How do you know when it’s time to start therapy?

People seek therapy for many reasons. A challenging life event, trauma, intense emotions, relationship issues, poor mental health can all prompt someone to seek therapy.

Whatever the reason, it can be difficult to decide whether and when therapy is right for you.

If you are reading this, now is probably the time. If you are considering therapy, there is probably something bothering you and you want help. Consider this your cue to reach out.

If you are still in doubt, read on.

Why therapy?

Sometimes our thoughts work against us. Therapy can help you understand why you think, feel or act the way you do. And give you the skills you need to think, feel and act in healthier ways.

This means that we help you with:

• identify, understand and overcome internal obstacles
• Identify and challenge thought patterns and beliefs that hold you back
• improve your mental health
• coping with a mental illness
• and bring about lasting changes in your thoughts and behavior that can improve all aspects of your life.

If your mental health is suffering

Everyone experiences negative emotions in difficult situations, such as sadness after a breakup or anxiety before a major life event. But when do these feelings become problematic? When you poor mental health.

Mental health and mental illness are differentbut related, concepts. Mental health refers to the inner resources you have to cope with the ups and downs of life. You have good mental health when you enjoy life; feel connected to others; cope well with stress; and have a sense of purpose, self-worth, and strong relationships.

If you have poor mental health, it can be difficult to adjust to changes such as a breakup, moving, loss or parenthood. Therapy can help you improve your mental health, build resilience and maintain a state of well-being.

Mental illness refers to disturbing disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that interfere with daily life. There are different types of mental disorders, each characterized by different thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

A mental illness can feel like this:

• Hopelessness—feeling stuck, unmotivated, or helpless.

• Apathy—feeling like you are no longer interested in things that used to give you satisfaction or pleasure.

• Fury—feeling anger or resentment, especially frequently or disproportionately.

• Tension—feeling overwhelmed, unable to cope, not wanting to rest, or feeling like everything is difficult (even when you know it shouldn’t be).

• Debt—to feel ashamed, not entitled to good things or deserving of bad things.

• Tension— worrying about what has happened or might happen, or having disturbing, intrusive thoughts.

• Exhaustion—sleeping more than usual, having trouble getting out of bed, or having no energy during the day.

• Insomnia—have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

Both poor mental health and mental illness are good reasons to seek therapy.

Ask yourself: Am I having difficulty coping with life’s challenges?

If the answer is yes, then therapy may be for you.

People often deal with the feelings mentioned above in different ways. Some people gain or lose a lot of weight. Others may seek out or do things that are unhealthy for them, such as entering into a toxic relationship, participating in dangerous activities, developing an unhealthy habit, or procrastinating. Others may isolate themselves from friends and family, or catastrophize and worrying about negative experiences.

However it manifests, Mental illness often gets worse when left untreatedIt can have a very real impact on your life and can lead to unemployment, broken relationships, poor physical health, substance abuse, homelessness, incarceration, or even suicide.

Ask yourself: Does a mental illness negatively impact my functioning or well-being?

If the answer is yes, then therapy may be for you.

What if therapy didn’t work before?

Many people put off therapy because they feel their problems aren’t serious enough. However, there doesn’t have to be a big, deep reason to start therapy.

Some people go to therapy to learn more about themselves. Others to improve their skills, relationships, or productivity. Others seek help to achieve their goals or because they are unhappy and don’t know why. These are all good reasons to start therapy, even if they don’t seem like “problems” in the traditional sense. You may go to therapy because there is something about yourself or your life that you want to explore.

Therapy is a process. Whether psychotherapy works for you depends on many factors, such as time, effort, and your psychologist.

There is no quick fix for mental health. It can take weeks, months, or even years for symptoms to improve. While this can be frustrating or discouraging, you need to give it time for therapy to work.

Sometimes people go to therapy and they are skeptical or resistant. Therapy doesn’t work if you don’t invest in it. For therapy to work, you have to put in the effort.

Therapy is a delicate process, so finding a psychologist you trust and have a good relationship with is crucial. Psychologists also have different specialties and approaches. For therapy to work, you need to find the right therapist for you.

What if I’m not ready yet?

There are many reasons why now might not be the right time to start therapy. Maybe therapy isn’t in your budget. Maybe you have other priorities. Maybe you’re afraid of reliving trauma. That’s okay. Therapy can be expensive and difficult, but it can also be rewarding. Just because now isn’t a good time doesn’t mean there never will be a good time.

If you don’t want to start therapy, don’t. However, it can be helpful to determine why you don’t want to.

Maybe you don’t want to go to therapy because you’re worried about what others will think. If so, remember that people often more understanding than we expect, and there is nothing wrong with investing in your health or happiness.

If you are struggling with your mental health, know that you are not alone. Mental health issues are common. Having them or going to therapy does not mean that there is something “wrong” with you.

Mental disorders affect 970 million people and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. One in five adults and more than one in ten children and young people have a mental illness. About 15% of Canadians make use of mental health care annually.

Don’t let stigma stop you from improving your life and well-being. Everyone deserves to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Therapy can help you achieve this.

This article has been republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.