Writing and Photography by Jeff E. Brown

Therapy has many benefits for the mentally ill. I avoided it for many years, mistakenly thinking that talking about my problems would not actually help. After I started, I realized that it was a necessary piece of my treatment plan and now I am grateful for it. I talk to my therapist once a week and we go over issues I am having or talk about little mantras I can use to head off my anxiety.

1) CONFIDENCE

I gain confidence with each session because talking about my problems helps me sort them out and take the sting out of them. Confidence ripples through my life, impacting everything I do- it lifts me up and helps me get things done.

2) EXPERT ADVICE

The advice I receive on the anxieties and  stressors in my life helps me deal with them in a proactive, healthy manner.  Sometimes you just need an objective person’s perspective when yours is clouded by anxiety and depression.

3) RELEASE

When I talk about my problems with my therapist it means they no longer have to exist only in my head.  This is a release that lifts the weight off my shoulders and lets me see how to move forward.  I tend to belabor my worries and then that gets my anxiety going. Therapy assists me with the morass in my head.

4) PLANNING YOUR LIFE

My therapist helps me plan out my next steps, both my treatment goals and my life goals.  I can bounce thoughts and ideas off of him to gauge where I am at in my recovery and also get an outsider’s view on my plans. It is beneficial to get a professional’s input on things in your life that seem too silly or inconsequential to bring up to anyone else.

5)  MOOD IMPROVEMENT

Talking about your negative emotions and depression makes them less dangerous and dark.  I find I am not dreading the next day after I speak about my fears and anxieties.  That alone makes a therapist extremely valuable.  Any way that you can get in a better mood, particularly without drugs, is a win in my book.

Therapy is not cheap and is unfortunately not covered as extensively as it should be by some health insurance plans.  If you have good coverage, you are fortunate and I urge you to look into therapy as soon as possible.  Sometimes it takes a few tries to find someone you can open up to, but it worth the trial-and-error to get there.

To find a Therapist, try the Psychology Today locator.