Should I See a Therapist?

We all have those nagging thoughts. But when they become thoughts you can't shake or they start to affect your relationships, school or work, or the things you used to enjoy, you may need the help of a professional. Only a professional can take that serious question -- should I see a therapist? -- and give you the context and tools you need to take charge of your life.

Whether you call it therapy, counseling or just plain talking, a therapist can help you deal with any mental health concern or emotional difficulty, and it may not take as long as you think to get to the bottom of the issue. Contrary to the common belief that therapy is something that lasts years and years, most issues can be resolved with a handful of visits over the course of a few months. True therapy isn't about making you dependent on its advice, but to help you cope with the challenges that life throws your way with real skills and tools.

In fact, most therapy sessions are about an hour in length and with today's technology they can be conducted remotely while you're at home or in another safe place. In therapy, you'll learn how to deal with your symptoms instead of covering them up with medicine, which lasts way longer than a prescription ever will. 

Indeed, good therapy should have an expiration date, whereby the skills you gain enables you to deal with your issues without needing future treatment, and that's more than you could ever say about a drug that's only effective while you're taking it.
Recent studies also show that mental health issues are quite common, with about one out of every five adults reporting suffering from a mental health condition, and that almost five percent of adults live with a serious mental health condition that greatly affects their day-to-day life.

However, less than half of all people with mental health issues seek help for their condition, which often means that over time the issue gets worse. Left untreated, mental health issues can also lead to difficulty at work or school, poor relationships with friends and family, an increased risk of other health issues, and even hospitalization or suicide.

Unfortunately, suicide is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 10 and 34, and nine out of 10 people that commit suicide were suffering from a mental health condition.

So let's ask that question again: "Should I see a therapist?"

While we would never say that anyone needs therapy without reviewing your case itself, it's important that those considering therapy choose to get help on their own. Therapy's one of those things where you'll get as much out of it as you put in, meaning that motivation is a huge part of whether or not therapy will work. You have to be open to the insights and skills you'll learn in therapy for it to be effective, and a stubborn or adversarial approach to therapy makes it that much harder to break through, if it happens at all.

Think of it like a healthy lifestyle. If you get no exercise and eat terribly, one salad or a walk around the block isn't going to cut it. You need to turn your bad behaviors into good behaviors and make them a daily habit, whether it's going on a bike ride each day or cutting out the junk from your diet.

It's no different with mental health. Over time, bad behaviors become reinforced and self-serving, and you need to break the cycle of negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones that allow you to see the change that you're capable of making.

Should I Go to Therapy?
The first step in deciding whether you should go to therapy is to determine whether you're ready. Therapy will only work if you're up to it, so you've got to be on board and willing to work on your mental health before you'll see any benefits.
Once you've decided that therapy might be for you, think about what you want to get out of therapy. The American Psychological Association says that therapy can be helpful when any issue starts affecting your life, such as if you spend more than an hour each day thinking about or coping with a specific issue; if you're embarrassed or if you start to avoid others due to a specific issue; if an issue has led to a deterioration in the quality of your life; if your relationships, school or work suffers due to an issue; or if you've developed problematic coping mechanisms for issues that have started to control your life.

When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to seek the advice of a professional. Many therapists will provide a free, short consultation to prospective clients to see if therapy can help resolve an issue, and they'll also be able to provide context for issues that may be less severe or that may need another approach.

Emotions or Feelings That May Need therapy

• If you constantly feel overwhelmed or like you have too many issues or problems to cope with, you may need therapy.
• If you're always tired or fatigued or have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, you may need therapy.
• If anger, resentment or rage is a common feeling that never passes, you may need therapy.
• If you're fearful of being out in public or around other people, you may need therapy.
• If a lingering worry takes up most of your day or has led to physical symptoms, you may need therapy.
• If things that used to bring you joy no longer interest you, you may need therapy.
• If you have trouble keeping yourself motivated or hoping for positive outcomes, you may need therapy.
• If you care too much about what other people think, even with the smallest of details, you may need therapy.
• And if you've ever experienced panic or anxiety attacks, you may need therapy.

About Quick Results Counseling
Here at Quick Results Counseling in the Bay Area, we believe that therapy is a great tool to help address mental health issues. Even if you've tried therapy before and it didn't work, if you were antagonistic to the process before and now you're ready, it could be the perfect time to get into therapy again. Sometimes therapy just takes time, and it's not like after the first session you'll be well on your way to recovery. The first session is a great start, but in our experience it takes 12 to 24 sessions over the course of three to six months before tangible progress is made. If it's a life transition problem, you may beat it and never look back, and that's great. Other issues may be more involved, but you likely don't need years of therapy. We believe in diagnosing, addressing and eliminating problems in our clients, and a multi-year therapy engagement is only for the most serious of cases.
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If you believe that therapy might help you with a mental health issue, please contact the professionals at Quick Results Counseling.