By: Tina Avila, LMFT
It’s safe to admit that the relief we expected 2021 to bring from the stress that 2020 put on society as a whole was far from that. While we were impatiently awaiting the world to reopen, new waves of stress and anxiety began to overcome us. Thoughts of the world never returning to the way it used to be started to haunt our minds, bringing more uncertainty and, with that, even more stress.
While some people were fortunate enough to get through the last couple of years without hitting a significant speed bump along the way, many of us weren’t as lucky. Aside from the usual winter blues, a thick wave of fog began to cloud our minds, and our usual methods of easing our minds and bodies from the daily stressors no longer seem to work.
It is time to consider that perhaps your mental health requires a little something extra to get you aligned with the healthiest and happiest version of yourself. That little something might be therapy.
No matter where you’re at in your mental health journey, here are six reasons you should start therapy in 2022.
You Feel Overwhelmed
Often, we use ‘overwhelmed’ to describe the overall feeling of anger, irritability, and exhaustion. It’s an overarching term for feelings caused by things and events we can’t yet put our finger on. We just… feel.
Therapy can help you identify, name, and analyze the factors causing this feeling of overwhelm. Once the internal and external factors contributing to this feeling are identified, you can begin working through them.
Your Fuse Is Running Short Lately
It seems like the world is out to do everything in its power to bring you to the brink of patience.
Your partner’s snoring seems louder. Your boss doesn’t understand that you’re busy and can’t do everyone else’s job for them. The sound of a new text message makes you want to throw your phone across the room.
Heck, even the buzzing sound of a mosquito sounds like it’s coming through a megaphone.
While the examples above are certainly an exaggeration, if you find that your fuse is running short lately and is, in turn, affecting your relationship with your friends and loved ones, it may be time to consider therapy.
Your Life Is Undergoing a Big Change
Whether it’s a new career, a move to a new city, or a significant event in your life, dealing with change isn’t easy. New ventures in life are challenging because they take us out of our comfort zones. Sometimes, you need a little help with processing them.
Therapy is an excellent tool for identifying your goals and developing a strategy to achieve them with someone that has a fresh and neutral perspective.
You Experienced Trauma In Your Life
The majority of us have been victims of circumstances we had no control over. There is no specific definition of what constitutes trauma. If it impacts your mental or physical well-being, it is a valid reason to seek help.
A trained therapist can help explore the cause of the trauma and assist in processing its emotional impact on you. They can help you identify the triggers and offer tools for thought and behavior modification that will help ease the impact that trauma has on your everyday life.
You Repeat Harmful Patterns
We’re all familiar with the definition of insanity. We’ve repeatedly been told that we will receive the same results if we continue to engage in the same actions. But, what if you can recognize that you’re stuck in a loop, but like a moth, to a flame, you continue to repeat it?
Recognizing a harmful pattern is half of the journey. Identifying the root cause and finding a way to break it is another. Therapy can help us with a bit of digging required to identify the root of these harmful behaviors and what triggers them, ultimately providing us with alternative tools to replace the destructive pattern with a new beneficial one.
The biggest fear that comes with opening up to someone about our innermost feelings is the fear of judgment. What will they think about us? Will they feel burdened, annoyed, or simply uninterested?
This approach prevents us from confiding in people about our feelings, causing us to store them deep inside until they explode or mutate into other symptoms like anxiety or depression.
By talking with a therapist, you receive an unbiased and neutral ear that will not become exhausted, annoyed, or burdened by your confessions.
They do not offer advice, nor do they have a hidden agenda. They do not try to steer you into any course other than help you identify and work through your thoughts and emotions in a way that best suits you.
The bottom line is, there are many reasons why you can start therapy in 2022; however, the main reason is that you don’t actually have to have one. Sometimes, you just want someone to listen. And that is perfectly okay.
So, whenever you are ready to take this step and dive into therapy, Blue Oak Counseling and our team of licensed therapists are here to support you.
Book recommendations:
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