything, it may be a sign of clinical depression.

 "This is different than a depressed mood, which everyone feels from time to time," notes Dr. Friedman. In children, "instead of experiencing increased sadness, many show irritability, anger or hostility towards others," tells Dr. Giller. Psychotherapy can help you or your child manage emotions more effectively. "It's an honest, objective, and confidential space that allows a person to explore uncomfortable feelings, understand its root causes, place it in a context and learn coping skills to overcome those feelings," says Dr. Durvasula. Additionally, "it's a trusting space where you can be vulnerable and explore deeper issues that require the assistance of a trained professional, such as trauma or high-risk behaviors (e.g., drug use, suicidal behavior, etc.), add the psychologist.

 

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed my blog about whether or not you might need therapy. This is a great place to start for anybody who might be struggling with a mental health issue. Let's talk about therapy and the signs that might indicate you need it in your life. Please reach out to me anytime if you would like more information or have any questions.