If we're not ashamed to see a cardiologist or general practitioner, we shouldn't be embarrassed about visiting a psychologist or psychiatrist either. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
A shameful secret?
When we decide to start psychotherapy, we don't like to talk about it with family and friends. And it's nothing weird. We would soon hear the depressing comments that we cannot deal with our problems alone. In the eyes of many people, therapy makes us dangerous people who have serious psychic problems. If we're going to ask the psychologist for help, it means we're on our way to being crazy.
Slowly, especially among young people, these stereotypes are decreasing, but despite everything we are still afraid to speak out in public about the fact that we care about our mental health. The problem is, others don't see it that way. You can take care of yourself by doing sports, eating a healthy diet, visiting various specialists, all this is ok, but a psychologist? Psychiatrist?
After all, we must ignore the judgments of others. A visit to a psychologist or psychotherapist attests to the fact that we are aware of our own weaknesses, we want to lead a responsible life, make the right decisions and develop. Therapists have the proper training and extensive knowledge that we often don't have ourselves. Thus, they help us to see the broader context of our problems, pinpoint the source of certain behaviors and fears, and propose solutions that none of our friends will give us in a coffee conversation.
Psychotherapy helps us to know ourselves better and find out why we do what we do, make the decisions we do, and make the same mistakes over and over again.
The problems with which we go to a psychologist are common - a difficult childhood, inability to fit into the group, family and relationship problems, difficulties making contacts, toxic relationships, problems with self-acceptance, shyness, desire to expand skills lack of communication, lack of assertiveness – each of us struggles with our own state of mind.
So don't be afraid or ashamed to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist. Psychotherapy is an opportunity for development and for dealing with existing problems that can last for years. Using this help should be, in the eyes of society, considered as something natural, as a sign of emotional maturity.
Psychiatric help - important and necessary
We should think the same about psychiatric treatment. Depression, insomnia, addictions or eating disorders are problems for many people, and not for a few individuals on the margins of society. The treatment of these disorders should be as obvious and unambiguous as the treatment of hypertension or diabetes. Mainly because, in many cases, health problems do not arise from organic diseases, but from an emotional basis. We may suffer from disturbing skin lesions, constipation, diarrhea or spinal disorders, which have their origin in the psyche.
In these situations we are talking about psychosomatic disorders which are not treated by a general physician or dermatologist, but only by a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, patients reach this only at the end, when none of the other doctors can give a correct diagnosis/treatment that does not give the expected results.
