Mental Illness Stigma – Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Seeking Therapy. There are times in life when everything around us seems hopeless. We face instances when the people around us begin to look like shadows, entities with no meaning. Activities that once were joyous become dull and boring for us.
We then build a wall against the world, unknowingly depriving ourselves of the necessities and joys of life. In such times, what we need is a person to rely upon and share our worries. A person who will listen to us and help us find meaning in everything around us, reviving our life. That person is a therapist.
But the problem is that society, the very community that often is the cause of our mental issues, also stigmatizes seeking mental health support. It shames us for having the same problem it inflicted upon us and for getting professional help. Such mental pressures can come from the people you hold dear, your family, friends, significant other.
Mental Illness Stigma – Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Seeking Therapy
These stigmas are based upon negative opinions and stereotypes and hurt the one who’s suffering even more. But no matter what anyone says, prioritizing yourself over everyone else is not a crime. Seeking help when you are suffering will only help you deal with traumas. It will help you lead a better life. So, no matter what anyone says, it shouldn’t stop you from seeking professional therapy.
But before you get professional help, you must understand your needs. Determine if you need a counselor or a therapist. The difference between counselor and therapist is that a counselor helps you focus and resolve a specific life issue. Counseling can be a short-term process with a particular goal. On the other hand, therapy focuses upon you as an individual. It helps you determine the root causes of your emotional and mental distress. Therapy is a long-term process that unwinds your personality down to its very core and enables you to rebuild yourself.
But don’t let your confusion frighten you out of seeking therapy. There are many reasons why any social stigma and personal fear shouldn’t stop you from seeking treatment. Some of these reasons are:
It Is Not Frivolous To Spend On Your Happiness
Some people genuinely believe that spending money to help their emotional and mental health is a frivolous activity. Such beliefs stem from deeply ingrained teachings that spending money for such a thing is selfish. But it shouldn’t stop you from investing in yourself. If you can spend money on entertainment, you can also spend money on your well-being. A quick getaway or a concert ticket can bring your temporary joy, but what happens when it all wears off? These fleeting joys can never be as fruitful as seeking professional help and healing yourself from within.
Healing Takes Time
We all crave a quick fix for everything. If we’re hungry, we spend money on junk food instead of taking out some time to cook a healthy meal. Similarly, if we are bored, we watch a movie or go to a concert instead of spending some time reading a book. While these instances aren’t true for everyone, they still describe our craving for a quick fix. We think that our emotional pain is like a headache, and medicine can fix the problem overnight. But healing takes time. The roots of your mental illnesses are deep. It can take years of trauma, stress, and pain to deteriorate your mental state. We cannot fix such deeply rooted problems overnight. Therefore, take out some time for yourself and seek therapy, no matter how hopeless it seems in the beginning.
There Is No Shame In Asking For Help
Just because you are an adult or hold a prominent position “career-wise” does not mean you are not entitled to seek help. We often come across people saying things like, “I am a father, I am not allowed to break down” or “I can manage my mental health myself.” Such sayings and beliefs only exert pressure on yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are a dependable adult; you are allowed to break down. The stubbornness to avoid therapy will only bear negative consequences for yourself and those around you. So don’t feel ashamed to seek help.
Better Mental Health Will Help You Progress
It is not a foreign concept to prioritize education and career over everything in your life. People glorify such behavior in our highly capitalist society. But what is the point of overexerting yourself for the sake of your job or your education when you as a human being find no happiness in it?
Undoubtedly, being in a better emotional and mental state will help you significantly progress in life. It will help you deal with your fears and become more productive. It will help you shake off the things that hold you back and move ahead in your life. But most of all, getting therapy will help you become content and happy.
Conclusion.
Social stigmas penetrated for centuries in our society when people with mental illnesses were deemed insane and locked away. But that is not the case anymore. There is no denying that social stigmas still exist and they still affect our decisions, but they don’t have the same power as before. Therefore, people’s meaningless remarks and pressurization shouldn’t stop you from seeking happiness and satisfaction in life.