We all love a good vent, don’t we? How many times can you think of when you have met up with a friend and just really needed to vent about everything on your mind? Or how good do you feel after you spent your shift at work spilling all your problems to your coworkers? If talking about your problems and going on a rant about this crazy world we live in, then why isn’t everyone going to therapy?
Generally, people start going to therapy when they hit rock bottom and when everything falls apart. It’s not something a lot of people would openly discuss and it is very rare that people would ever mention that they are not free this evening because they have therapy. Even in today’s ever-changing world and modern society, therapy is still a slightly taboo topic.
This raises a huge question – if going to the doctors to get a physical check-up is promoted, why are mental health check-ins not treated the same way? The key issue here is that going to therapy is seen as a weakness, the last resort and a sign of struggle. When in fact, this is not the case.
Therapy is a form of self-care and looking after your mental health is one of the most empowering things we can do. In the world we live in today, full of uncertainty and constant changes, checking in on how it’s affecting you can make a huge difference in how you move forward. It has been reported that attending therapy sessions can increase the feeling of empowerment and allow for the practice of personal awareness and self-reflection. Going to therapy gives you the opportunity to explore your thoughts, emotions and worries with absolutely no judgement which can improve communication skills in other aspects of your life.
For me, therapy was a way of finding myself, after years of viewing mental health and therapy as a sign that there was something wrong with me and I was weak, I finally learned who I was, what I contribute to this world, what I struggle with and most importantly that it is totally okay to not know what direction your life is going- just enjoy the present moment. If it was not for therapy, I would still be stuck in my old ways of thinking. I would not have been brave enough to explore my mind and work through all my emotions rather than burying them. I have unlearned patterns, adapted new behaviours and have finally begun to heal.
David Richo, an American psychotherapist and teacher has been famously quoted in the mindfulness sector, “our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us”. If only this realisation that therapy is empowering and extremely beneficial had come to me sooner. However, for now, the best I can do is share my story and my belief that if you can do anything in life, attend at least one therapy session, just to talk about whatever comes to your mind. I guarantee that you will learn something about yourself or a situation you have ever struggled with.
In order for therapy to be normalised, we need to break the silence. We need to start small. Mention it to a friend. DCU itself offers free counselling to all its students. Rather than waiting for things to hit rock bottom, try talking about it first and establishing healthy coping mechanisms and preventative measures. Therapy is a safe and confidential space for you to grow and become the best version of yourself.