When people think of going to therapy, the first assumption is that therapy is only for those who are suffering from a mental illness, experiencing grief or dealing with a hardship in life. That could not be farther for the truth! Therapy isn’t only limited to the severest traumas or the most serious clinical mental illnesses. Therapy is for everyone, and yes, we mean EVERYONE — regardless of the frequency, severity or intensity of whatever it is you’re dealing with. Any issue, big or small, can benefit from therapy. Oh, and even if you don’t have an issue per se, you can still reap the benefits of therapy. Therapy is designed to help every single aspect of life.
Everyone has little irks/annoyances. There are various ways we might try to deal with them — constantly telling our friends the same story until they get annoyed, ignoring said irks, repressing them, becoming passive aggressive towards those who annoyed us, etc. Sometimes the ways we’ve learned to deal with these little stressors aren’t the healthiest coping mechanisms and can cause damage in the long run. Furthermore, you may not have anyone in your life you feel comfortable enough to open up to, or you simply just need to get things off your chest without offending anyone or feeling judged. Everyone needs an outlet.
This is where therapy comes into play. In therapy, you will find mental health professionals who you can talk about anything and everything with, without having to censor out any details. Talking aloud about what’s going on in your head means it doesn’t get heavy. Talking to someone who doesn’t have an emotional connection with you, such as your friends and family, means they can provide you with an unbiased, objective view on your situation. Thus, widening your perspective and providing you with new or alternate coping strategies. This will help you better manage both current and future stressors. So, even if you go through a hard time in the future, you’ll be better equipped to deal with it or maybe even prevent it with the new tools your therapist provides you with.
Another upside of going to therapy is that it will also benefit all those around you. Those closest to you may be dealing with their own personal issues, and not be able to listen to you as attentively as you’d like. They could even be busy and not have time to listen to mundane things, especially over and over again, or they may just suck at giving advice. Not only does going to therapy take the weight off your loved ones, but it can even serve as a resource to strengthen your relationships.
Therapy will give you a place to vent, make you feel relieved by getting it all off your chest, help you understand your mind, give you objective views on what you’re working through, help you learn healthy new coping mechanisms and arm you with skills to effectively manage similar instances in the future. So, if you can, go to therapy! It’s an experience that will benefit you in every way possible.