Dispelling The Myths Of Mental Health Therapy

When there is something wrong with your car, you take it to the shop to get it fixed. When there is something wrong with your home's plumbing or lighting, you call in a plumber or an electrician. When you have a fever you simply can't shake, you call your doctor. But what about your mental health? Do you enlist in an expert to help you with mental and emotional issues? Many people don't, choosing instead to buy into some of the myths that prevail about mental health therapy. But if you knew better, you might be willing to get the expert help you need to improve your life.

Myth: Therapists just want to blame it all on your childhood.

Fact: While therapists may wish to have you discuss your childhood to better understand the decisions you make and the behaviors you display today, your therapist is not interested in dwelling in the past. Your therapist wants to help you change unhealthy patterns in your life moving forward.

Myth: Therapy is for crazy folks. 

Fact: Therapy is for anyone who needs a little extra help balancing their mental and emotional needs. If you are self-aware enough to welcome some help, therapy is excellent at helping you cultivate the tools you need to make healthy life choices.

Myth: Therapy is for whiners. 

Fact: Therapy has little to do with whining and more to do with helping people work through the issues that are keeping them from living well-balanced and emotionally healthy lives. Whining accomplishes little, but therapy requires hard work, including a lot of self-examination and taking responsibility. Therapists help get their patients on the right path, but the work has to be done by the patient.

Myth: I am smart enough to handle my issues on my own.

Fact: Utilizing a therapist has nothing to do with how smart you are and neither does handling your issues. It's hard to gain outside perspective on your own life. A therapist will help you identify the blind spots you may have and help guide you towards making better decisions in your life.

Myth: Therapy is too expensive. 

Fact: The price of therapy can vary greatly, but think about how much money you spend on other things in your life to feel better. You might drive a fancy car or wear pricey clothes or take nice vacations because those things make you feel good. Therapy can make you feel good about yourself long-term, something a vacation or material items cannot. Being more emotionally and mentally healthy may not be cheap, but it is priceless.

A therapist can be just as valuable to you, if not more so, than a good mechanic or plumber. Keeping your mental and emotional well-being a priority will only make your life better. 

To learn more, contact a wellness center like Joy Miller & Associates - Counseling & Wellness Center. 

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