The problem of mental health is rising rapidly. Psychological problems have become so common these days that it has now become normalized. Many people suffering from stress-related issues think that it is a normal thing happening to every other person. Most of them do not deal with their problems as seriously as they need to. Extreme stress can become a severe problem leading to severe depression and anxiety-related issues.
Before beginning to treat your mental health, it is essential for you to know when you need therapy. It is the most crucial point. The dreadfulness of mental health issues goes unnoticed by people and doctors around you. The only person to know how severe your mental health problems may be, is you.
Topics Covered
What is Armchair therapy?
Armchair therapy is someone who has no background in psychology or expertise in that field but still gives advice and concerning mental health issues. Armchair therapy is hugely based on Armchair psychology. Armchair psychology concerns with introspection and logic. An armchair therapist advises according to what seems right to him or her based on how it has worked out on his or her life. Unlike licensed psychologists, they do not base their advice and opinions on scientific grounds, observation, and objective data. They start shooting from their gut feelings; what seems right to them, rather than basing opinions on experimental data.
Armchair therapy has become more common these days. This is mainly because of the readily available data on the internet. They start diagnosing a person with a severe mental disorder from notes gathered from the web. This can be extremely harmful to the individual seeking help. Many times, they may diagnose a person with light mental health issues with specific treatments which are prescribed for patients suffering from severe mental health issues. This is because of the lack of knowledge in the field which lends them unable to understand the depth of the problems.
The Risks of Armchair Therapy
It does not matter how much lifelike and real all the advice the armchair therapists gives out. The fact that it is harmful does not change. The risks of armchair therapy are:
They make important decisions on behalf of you –
Armchair therapists mostly try to control your opinion and ways. Thus, they back up their views with psychological terms and make you do what they want instead of giving you a chance to think and decide things yourself.
Decrease your self-esteem
Most of the times, the armchair therapists are among our friends/family members. When you tend to disclose all your problems regarding mental health to someone close, it brings down your self-confidence and esteem.
Discourage you from seeking actual help
These individuals might make you not disclose your problems to a professional psychologist. They make you feel that whatever you are dealing with is extremely common and that you do not need any professional help. This makes you believe that you can live with that discomfort in your head as if it is healthy.
Increases the stigma
The stigma surrounding mental health has been a constant problem. When you discuss your problem with someone close the stigma around your mental health increases as there remains a chance of those around you discussing your issues amongst themselves, increasing the stigma around mental health issues.
Armchair therapy can be extremely harmful. When you see someone with mental health issues encourage them to take sessions from a professional psychologist. Support them during their hard times and try not to give advice based on your previous experience; that’s how you stay away from becoming an armchair therapist yourself.
When to see a therapist?
As discussed earlier, it is far more essential to know when to seek professional help from a therapist. You have to know when your stress or depression has reached the level to seek professional advice. A few of the signs that point you to seek medical help are:
Medical symptoms that are not explainable by tests
The first sign to know that you need medical help is that your symptoms are not explained through medical experiments. Most of the people having mental health issues go to a physician to run some physical tests on them and do not come with favorable results. After they see a physician, the last option is a therapist. Our mental and physical health is inter-related, but it is essential to seek help from a professional psychiatrist to cure your issues.
When you feel like you are stuck in the same place
If you always think that you are stuck in the same mental place for days, that can be a sign to consider that you have a mental health problem and see a professional psychiatrist as soon as possible. Many feel like they do not want to do anything or merely move from their bed.
A mental health issue can occur due to a bad relationship, failure in any field, cranky mood, and a lot more. You might realize that laying on your bed is not helping you, but you do not know how to stop the cycle; this can be another sign to start seeking help from a therapist.
Your emotions are not being controlled by you anymore
Many people are more sensitive and emotional than others; this is not a bad thing. If you feel like you cannot stop crying, or thinking about the unfortunate or remorseful memories, this might be a sign that you need to seek help or sessions with a professional psychologist. As there can be stigma around mental problems, we do not treat it the way it should be addressed. We try to compress our feelings for too long, which later results in an outburst. Therapy helps to get to the roots of the problem.
You are extremely unhappy with your life
Many of us are dissatisfied with our lives. We tend to make a joke out of it and make it feel like its nothing. This is extensively wrong and can result in a harmful situation. This makes us compress our feelings. If you are always in the state where you hate your life, then you need to see a professional psychologist. Severe negative thoughts about yourself can be a sign of depression.
You need external help to relax
In today’s life, we tend to smoke or drink away all our worries and depression away. When you catch yourself drinking or smoking to relax, maybe you are at a stage where you need professional help. It is fine to do it once in a while but extremely harmful if this becomes a practice of everyday life. You need to see a psychiatrist if you catch yourself reaching out for a glass of alcohol to feel relaxed.
You have frequent triggers
If you feel that there is always something that makes you feel anxious and depressed, then you might need to see a doctor as soon as possible. You might have gone through some trauma that makes you feel anxious every time you think about it, or something comes up related to it.
Experiencing panic or anxiety attacks
If you are currently undergoing panic attacks, you need to see a professional therapist. Most people tend to ignore it as a small issue; this is not the right thing to do. This can be a sign for you to see a therapist.
Mental health should not be treated casually and needs professional attention. Avoid catastrophic aftermath of armchair therapy and visit a professional therapist like one from www.betterhelp.com if you are suffering from any mental health problems.
