“See a therapist? I am not mad!”
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| Source: http://michaelandersonmd.com |
Counseling and therapy is still considered as a taboo in India. Since it is not a very established field, most people have there own opinion about it. Where on one hand it is a talk of the B town, on the other hand majority of the population living in villages do not even know about its existence. Either ways it is considered only for the people with mental illness or ‘depression’. This negative outlook has made it a ‘no-entry’ zone for most people.
One of the biggest misconceptions about therapy is that the psychologist is there to listen to people and give them an expert advice which will fix all their problems at one go. This makes them look like the magicians that they are not. Therapy and counseling is a process, one that needs time and expertise to be able to make the individual aware of the present situation and help him come out of it.
Mental health is as normal as physical health, just like going to a doctor. How going for a regular check up does not make you a BP, heart or a cancer patient similarly going to a psychologist does not make you mad. Like our body, our mind also needs to remain healthy and that is what a psychologist takes care of, our mental health. This needs expertise and hence a family member or a friend would not be as effective as going to a psychologist.
Although not always a happy fun loving session, therapy provides insight and awareness to the individual helping them reflect on the situation. It is often said that counseling would bring back the past experiences and make the situation worse but that is not what counseling does. Yes going back to the past is a part of counseling but this is done to have us make peace with the past and find out ways to cope with it.
Medication plays and important role but cannot substitute therapy. Not all emotional stress, anxiety, trauma, personal conflicts, relationship issue can be dealt with medication. Certain amount of lifestyle, thought process and behavioral change is required which can is done through therapy.
Therefore therapy is not always about fixing a big problem it can be as simple as getting more insight about yourself and the environment. Its not about the money or time but about ones emotions and feelings. Its not about being weak but having the guts to fact it and wanting to change.
