Mental health is so stigmatized that people disregard their feelings just to fit into social norms. Are these social norms aligned with your values? If they are not, allude to a “bird’s eye view perspective”. Social norms are a type of stereotype that is oppressive, flawed, and not inclusive. Maintaining mental health whether you feel perfectly fine or if you are feeling down for a prolonged time. The effects of therapy and mental self-care will improve not only your mood but see life from a different perspective for the betterment of your relationships.
A guiding principle in one’s life could be the Bowen Theory: learning to calm and manage ourselves in the relationship to calm everything which will in turn translate to our relationship system. This is unlike the traditional way of how people see therapy: focusing only on ourselves and focusing on how we make other people change. The Bowen Theory may be one of the ways your therapist guides you to see more clearly about the obstacles in life. There are so many methods and theories that therapists are informed about. “Therapy isn’t for me” is not an accurate statement – “The style of how the therapist approaches to therapy aren’t connecting with my emotions and feelings” is more accurate and does not mean one is giving up. Give therapy time. Give therapy a chance with the therapist.
People tend to under-report how they are really feeling because it’s just easier that way. But this defeats the purpose of the procedures of why doctors ask or why our friends ask. If you were completely honest, how do you think they’d react? The person who asked, they don’t have expectations of what your answer may be, that is why they are asking.
Hoping your feelings will go away over time will only create an unhealthy cycle of extreme highs and extremely low emotions.
The first step is wanting to get help or being open to the idea.
You are not “weak” for speaking up – you are strong and brave.
Seeing a Therapist doesn’t mean you’re weak or there’s something wrong with you. It means you want…
- To find clarity in an area of one’s life
- Help to work through complex emotions
- To heal and learn how to manage traumatic experiences
- Personal Growth
- To learn new ways/strategies to cope with difficult situations
- Help challenge negative thinking patterns
- To deal with the challenging people that make you react in a negative way that you have noticed and you want to learn how to control those impulsive responses
- Help to separate your “struggle” from your “identity”
- To learn new healthy ways to regulate “negative” emotions
- A delegated time where you can focus on your needs
- To move through grief and loss
- Help Constructing a future in alignment with one’s goals
- To strengthen the foundation of your belief systems
- To learn strategies to manage toxic people
- To work through false assumptions about future events (ex. there’s no point trying as I’ll fail”)
- To learn strategies to increase your self-worth
- Unlearn protective behaviors that no longer serve you
- Understanding your pseudo-self
- To learn new strategies to “self-soothe” when faced with a trigger
- To work through “cognitive distortions” that could be clouding your perception of something distressing
- A safe space where you’re not judged and can speak freely
- To learn strategies to distance yourself from negative habits
No matter where you are in the world, at any given moment, you can seek help. There will always be someone out there to listen to you. It may be in person therapy, virtual therapy, but mental health isn’t limited to you, it is an international epidemic. Focus on your mental health, disregard the stigmatization. Getting through the psychological barriers of stigmatization for yourself if the monumental moment to getting better.
Life is a roller coaster.
Seeking help is part of letting yourself fully experience the roller coaster and grow stronger from there, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Note: The Free Your Mind Mental Health Society is an independent youth-led organization. The contents of this blog are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In the event of a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 911 or other local emergency numbers immediately.