4 Reasons Why Everyone Should Consider Seeing a Therapist

I know there are many others like me who battle chronic stress and anxiety. Just as I would do for a physical condition, I find that proactively treating my mental health keeps me strong and on point. One of the early measures I took to care for my mental health needs was to see a therapist. At first, I was playing catch up so I went weekly. Now, almost two years in, I still go about once a month. I have found my visits to be therapeutic, even when I am feeling well. In fact, it is so helpful for me that I think there is a strong case to be made that anyone can benefit from regularly seeing a therapist. Below I share four reasons why I believe this, but I'm sure there are many more.

Reason #1: Life is hard, really hard. Let's be real for a minute: No matter what stage of life you are in, things are just plain tough sometimes. You might be young, right out of college, and worried about getting your first job. Perhaps you are newly married and working to build your life with another person (who is suddenly all up in your space). Maybe you don't have kids yet and you want them, but you aren't sure when or how many. On the other hand, maybe you already have kids so you are well aware of what a game changer that is. If your kids are older, you might be in the same stage of life as I am - concerned about raising kind and productive children while also focused on aging parents. If your kids are out of the house, you are likely dealing with the loss of your own parents while navigating what it's like to no longer have young people dependent on you. These are just some of the challenges we face as part of the normal life cycle. In the background, all of the unseen wheels that keep life moving continue to spin along, requiring our attention and energy. Between small obligations and large life events, we are all guaranteed to regularly face something that withdraws from our health account. In order to keep our account from going into the red, we have to make frequent deposits. For me, therapy is just one way to do that.

Reason #2: Talking is therapeutic. I realize that not everyone likes to talk, but I do...a lot. I process by talking, something my husband pointed out early in our relationship. I can't remember exactly what we were discussing but it became clear after about 10 minutes that he had checked out of the conversation. When I questioned him about it, he informed me that I had "already made that same point multiple times". Unfortunately for him, my analytical tendency is to tackle a problem from every angle, so I probably did repeat myself more than once (or twice for that matter). Verbalizing my thoughts is so habitual for me that in my house, I can often be heard talking to myself. It has become second nature to the point where I don't even realize I do it. Typically, I am one-half of a pretend conversation where I voice my response or reaction to a situation. Sometimes, I'm simply thinking out loud. Regardless of the reason for doing so, talking materializes the thought and helps me gain a deeper understanding of my emotions. While I'd like to think I give myself good advice, it is inferior to the guidance provided by someone who is trained to listen.

Reason #3: Therapists are objective. At the end of the day, a good therapist cares only about one thing: your well being. When they talk with you, they are completely unbiased. Sure, we all have friends and family we can run to for advice and many times they are more than willing to offer up their opinions. But, they often bring their own context to the situation based on what they already know about you and whatever history you may share. Sometimes this is helpful, but sometimes you need to approach a problem or situation with complete objectivity. When you do need someone whose view is assuredly not shaped by his or her relationship with you, talking to a therapist is worthy of consideration. I appreciate that my counselor regularly offers a different and unique perspective based on both her formal training and her experience with others. No matter what problem I bring to the table, she has a broader view of what drives situational success. She helps me think through an issue from all angles and offers up a variety of points to consider, all with the primary goal of helping me find the best solution for my problem.

Reason #4: They offer practical advice. Finally, therapists provide very constructive methods for dealing with struggles. When I first started seeing my therapist, I was dealing with unpredictable panic attacks. I could always tell when they were coming, but I had no idea how to manage them. I felt completely helpless. Most of the time, my main goal was to try and keep my freak out meter at a 7 instead of a 10. Thankfully, my therapist gave me a very practical tip to employ once I started feeling anxious - she told me that the simple act of counting would help the cognitive part of my brain overtake the emotional part, thus bringing down my anxiety level. (Amazingly, there is actual science behind the idea that our brains are compartmentalized by function.) So when I start to feel a rush of anxiety, I begin counting backwards from 100. If needed, once I reach 0 I start all over again until I feel calm. While this tactic doesn't eliminate my anxiety it does help me regulate it, and I credit my therapist for sharing it.

Being completely transparent and vulnerable with anyone can be scary, but the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. Therapists provide a completely safe environment to be yourself, share your innermost thoughts, and find support with the end game of promoting and protecting your mental health.