Therapy is for Everyone

​In recent years, mental health treatment has become increasingly destigmatized. In our opinion, this is an outstanding development. More people are willing to access care to have healthy and productive lives.

But how do you know when it is time to seek professional help versus when you can simply talk to your friend over coffee? There are a variety of ways to figure that out. Today we are going to look at five of them.

You've Thought About Going

​It may seem a little too obvious but if you have found yourself thinking that it might be good to see someone, it might be time to do just that. Trust your gut in this area. We are often more aware of our needs than we realize.

If you have found yourself thinking that therapy might be helpful then go ahead and set up an appointment. If it turns out that your concerns don’t require professional assistance, you will figure that out and you can move on.

You're Isolating Yourself

​Human beings are social beings. For the entirety of human history, humans have organized themselves in social settings. We have created tribes, villages, nations, societies, and empires.

Like it or not we need one another and need time spent with others who share our values. If you find yourself becoming increasingly distant from friends and family it is likely a sign of something else going on.

Isolation is a classic symptom of depression. If you find yourself spending a lot of time alone, avoiding interactions with people you care about, and ignoring phone calls and texts from these same people reach out for support.

Basic Life Tasks Feel Overwhelming

​There are certain tasks that are required for us to function and survive each day. Tasks such as getting out of bed, eating, showering, etc. If you are finding that these tasks are so overwhelming that you aren’t completing them regularly, it’s time to get some extra support.

These basic life tasks are the bedrock of being able to accomplish more complex tasks such as social interaction. As we become unable to complete them, their impacts grow. If you’re feeling this way, reach out.

Overthinking Is Controlling Your Life

There is a great deal of value in taking the time to think through a challenge in your life. Critical thought is vital to have a life well-lived. But, sometimes, we think too much.

Overthinking is when we are faced with a situation in our lives and feel compelled to trace every last possible line of thought about that situation. We feel as though we must examine every option and possibility in order to move forward or make a decision.

This process very quickly becomes paralyzing. If you have found yourself in that place more often than you aren’t, reach out.

Therapists can help you learn coping skills and techniques that will allow you to reign in the overthinking impulse and make decisions and challenging situations manageable.

You're ABility To Function Is Impaired

Mental health professionals use a book called the Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 (DSM 5) to diagnose mental health concerns in our clients. It is a massively thick book that lists the characteristics of every currently recognized mental health challenge.

As you can imagine, the characteristics of each concern vary pretty significantly. But there is one characteristic that is included in every single mental health challenge in the DSM 5.

In order to use a diagnosis, the list of qualifying characteristics must impair functioning. And at the core of it, that is how to determine if it is time to find a therapist.

If you are finding that your ability to function personally, socially, educationally, vocationally, etc is being compromised then it is absolutely time to reach out.

Are you so anxious you can’t make it to work? So sad you can’t get out of bed? So on edge, that interacting with your family and friends feels impossibly overwhelming? It’s time to reach out.

There are many reasons to reach out to a therapist for professional support. All manner of challenges in our lives can lead us to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and/or sad. Reaching out for help is a good thing. Knowing when it is time to reach out is even better.

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