My emotions are a rollercoaster. Take this week for example; every morning has started off with a coffee and the sun, listening to the birds chirping in the trees, and playing a game of chess with my boyfriend next to the window. I got offered a new job at a local restaurant, aced a quiz for my university class, booked my first Pfizer vaccination back home and continued to create my small business on the side. All in all, it has been a recurring theme of bright and sunny days - both mentally and physically. Still, like any human being, I managed to break down in tears at least four times for no apparent reason as to why. This is why I suggest therapy to everyone. This is the sole reason I believe that therapy can benefit everyone who takes a chance. Because, even for a child who called a clinical therapist “Mom” and whose currently obtaining a minor is psychology, I find it difficult to identify and handle my emotions on a day to day basis.
So I give you the task to try and convince me otherwise. Can you give me any solid reasons as to how reaching out might negatively impact you? I’ll get us started with a few of my pushbacks at first and then we’ll talk….
Independence From the moment we enter the world we are being taught to do things on our own. The underlying message of school, the training in a job, and even the concept of parenthood as a whole is to raise a child into the independent world. So of course when my Mom suggested I seek therapy to discuss things - such as anxiety and depression - I fought hard to prove I could handle them on my own. Unfortunately, sometimes it is really hard to identify our emotions in the moment on our own. On top of that, sometimes it is hard to identify a long standing issue. The benefits of not doing it on your own are tremendous … You’re given a support system that challenges you enough to gain insight on yourself. Therapists are trained listeners that help you narrow the source(s) of any problem whether the source be your own thoughts, your family, or even yourself.
Finances I like nice things (as most of you can probably tell). This does not mean I like to spend money. Like my Mom always taught me, I price match where I can when I can and I love to shop at Value Village. With that being said, one of the largest regrets I had in my life was not investing in therapy sooner. There have been events in my life that I wish I could have prevented and/or spent less time suffering. And, it is also my belief that hindsight is always 20/20. However, if therapy has taught me one thing is to stay in the present and practice mindfulness. Thus, I now see therapy as an investment to my future self.
Time Once again, my independence and lust for nice things drives me up and down the wall with work and school. It was never in the forefront of my mind that scheduling time for myself was necessary - therapy or just self-care in general. However, I argue that by taking the time to seek counselling - and identify issues either repressed or in front of you - may open up moments in your life. Similar to above, you’re investing time in your future self and who you want to be.
Stigma And…. the big one. “I don’t talk about my feelings”...”nothing is gonna happen by talking to someone”...”I don’t have any mental health problems”. Well… I am here to tell you that we all have mental health. And in my current university courses we are discussing the advantages/disadvantages of medical diagnosis. But I counterargue, if a doctor had information pertaining to your physical health, would you seek out the disadvantages to that knowledge? Or, would you feel gratitude towards the person acknowledging a plausible concern while simultaneously offering help? Wholeheartedly, it is my belief our physical health is of equal importance as mental health. Personally, my mental health is a rollercoaster and it is relieving to have a relationship that is both professional and personal that challenges me to gain insight towards myself. -- Tenisha
Schrader, Jessica. “10 Reasons Why People Refuse to Talk to Therapists.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/i-hear-you/201710/10-reasons-why-people -refuse-talk-therapists. [1] Schrader, Jessica. “10 Reasons Why People Refuse to Talk to Therapists.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. Accessed June 10, 2021. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca
