There are multiple ways of viewing therapy and the role it may play in our lives.
First of all, you might view it as you might a dentist. You schedule regular check-ups, which are supposed to be preventative. That way, you avoid dental issues. Or if you have them, you might just need a small filling rather than a root canal.
A psychiatrist, or a couple therapist, can be used in the same way. Deal with small issues in your mental health, or in your relationship, before they become big ones.
On the other hand, you may think of a therapist as you would a plumber. As long as your sinks are working fine, there is no need to get help. But once there is a clog, a professional is the way to go.
In the same way, therapy might be something you only need when there is an issue to deal with. If there is some sort of mental problem or obstacle that you cannot deal with yourself, you need professional help.
Lastly, you might think that therapy simply isn’t for you. Maybe you aren’t comfortable discussing (or even thinking) about your innermost thoughts, desires, or problems. Or perhaps the idea of sharing them, particularly with a stranger, feels wrong. Maybe it makes you feel better to read a self-help book or two. Or even to ignore your problems and hope they go away.
So which is it for you? Have you seen a therapist? Do you think it best to be proactive to avoid issues, deal with them once they arise, or just try and handle them on your own?
Could everyone benefit from therapy?
Related questions: Why do we care what strangers think of us? What is your retreat from the world? How do you judge yourself? How can we appreciate life more?
My answer is going to deal with mental health therapy. And, yes, I do think everyone would benefit from it. Since we’re talking about the masses, I’ve always thought the annual check-up — like annual physical health check ups — with a mental health doctor and (if needed) a talk therapist made sense. Many of us amass some negative (i.e. unhelpful) thinking a doctor and/or a therapist can help us through or think differently about before they grow into larger patterns. A doctor could also assess if we have more serious mental health problems to work through as well as help figure out if medications would be necessary to improve our situation.
Now, can we get all insurance plans to cover these visits!?
As for me, I’ve had a mental health doctor and talk therapist for years. I’ve been diagnosed with chronic depression and anxiety. The meds my doctors have prescribed have kept depression at bay most of the time. Anxiety is a larger issue for me. Meds help … a lot. Talk therapy helps … a lot. As do assignments given to me by my therapist. But as with many chronic physical health problems, sometimes the doctor/therapist helps me live as best I can with the chronic illnesses.
It pains me to see the stigma and discrimination some people with many mental health problems face. It’s (partially) because society doesn’t openly think about mental health as just as regular and important as physical health that perpetuates this stigma and discrimination and keeps many people from seeking help when they need it.
That’s another reason why I think annual mental health check-ups for the masses would help. Addressing, getting help for, and talking about mental health would eventually become more normalized. And that would be a great advancement for our society.
Yes, I think everyone should see a therapist.
I’ve never seen a therapist because I’m not sure my health insurance covers it. I also don’t get annual physicals. I really don’t like how our health care system works, I find it really frustrating and confusing to navigate and my PCP changes so often because my jobs have that I haven’t really figured this out, none the less my mental state.
I heard a good NPR segment yesterday about how if you’re often angry you might be depressed without realizing it: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/04/689747637/if-youre-often-angry-or-irritable-you-may-be-depressed
I’ve never found it very helpful. Maybe the options available are limited or inadequate for many people. Probably the science will advance with knowledge of the brain increasing.
Does everyone need to see a mental health therapist? No, I don’t think so. While I agree that many would benefit from talk therapy, there are multiple other ‘therapies’ that don’t involve a counselor/psychiatrist that have the similar benefits as seeing one.
Hobbies can be very therapeutic, especially if they are hands on. Meditation and self reflection are very helpful to mental health.
Massage, acupuncture and float therapy address the physical manifestations of our emotional/mental health.
I don’t believe that psychotherapy is right or even beneficial for everyone, but there are many ways that everyone can improve their own mental health.
I’ve never found it helpful. I’ve tried it twice and didn’t feel in either case like the therapist understood me enough to do any good. So much depends on the intangible of finding someone you can relate to. For me, writing, music, exercise and sleep do a much better job of helping me manage life. But I also don’t carry an ongoing mental health diagnosis.
No – I do not believe everyone could benefit from therapy. I think therapy is a giant scam and designed to take money from the gullible.
Most people are just fine living their life and not handing money to a stranger to just sit there or to turn normal life events into something clinical.
So is it your assertion that *no one* benefits from therapy? Even someone who thinks they do?