What’s it like to see a psychologist? Reasons to go and what to know beforehand
Going to a psychologist is an act of responsibility for your own mental and emotional well-being. If you decide to go, it’s so that this professional can help you, guide you, and provide you with a different perspective on the situation you’re going through, with the goal of reducing the discomfort you feel. Fortunately, mental health is increasingly being given more importance, and society and governments are beginning to realize this. The 2022 Mental Health Action Plan was recently approved in our country.
Some reasons why to go to a psychologist
Here are some reasons why to seek psychological help:
To acquire tools that allow you personal development.
Self-knowledge (for example, there are people whose orientation is asexuality and due to ignorance believe they have problems or a disorder).
Accept who you are, with your good side, but also with your darker side.
Identify automatic reactions and thoughts to different situations;
Treat more complex issues such as anxiety, trauma, phobias, pathological insecurity, depression, relationship problems, grief, toxic relationships, etc.
Symptoms to go to the psychologist
Here you will find some of the causes for which to go to therapy and receive psychological support:
Notes, without apparent medical cause, digestive problems, tiredness, headaches, insomnia…. Many emotional problems manifest themselves in our body in a physical way.
You find it hard to concentrate on your daily activities, you lack motivation, you have blockages… the continued malaise ends up being reflected in our daily activities.
Apathy, unable to enjoy situations that you used to find pleasant such as hobbies or meeting friends.
Irritability, emptiness, feeling of loneliness, insecurity, low self-esteem, anxiety, problems with eating, eco-anxiety… Mood and mood swings are normal in human beings, the problem is generated when the frequency and intensity are high.
Social relationships have deteriorated or have become toxic relationships, dependency, you have relationship problems … are causes to go to the psychologist.
You have lived through a traumatic experience such as mistreatment, harassment… these are experiences that leave a mark and going to a psychologist helps to better deal with the recovery process.
Existential crisis that prevents you from clearly seeing the future, your goals, knowing which path to take…
During a grieving process it is normal to feel bad and it takes time to recover, but if you feel you have been stuck in a prolonged mourning, it may be reason to go to therapy, perhaps you are going through a reactive depression.
Irrational fears, different types of phobias that prevent you from leading a normal life, when the fear is so excessive, and even irrational, that it leads you to avoid that which produces it.
Addictions, dependence or need towards a substance, activity or relationship.
As you can see, the reasons for when to see a psychologist can be very varied; we all have areas in which we can improve and feel better.
Is it good to go to a psychologist?
Taking care of your body is good, isn’t it? That’s why when you have an ailment you go to the doctor. So, why doubt if it is good to take care of our mind? Yes, going to a psychologist is good. Moreover, as we have already said, it is not necessary to have a psychological disorder to do so.
Consultations are full of people seeking to improve their quality of life with help to overcome shyness, increase self-esteem, have greater control of emotions, learn to set limits, regain motivation, abandon that feeling of not knowing what is wrong with you but knowing that something is not right…. Psychology is not only for people with very complicated problems.
Pros and cons of going to a psychologist
We are convinced that going to a psychologist has pros and is beneficial. However, we know that stigma causes reluctance and makes us think about the cons of going to a psychologist:
Fear of intimacy, fear of showing your inner self and feeling judged too, but wrong! A psychologist is a professional who is there to listen, not to judge.
Not being sure how to choose a psychologist, and not finding the right one. That experience can make you doubt the benefits of going to therapy. Be well informed about which professionals treat the problem you want, look at their specialty.
Believing that going to therapy costs a fortune. It is true that due to the lack of resources in the public health system, most patients end up resorting to private consultation, but before dismissing the idea, find out the price of a psychologist. Most of the time, the first appointment to get to know each other is free, and you can ask how many sessions may be necessary for your problem.
