A few weeks ago, when speaking to an aunt of mine, I was listening to her fears, concerns and worries in regards to her suffering daughter. She has truly been experiencing the difficult end of a depressive state. Listening to her speak, I was overcome with a strong amount of sympathy, concern and longing to assist her in whatever way possible.
I remember hearing amidst the details of the situation she described, the heartbreaking undertone of a mother who genuinely desires immediate and effective help for her daughter. A mother who was frightened by the thought of her own daughter being distanced from happiness.
In our growing generation of mental health awareness and an extensive understanding of psychology as a whole, there is no surprise that there has been a rise of therapy and the necessity of psychiatry and psychological services.
However, though there's a rise and increase in facilities, services and patients, there still exists an overwhelming under-appreciation for the concept of psychotherapy as a legitimate cure for mental illnesses. It seems that the major perception and/or understanding of psychotherapy is the overemphasized notion that people who seek or rely on therapy are immensely unstable and/or crazy.
People have this idea that predominates our society, which focuses on therapy as an action that makes us abnormal and sets us apart in a negative way. The requirement of therapy feels too taboo to be of practical use and this, in turn, perpetuates this connotation that is attached to it.
Psychotherapy has the implication that needing help and advice is unnatural. It is almost as if it is the idealization and overemphasis on independence that causes us to view this service as something outrageous and something set up only for the mentally deprived.
I think it is extremely important for people to acknowledge therapy because the negative connotations and associations linked to it truly cause people to hide away and not seek help when they need it in actuality. We need to acknowledge that therapy is a service that is and can be for absolutely anyone as well as for any issue. It is a service that strives to soothe and assist people at all levels of intensity. Psychotherapy does not create any negative implications in and of itself.
We must understand that there is nothing wrong with seeking help and speaking to professionals in order to improve our overall satisfaction and quality of life. Therapy is designed such that it not only assists in coping with particular issues or events but allows people to obtain insights for the day- to-day decisions, problems and thoughts.
It is important for us to not only increase awareness about therapy but allow people to understand how universal it is and applicable to any situation as a feasible, realistic and normal solution.
