When should you see a therapist?
- If you are feeling generally overwhelmed by everything
- If you are feeling repeated emotional problems that don’t seem to go away
- If negative emotions are interfering with your life
- If you are sleeping or eating either more or less than usual
- If you are losing interest in things you used to enjoy doing
- If you’ve experienced trauma
- If you are relying on substances like drugs or alcohol to get through the day
- If you sometimes feel like harming yourself or dying
Since the Philippines recognized the importance of mental health in the form of establishing its Mental Health Act in 2017, more and more people have been open to talking about it.
Despite that, there is still significant stigma surrounding the topic. Often, people are hesitant to seek professional help, to avoid the possible backlash.
That said, if you’re here, then you might be wondering if you are someone who needs this treatment. The answer is a bit complicated, and depends on your specific situation — general take on when to see a therapist.
If you are feeling generally overwhelmed by everything
Unfortunately, with our fast-paced and highly stressful lives, the times when we feel overwhelmed are likely to increase with each passing year. But if you feel overwhelmed on a general basis and are in a constant state of fight or flight, it might be time to seek help for it.
A therapist will be able to help you manage your time, overthink less, or even learn how to say no to the things that overwhelm you.
If you are feeling repeated emotional problems that don’t seem to go away
As we stated in the previous section, it’s normal to experience emotional problems every so often in our lives. In fact, it might make us more resilient and push us to better ourselves.
But if you feel like you are being hit repeatedly by emotional problems right and left, it might help ease the load off your shoulders if you can talk about it.
If negative emotions are interfering with your life
If the emotional problems you are dealing with have persisted for a long time — and have even grown to affect those around you — that’s a sure sign that something is wrong.
Pay attention to the events when emotions have taken over in your life: are you lashing out at people? Do you feel like you don’t want to go to work or school, or even wake up in the mornings? Do you cry more often than you used to? Most importantly, are your emotions affecting how you interact with others?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you might want to say yes to the therapist, too.
If you are sleeping or eating either more or less than usual
Mental health can deeply affect one’s daily routine. So, one of the more obvious signs of many mental health conditions is an abrupt change in appetite or sleeping habits.
If you’re experiencing sudden, seemingly unexplainable changes, don’t be so quick to disregard them. They might be a sign of bigger problems.
If you are losing interest in things you used to enjoy doing
It’s natural, though not required, to grow out of the hobbies you used to love. But if you are finding it hard to pick up new hobbies simply because nothing seems to appeal to you anymore, that could be a cause for concern. A therapist can guide you through the process of finding something to enjoy or explain why you seem to be losing interest in the things you once loved.
If you’ve experienced trauma
If you’ve experienced severe trauma, you will likely be recommended to see a therapist anyway. However, trauma comes in many forms, and sometimes people might not recognize that the experiences they have had in the past can be considered traumatic events.
So if you know that you’re dealing with trauma in an unhealthy way—like avoiding the problem or lashing out at other people because of it—do yourself a favor, and seek the help you need.
If you are relying on substances like drugs or alcohol to get through the day
Once substance use has crossed the line into addiction, you might want to consider getting professional help before it’s too late. Substances are very persuasive in getting you to keep using, but you do know better.
If you can’t control yourself, though, the first step can be to trust someone else enough to ask for help.
If you sometimes feel like harming yourself or dying
One of the most painful signs of depression or mental illness is feeling like you don’t want to go on living in the world anymore. This is especially harmful because it means your mental state is at a point where it is very hard to control.
But before you make any rash decisions, make a good one for yourself—go to therapy.
Key Takeaway
As you can see, while some of these instances do pertain to mental health conditions, many of them are actually normal moments that occur just a tad too often. Feeling that way doesn’t mean you have a mental condition—it just means you could benefit from some help.
Find the help you need at PERPETUAL HELP MEDICAL CENTER-LAS PINAS. You can view our list of psychiatrists and schedule an appointment anytime you need to. We’ll be there, ready to listen.
