We live in a demanding, fast-paced society that can drive anyone up the metaphorical wall. Even if you’re not suffering from anxiety or depression, ordinary life can be tough. For example, if you live in a large city, you may find the constant hustle and bustle alone to be stressful. This could be why New York therapists tend to be in such high demand.
While the idea of going to see a therapist can seem daunting and stigmatized, it may just be the thing that helps you make the most of your life. According to the American Psychological Association, one in four Americans have seen a mental health professional.
So, while it may still feel embarrassing, more and more people are proving that there’s nothing wrong with keeping your mental health in check. Here are five reasons everyone should give therapy a try:
Therapy helps you deal with your emotions
Everyone has emotions that they struggle with from time to time; it’s just part of life. A therapist can help you address your feelings and teach you how to better cope with the negative emotions as they arise. This is particularly true for individuals suffering from depression and/or anxiety disorders.
In fact, a report published in 2014 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, concluded that the alterations in beliefs, feelings, and behaviors through therapy can actually lead to a “normalization of functional brain activity”. However, anyone seeking therapy can still benefit from the process of “talking things out”.
Therapy helps you reach your full potential
Therapy can not only help you deal with your emotions, but it can also help people become the best versions of themselves. For example, most therapists provide guidance in finding a work/life balance and, ultimately, they teach you how to be more successful in both your work and your personal life.
By teaching you better ways of interacting with others and dealing with challenges, you tend to become more productive in your everyday life. Seeing a therapist even for something as small as stress at work can teach you strategies for managing that stress.
Therapy helps you gain perspective
Often, talking to someone outside of your situation or problem can aid you in seeing things from a different perspective. This not only helps you see the issue from a different angle (perhaps, this was the very thing that made your problem seem “impossible” in the first place), but it also helps you see things from the perspective of the people in your lives (thus helping you sympathize and connect with them better).
Plus, licensed therapists are bound by client confidentiality. This means you can talk to them about your struggles without ever worrying that they’ll tell anybody (unlike your friends, who have no such legal agreement).
Therapy helps you cope with your life
Bad things happen to everyone, but people who have tried therapy tend to handle these types of challenges and conflicts better. They also don’t usually require long-term care.
According to Marian Margulies, a psychologist at the NYU Medical Center, therapy tends to have long-lasting effects because it teaches you valuable skills that help you address issues as they happen. This tends to help you handle crises better.
Therapy helps you improve your relationships
Whether it’s a romantic relationship, a friendship, or a strained relationship with a family member, therapy can teach you valuable skills for bettering any relationship. Therapy not only teaches you how to better communicate, but it also teaches you how to value yourself enough to not let others take advantage of you.
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