TW: Discussion of mental illness, damaging stigma around the subject
There is an undeniable stigma around therapy in our society that is even larger in individual cultures. It’s unfortunate but true. There are these ideas about therapy that lead people to avoid it or discourage others from pursuing it. Ideas that are simply not true.
You might be reading this having grown up hearing ideas that shaped your view of therapy. Mental illness may have been belittled. Therapy may have been warped into something that seems untouchable today. Let’s break down three common beliefs about therapy and the truth behind them.
Some say, “Therapy is for the weak.”
Seeking therapy takes immense strength. It takes the admission of what you’re dealing with, the open discussion of it, and the commitment to doing something about it. If it were an easy decision, everyone who needed it would pursue it. But the truth is less than half of people who need therapy actually pursue it, and on average it can take 11 years for someone who needs treatment to seek it out (National Alliance on Mental Illness). This is a direct result of the very societal ideas about therapy we’re discussing right now. The lack of education about therapy, the understatement of its importance that leads to some insurance not covering it, and the negative stigma that some perpetuate all lead people to not being able to seek out help. Being able to get through these hoops as well as one’s own mental blocks to reach out for help takes so much strength.
Some say, “Therapy isn’t even necessary. I don’t believe in this mental illness stuff. It’s all in your head“
It’s all too common for people to deny the existence of mental illness. It can be written off as a multitude of things, but the ultimate truth is it does exist, and it affects people greatly. As of 2020, 1 in 5 adults experience some kind of mental illness (NAMI). The idea that anything can only be ‘all in your head’ in itself is ridiculous because our head, our brain, is what we are. We spend our lives being operated by our brains, and thus an illness of the brain is an illness of the entire body. This is even further shown to be true by the physical effects of mental illness. First, there are daily somatic symptoms like fatigue, shaking, nausea, chest pains, and more. Second, there are long-term bodily effects proven to be connected by science. For example, there is a 40% increase in the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease development for people with depression (NAMI). Mental illness is not only very real, but its effects span a multitude of areas in a person’s life.
Some say, “Therapy doesn’t even work anyway.”
Let’s take a look at some references on the subject:
- “Research on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) among people with psychosis found that CBT strengthened connections between the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fear and threat analysis, and the prefrontal cortex. This suggested that people could better perceive social threats, and the increased connectivity was associated with reduced psychotic symptoms eight years later” (Mental Health America)
- “Short-term therapy can provide long-term benefits – a study [Long-term efficacy of psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review] found that PTSD patients displayed less severe symptoms two years after treatment ended, compared to six months after treatment ended” (Mental Health America)
- “Psychotherapy is effective, helps reduce the overall need for health services and produces long-term health improvements…Psychotherapy teaches patients life skills that last beyond the course of treatment.” (American Psychological Association)
So, we’ve seen in multiple instances that therapy does work. There are exceptions of course. Not all types may work for everyone. Not everyone will respond to therapy by itself. Some people would need therapy for longer than others. Some people might not find the right therapist right away. For some, therapy might not work at all; it happens. However, therapy does work for many. The improvements and long-lasting effects of therapy do help people! Yet, so many people don’t even get the chance to try because of the world that has been created with this stigma around therapy.
Because of the ideas that have been formulated around therapy, too often the people who would benefit from therapy don’t seek it out. It could be because they believe in the stigma and don’t actually see therapy as a viable option. It could be because those around them perpetuate these ideas and create shame around the idea of therapy. It could be because therapy is undervalued due to the stigma, and their insurance doesn’t cover it. It could be any one of these reasons, any combo of them, or a plethora of others leading back to the stigma around it.
These stigmas may seem harmless to some, but they have real implications for people who are struggling. I’ve seen these reasons play out in the lives of people I’ve known. Therapy doesn’t have to be something that everyone pursues, and as I said, it isn’t an option that works for everyone. However, no one should feel like they can’t do their own research and decide for themselves whether therapy is something they want to try. No one should have to feel like if they pursue therapy it’s something to be ashamed of or wrong for doing.
If you’re reading this, and you’ve been avoiding learning anything about therapy because of these stigmas I encourage you to look into it for yourself. Don’t even take my word for it! Your opinion and your path should be your own. Just don’t let the words of others that we have disproven today determine what you do to get help for yourself. You deserve to have freedom in this choice. Everyone does.
And hopefully, one day, stigma won’t be the thing that stops anyone from seeking the help they want.
Here are some resources for if you want to start finding some information, or if you’re in need of any help:
National Mental Health Alliance: https://nami.org/help
- This link will lead you to the contact information for this organization as well as access to their site that has information and statistics surrounding this subject.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Hotline
- (via their website) “SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.”
National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov
- “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest biomedical research agency in the world. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).”
This article discusses different kinds of therapy and what different approaches can help to address: