Is It Time to Consider Psychotherapy?
Mental health concerns can affect our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and sometimes they get in the way of daily life or cause significant distress. Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, offers support and guidance for working through these challenges. It may be a good time to consider it when distress lasts, interferes with daily life, or feels hard to manage on your own. Here are five signs to look for.
1. You Feel Overwhelmed, Stressed, or Anxious
Life can be demanding, and pressure can leave anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed. When those feelings persist and begin to interfere with daily life, it may be time to reach out. Therapy can help you learn coping strategies to reduce stress and anxiety, notice and change unhelpful thought patterns, and build self-esteem.
2. You Are Going Through a Major Life Change
Big changes such as a divorce, job loss, or the loss of a loved one can be stressful and overwhelming, and they can sometimes lead to depression, anxiety, or other difficulties. Therapy can offer support and guidance through a hard transition, and help you build routines that bring some steadiness.
3. Your Relationships Feel Strained
Relationships can bring support, love, and meaning, and when they become difficult they can cause real distress and affect daily life. Therapy can help you work through concerns such as communication challenges, infidelity, and trust. It can also help you understand relationship patterns that may have been learned from past experiences.
4. You Notice Frequent Mood Changes
Frequent or intense mood changes can be a sign of underlying emotional distress, such as depression or other mood conditions, and they can affect daily life and relationships. Therapy offers a safe place to talk through your symptoms and concerns, and a clinician can help you understand what may be behind them and how to manage them.
5. You Have Experienced Trauma
The effects of trauma can last a long time and can affect relationships, work, and daily life. Trauma can follow experiences such as abuse, a serious accident, violence, or military combat. Therapy can help you work through the difficult emotions connected to a traumatic event.
What to Know About Starting Therapy
At some point, many of us need extra help managing the stress and challenges of daily life. Reaching out to a psychotherapist is not a sign of weakness, and you do not have to be in crisis to do it. Therapy can help you build coping skills, notice and change unhelpful beliefs or thoughts, and find healthier ways to handle challenges. If you recognize any of these signs in your life, consider contacting a licensed psychotherapist.
If You Are in Crisis
If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call 911, or call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Related Care at PPG
- Adult Therapy: Individual therapy for adults.
- Couples Therapy: Therapy for partners.
- EMDR Therapy: A structured approach used to work with distressing memories.
- Group Therapy: Groups for children, teens, parents, and adults.
