Do I Need Therapy?

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Therapy serves as a transformational and intimate experience that allows people to heal, work on salient problems, and achieve the lives they want to live. Over the past decade, the internet has brought increased global awareness concerning mental health issues. As a result, more people began asking the question “Do I need therapy?” and seeking out counseling for themselves. In fact, from 2002-2021, the number of American adults in therapy went from 27.2 million to 41.7 million.

Understanding Mental Health

The term “mental health” serves as a catchall for a wide variety of conditions and situations that impact someone’s overall happiness and ability to function. All people are at risk for developing issues with their mental health, regardless of gender, nationality, or sexuality.

A wide diversity of mental health issues exists, and they don’t all manifest in recognizable ways. For example, a person struggling to keep their workspace organized might not seem like they have a mental health condition. However, this behavior serves as a symptom of several mental health conditions, including OCD and ADHD. Depending on the person, the inability to stay organized might prove just as debilitating as depression.

Fortunately, struggling with your mental health doesn’t need to serve as the end of the road. Rather, seeking help often causes people to find new and healthier ways to approach their situation. By working through their issues, people also learn about their own resilience and gain a newfound appreciation for themselves.

Do I Need Therapy?

While going to counseling became more popular, so did the adage that everyone needs to go to therapy. However, many therapists believe this claim isn’t true. In truth, many counselors hold to the opinion that professionals should terminate sessions with clients once goals have been achieved. Keeping people in therapy for longer than necessary is considered unethical because the counselors financially benefit without providing the same amount of help.

Still, everyone needs some form of mental health support. People who don’t have a network of others to rely on often find themselves in more depressed states. Likewise, those who live balanced lives, complete with self-reflection, socializing, eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising, are more likely to feel better overall.

Navigating the complexities of one’s mental health is a personal journey. Recognizing the signs that therapy might be beneficial is crucial. BetterHelp offers a convenient platform, connecting individuals with licensed professionals to support their unique paths toward well-being.

Sometimes, though, people need some extra support and professional care. How do you know if you’re one of those people? There are many things you need to consider first. Here are just a few of them:

What are the signs therapy might be beneficial?
How do I assess myself?
What are the common myths about therapy?
What are the benefits of counseling?
What are my therapy options?

What Are the Signs Therapy Might be Beneficial?

Emotional Signs

Often, people sign up for therapy because of the emotions they experience. Here are some of the most common emotions people seek care for:

Persistent sadness
Suicidal ideations
Anxiety
Panic
Anger
Fear

In addition, many people get care for emotions that fluctuate quite a bit. If you find yourself swinging rapidly through emotions or experiencing long bouts of a certain feeling, you might want to get help. In particular, you want to get help if you’ve had sadness or lack of motivation for more than 2 weeks.

If you notice yourself starting to feel hopeless or wish you were dead, get help immediately.

Behavioral Signs

Emotions feed our behaviors. So, when emotional disturbances occur, behavioral signs often follow (but not always). If you’re experiencing any of these signs, you might want to consider getting counseling:

Reduced energy for daily tasks
Difficulty getting out of bed
Angry outbursts at loved ones
Compulsive checking (like seeing if the stove is on repeatedly)
Running where running isn’t appropriate (such as at school or work)
Inability to maintain your concentration

These signs serve as just a few signs you should consider therapy. If you notice any behaviors that alarm you, please seek help. Therapists deal with a wide variety of issues, and no issue is too big or too small for therapy!

How Do I Assess Myself?

When we say “assess,” we don’t necessarily mean do online tests. Instead, take a look inward and start examining your emotions and experiences. Here are some questions you might find helpful:

Has my sadness lasted longer than 2 weeks
Have my problems started to cause problems at work or school or in my relationships?
Are my issues causing me personal distress?
Do I spend hours trying to address my issues or soothe my worries?
Have I experienced a recent traumatic event, such as losing a loved one or going through an experience?

You should seek help as soon as you possibly can. That way, you’ll spend less time trying to solve things and more time getting healthy.

What Are My Therapy Options?

When you answer “Yes” to “Do I need therapy?” your next question needs to involve what type of therapy you’d like to receive. Fortunately, there are many different kinds, and finding something that matches you isn’t impossible.

Online vs. In-Person

Over the past few years, therapy has started going online. From platforms like BetterHelp to therapists offering sessions over Skype, you have the opportunity to get professional care from the comfort of your home.

However, online therapy has some major drawbacks as well. The therapist and client aren’t in the same room, and it becomes harder to read nonverbal communication. Likewise, you need a strong connection to have a successful online session.

On the other hand, in-person therapy offers healing sessions at the therapist’s office. Since you’re in-person, you and your counselor have the ability to see each other’s non-verbal cues and communicate more effectively. However, you’ll need to travel to the session, which is sometimes challenging for people.

Different Therapy Types

Not all therapy is the same. In fact, therapists usually follow a few specific theories of therapy and utilize different modalities. Here are some common ones:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – one of the most popular therapy forms today. It focuses on the connection between events, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – an offshoot of CBT, this form of therapy focuses on helping people handle intense emotions.
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) – looks for the ways people solve problems in their lives to find things that might work and emphasize strengths. Often, this form of therapy is very brief.

In no way is this an exhaustive list. There are many different types of therapy, and you should do some research to see which types might be good for you. Your counselor can also recommend some modalities.

In addition, you might benefit from seeing a doctor. Most therapists can’t prescribe medication since they have a mental health-related license, not a medical license. Still, some people experience mental health concerns due to chemical imbalances in the brain. Getting on medication helps them experience relief, especially when it’s used in conjunction with therapy.

Get Better Care

If you’re asking yourself “Do I need therapy?” you likely could benefit from a little TLC even before you get into your first session. While you wait, here are some things you can do to keep yourself healthier.