When discussing or bringing up therapy in a conversation, many people happen to have some sort of negative but unspoken set of preconceptions about it. And when my high school built a mental health wellness center/building on campus, a close friend of mine was one of those people. One day this year while in history class, I suggested to him that we check it out (since he had complained to me from time to time about being stressed). I expected him to be receptive, but his reaction surprised me. He seemed taken aback and said, “You serious? Therapy’s for the weak. You know only mentally ill people get therapy anyways.”
Image Source: Saybrook University
In a world with increasing threats and challenges to mental wellness, such attitudes are very dangerous, yet they are widespread. Some have suggested that “simply talking about your problems doesn’t help,” and others have gone as far enough to suggest that therapy is some kind of brainwashing. Although my initial reluctance to go to my school’s wellness center was not affected by these two ideas, I knew that what my friend had mentioned about therapy being for the weak had made me pause in my decision to seek help. Let’s walk through and take down some common beliefs that stigmatize therapy.
Firstly, the idea that therapy doesn’t help is false in the majority of cases. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Research shows that most people who receive psychotherapy experience symptom relief and are better able to function in their lives. About 75 percent of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit from it.” I can also personally back the benefits of such a step to maintain mental wellness. Over the pandemic, when I was suffering from anxiety and depression, I felt sudden urges to talk about what I was feeling to anyone and anything. Luckily, my mom was able to lend an ear to me. Something about talking about my feelings openly to her and putting into words what I had been suffering from made me immediately feel clearer in the head. I think part of what makes therapy successful is that it shows you’re helped and aided in dealing with whatever problems or troubles you’re experiencing. It makes you feel a little less alone inside and one step closer to happiness. Of course, however, keep in mind that it’s best to seek help from a professional therapist or mental health professional.
Image Source: TherapyRoute
Next, on therapy being for only the weak, I’d argue that therapy is in fact for the brave. It takes a lot of courage to seek therapy and help, so don’t believe for a second that you’re weak if you do. It’s people who put down therapy who oftentimes lack the courage themselves to seek it and mask their fear and reluctance with disdain and stigmatization towards therapy.
The idea that therapy’s only for the weak is also more based on a mindset of the past. With the introduction and spread of social media and technology in general, as well as the growth of a more competitive world, there have been a lot more reasons to be stressed and feel like your mental health is taking a hit. Trust me, I’m speaking from personal experience. This also goes to address the idea that therapy’s only for those suffering from serious mental conditions. The pandemic and lockdowns around the world have made the act of seeking help more important than ever.
Image Source: Milwaukee Community Journal
Call out those you think are putting therapy or those who receive therapy down. I truly wish I could time travel back to the conversation with my friend that I mentioned at the opening of this article and said something like, “Naw dude, that’s wrong. Therapy’s for everyone, and it’s effective.” Because who knows, maybe the students who were sitting nearby us in the classroom that day will need to seek therapy one day, yet are discouraged from doing so by hearing my friend’s words.
But perhaps even more important than that, be conscious of not stigmatizing or participating in stigmatizing therapy yourself. If we all make an effort to not put down therapy, there will hardly be any reason to call others out for doing so in the first place.
Therapy has been stigmatized so often and to such a great degree. But it doesn’t need to continue being this way. If we all make an effort to eliminate the stigma around therapy, we can protect an essential tool that’s been helping people’s mental states for centuries.
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