Do I Need Therapy?
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Therapy
IS THERAPY FOR EVERYONE ?
I often get asked — does everyone need therapy?
To that, my simple answer is No.
Do you take multivitamin supplements every day? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. But what if your doctor tells you that you have a lack of Vitamin D — won’t that simple multivitamin tablet become a medicine all of a sudden?
Therapy is somewhat like that — you take it for better health, and in crisis, it becomes necessary.
WHAT IS THERAPY ?
But what is therapy really? A room dimly lit, and I have to sit and talk about my life?
Therapy is a space for your emotions.
Your emotions that you cannot name or are not even sure of — the fragmented thoughts, the weird sensations — imagine a room where you sit, and your emotions use the tool of language to come out of your body.
This room has no guard — just an empty room. You can shout, you can cry, you can share the unspeakable — and the walls of this room absorb your story.
THERAPY VS. TALKING TO A FRIEND
But hey hey — how is it different from me talking to my friend?
I know this must be popping in your mind as you read through the last paragraph.
What will your friend tell you when you tell them how you have been caught in a relationship where your partner is abusive?
They will listen — they might shout — they might tell you how to leave your partner.
Honestly, my friends would make me pick between them or my partner (I know it’s too dramatic — but we’ve grown up watching Indian TV serials, can’t blame us).
Let’s say after all this, you either leave your partner or you are still stuck with them, right?
Here comes a therapist in your life — they will listen to you, and they will ask you a lot of questions.
Then they will help you understand your patterns (I know my patterns — if you are one of these people, something is coming up for you also later on).
And then we reach the bottom of the problem — every problem has a root. Where does it come from?
Sometimes you are aware, sometimes you are not.
Here, the professionals use scientific approaches to dig deeper and get to the roots — and from there, your healing journey begins.
“I know it all.”
If you are one of the people who know the patterns, who know where it is coming from, where it started, and what’s triggering you — I want to ask:
Why has it been difficult, really, to do what you think is right?
There is a block — we all know what is the so-called "right thing" to do — but most of us are not able to do that because we are subconsciously driven by a lot of things that stay in our mind and manifest, but we never really know about them.
MYTHS ABOUT THERAPY
No, we can’t read your minds — nobody can.
Therapy is not only for "crazy people" (Although I truly believe we are all a little crazy in some ways).
Therapists don’t give advice — in fact, I would suggest you drop the therapist as soon as you hear them giving advice.
And NO, by just being mentally strong, you would not be able to cope with depression.
It’s not in your head — it’s a reality. Trust me, I understand this.
I know it’s a scary step — “therapy” feels heavy.
I have a quick fix for you — I’ve curated a small quiz that will help you get some understanding of whether you need therapy or not.
What do you have to do?
Just pick an answer that most promptly comes to your mind after reading the questions.