Many people struggle to know when they should seek therapy. This blog will guide readers through the signs that indicate professional help may be needed, from persistent feelings of sadness to difficulty managing stress. By breaking down these indicators, it will help demystify therapy and encourage proactive mental health care.
Who is therapy for?
When people ask me this question I often respond by saying “Therapy is for everyone!” There are many forms of therapy, but in general, psychotherapy is a structured method of care designed to help you alleviate mental health concerns. Even if you don’t meet the criteria for a specific mental health diagnosis like major depressive disorder, most people can benefit from examining their lives and exploring their minds in a way that can facilitate positive growth. That said, there are many situations when someone may need therapy to effectively overcome a mental health diagnosis or a significant life stressor. There are generally three factors we look for as clinical psychologists to help us determine if psychotherapy is the most appropriate method of care. These three factors are distress, impairment, and harm.
Factor 1: Distress
Everyone experiences distress at times in their life. Whether it’s from a natural life event like the death of a loved one, or a particularly challenging situation at work, we can all relate to the experience of discomfort that comes from a situation that impacts us negatively. Oftentimes we cope effectively with life stressors, and our distress is appropriate to the level of the stressor. At times, however, our distress may be too great for our ability to cope. To help you determine if your distress is significantly beyond the scope of what you’re able to manage, you might consider the intensity, duration, and/or appropriateness of distress relative to what’s going on in your life. For example, it’s normal to feel down or sad for parts of your day. If you are feeling extreme sadness (high intensity), if you feel down without much relief for more than a week (prolonged duration), or if you are experiencing significant sadness during situations when you would typically be joyful (inappropriateness); these are all signs that it is important to seek help from a mental health professional. At times it can be difficult to determine if your distress is ‘abnormal’ because distress is subjective and people have different tolerance levels for stress. A good general rule though is to seek help if you feel that your ability to cope with the stress is significantly beyond your ability to manage with your current resources.
Factor 2: Impairment
Another factor we look for is whether someone’s life is being negatively impacted by their symptoms. For example, if you’re feeling so sad that you’re unable to make it to work, this is a sign that your everyday life activities might be impaired because of your mental state. In general, if you find that your mental health is getting in the way of your life or your goals, you should consider finding help. Much like distress, a psychologist will consider the magnitude and duration of the impairment. If you find that either a major life activity is being impacted or if an impairment is lasting longer than you’d reasonably expect it to, these are red flags.
Factor 3: Harm
Lastly, when considering whether to seek help, a psychologist will assess whether your symptoms are resulting in harm to you or someone else. As an example, if you are feeling so sad that you are thinking about harming yourself, this is a clear sign that you should seek care.
Wrap up
Any one of the three factors above could be sufficient for someone to need help, and many times, people are experiencing all three. Perhaps most importantly, if you’re unsure if your symptoms are significantly intense or unremitting, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and to speak with a professional. Luckily, there are many online and convenient resources available today like those at Jimini Health that are designed to quickly get you the help you need.
