Seeing a psychologist is a great way to treat mental illness or deal with tough emotional experiences but because of all the negative attention surrounding the practice, some people would rather suffer in silence. Nobuhle Kunene takes a look at 3 myths that could possibly be stopping you from taking charge of your mental health.
Myth #1 Therapy Is Only For Crazy People
When I was young, I remember seeing a movie with a boy who saw dead, bloody people all around and he began seeing a psychiatrist to help him deal with this. Luckily for the boy, the psychiatrist had dealt with other hallucinating patients before. Watching this as a young girl, it became very easy to assume that you need to have a very serious and scary problem to see a psychologist. This is false. If you are a living human-being, you know that life has its challenges and it’s not always easy to bounce back from hard times. Reasons for seeing a psychologist can vary from depression, anxiety, needing help communicating with a friend or spouse; recovering from a traumatic event like a car accident, loss of a loved one etc. You can also attend therapy sessions if you are having a difficult time coping with stress or even as a way to explore your inner being and understand better, the choices you make.
Myth #2 Psychologists will only tell you what you already know.
Back in school, one of my lecturers said something simple but very profound and I have never forgotten it, she said “knowledge and information are two very different things. You can have all the INFORMATION on this earth but still not KNOW what it all means (or how to use it).”With that said, people will often expect you to “man up” or “put your big-girl panties on” and deal with your own mental or emotional issues. Psychologists are trained to give you insight. The Oxford dictionary defines “insight” as the extent to which you can deeply and accurately understand your mental experience. You can read up on other people’s struggles and take all kinds of advice from friends and family but if you are not aware of the ‘how’s’ and the ‘why’s’ of your own situation, you might find yourself in a confusing mental state of being for a very long time.
Myth #3 “Seeing a psychologist? That’s like paying somebody to be your friend.”
Yet another dangerous stereotype that society has placed on the practice of psychology, just as the same has been done to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar and others of the like. These are human problems each of which can be treated with therapy, none of them are exclusive to race, class or financial status. There are a number of FREE, affordable services and helplines which you can find by clicking here to receive help about a crisis you may be going through. These organisations offer a range of counselling services and other treatment options to help you cope. Big girls cry sometimes, and men are humans too. The sooner we realise this and take the necessary measures to overcome our mental and emotional problems, is the sooner we can live happier and healthier lives.
