7 Signs You May Need Therapy

Talking Therapy can be very helpful for many people, and is one of the main treatments for many mental health conditions. It can be difficult to know whether or not you suffer from a mental health condition, and then what to actually do about it.

Many people ignore their problems, which unfortunately tend to make their wellbeing worse. There are normally signs that you should not ignore, whether it is yourself or others noticing them. These are some signs that you should not ignore.

1. Your mood is getting progressively lower

You might find that as the days and weeks have gone by, that your mood has been gradually getting worse. While it may be a very gradual decline, those around you may have noticed too.

This is a sign that you are going downhill, and that it may be time to do something about it. Sadly, your mood is unlikely to get any better by itself, it might be time to get some assistance.

2. Your feelings are causing you problems across your life

You may find that your feelings are causing you problems in multiple areas of your life – work, family and social environments. Therefore, your feelings will be impacting your life in multiple ways.

If this is the case, it is likely that you will need some assistance. Therapy can often provide this assistance, and can help to assist a recovery and improve overall wellbeing.

3. You aren’t finding enjoyment in life

One of the biggest signs that something is amiss is that you are not enjoying things in life. This is especially the case when you are doing things that you once would have found fun.

If your hobbies and interests are no longer giving you joy, this is a clear sign that something is wrong. Therapy may be able to assist you in finding your passion again for life.

4. You have an over-reliance on your coping mechanisms

Coping mechanisms can be very useful, but ultimately, they can only take you so far. Coping mechanisms are strategies that people use when facing difficult times, in a way to manage painful or difficult thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Many coping mechanisms appear healthy – such as deep breathing, reading and socialising, but so often they are just papering over the cracks. If you rely on them too much, it can become problematic.

5. You engage in destructive behaviour

Destructive behaviour is the sort of behaviour which causes you and those around you harm. In a similar way to the above, coping mechanisms are used – albeit unhealthy coping methods.

Typical harmful coping mechanisms may include smoking, doing drugs, binge eating or self-harming. These are harmful though, and cause so many problems. It isn’t sustainable, and will only get worse.

6. Others are concerned

Sometimes, we don’t notice changes in ourselves. In fact, sometimes we do need to rely on someone telling us that they have noticed a change. Someone might voice their concerns to you or via a third party.

It is a good indicator if someone close to you has noticed a problem. Those that care and love you will look out for your best interests, and for some, therapy will be able to assist with any problems being faced.

7. You want to change

Ultimately, if you do realise you are struggling, you need to want to change. Change can only ever happen if you actively want to change. Things very rarely get better on their own, help is needed.

Therapy is able to take harmful thought patterns, emotions and behaviours, and give you a chance to think more positively, improve overall wellbeing and enjoy an improvement in your life.

Summary

Overall, talking therapy can be incredibly helpful for many people. For anyone that is struggling, or seeing their mood affecting their life negatively – therapy can be a useful answer. Sometimes realising that you are in need of therapy is the hard part.

We have an article on how to access talking therapy at this link. You can also see the difference between the NHS and Private sector therapy, and a general article on Everything You Need To Know About Talking Therapy.

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