Mental health is crucial for leading a good and fulfilled life. It is necessary to talk to someone when we are feeling confused, dealing with anxiety, depression, or any other difficulty when we simply cannot face everyday problems successfully. There is a whole range of mental disorders that are mild or more severe that require our attention and therapy.
However, even though seeing a therapist should be a part of our healthcare routine, just as going to any other type of checkup, people often have issues with the stigma that is often present when mental illnesses and counseling is mentioned. Fortunately, these past few years a lot has been done to raise awareness about the importance of talking to professionals when we face an obstacle concerning our mental wellbeing. Here are a few reasons why it is important to talk to a psychologist or a counselor when we start struggling with our mental health.
1. Counselors can help you see things objectively
Some people may say that instead of seeing a professional, you can simply talk to a friend and you will feel much better. Even though this may be true, when we think about the effects, in the long run, there is hardly any progress that will be made based just on talking with friends. Those are people who love us and who have been there for years when we were going through all kinds of situations, but friends are often very subjective when they think about you.
They will stand by your side even when you are wrong. This is great in usual situations, but won’t help you correct your negative patterns and resolve a problem. When you meet a counselor for the first time, they will listen to you and objectively assess your problem, see the way you talk and behave, so they can give you a safe outlet to share your problems without jumping in on anyone’s side. As you continue going to therapy and talking about your issues, you will start to realize that you can handle things calmly and look at things differently.
2. It can be liberating
We tend to slightly change the story when we talk to our friends and family, either because we don’t want to hurt their feelings, or because we are ashamed. On the other hand, talking to a professional means that you will be able to share every detail without being judged at all. You know that the person is there to help you out and gently push you in the right direction.
Knowing that you are in a safe environment to share everything that is bothering you can be truly liberating and beneficial for your mental health. It is exhausting sometimes to try to make everyone feel good, trying to make a career, spending time with the family, organizing events, and simply striving to be the best you can be. It can take its toll. Seeing a counselor is a part of taking good care of yourself and simply supporting mental hygiene.
3. Being honest will take a burden off your chest
Going to therapy is a very specific situation. If you didn’t have a chance to talk openly for a while and you have been simply trying to push through hard times, you may start feeling both physical and mental difficulties. Usually, people start suffering from insomnia or have back issues when they carry grief in them that they simply cannot deal with any other way.
Many people report that being able to talk to someone openly takes tons of their chest which resolves the symptom, so you can often hear that someone has finally started sleeping again or started smiling more often. The longer the problem persists, the harsher the symptoms can be. This is why it is important to understand that talking to a professional when you need someone’s objective opinion is a good thing and nothing to be afraid of.
4. It feels good
Councilors do care about their patients. They want to hear you out and help you. They will be there for you to listen to you and to give you another perspective. It feels really good to have someone care for you, especially if you have been taking care of everyone else but yourself. Sure, you may say that this is their job, but this is a truly special profession. These people want to help every individual with their knowledge and guidance, but also with the basic human approach of helping another human being. Having someone by your side to guide you through tough times is truly comforting and it feels so good to finally let go of everything that has been bothering you.
However, many people don’t even try to seek help because the first thought that comes to their mind is “does insurance cover therapy”. Well, the answer depends on the health care insurance that you have chosen and if the therapist accepts your health insurance coverage. While many plans for health insurance will cover the therapy you need, it is still not easy to determine whether the answer to the question “does insurance cover therapy” is yes. BetterHelp is a great resource to use to better your mental health, regardless if it’s covered by your insurance or not.
Overcoming difficulties is possible with the right guidance. The worst thing you can do is to let all your emotions get bottled up. This will create unnecessary pressure and difficulties in your everyday life. Developing skills and strategies to face the issues you are dealing with is usually the only thing necessary to improve your condition. Each person is unique, so the approach will differ, but you need to know that the counselor will have your best interests at heart and will help you with all the means he has to help you improve your life and your overall wellbeing. Make sure you find the person that you like because it is a process and you need to connect well to be able to make progress.
