Importance of Reaching Out by Rachael Metzger, Clinical Intern
Experiencing mental health disturbances can cause for significant feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and confusion. It may feel like your brain is working against you, and since you are the only one with your brain, this can be extremely lonely. Even though no one else can truly know what you are experiencing, you do not deserve to be alone in it. Reaching out for help is necessary and important for your growth in learning how to understand further and manage the mental health issues that you are enduring.
The thought of reaching out for help may bring about a variety of different emotions. Shame, denial, nervousness, anxiety, excitement, relief, embarrassment, and vulnerability are just some of the feelings that may come to the surface when making the decision to seek guidance elsewhere. Some individuals may be comfortable with the idea of asking for help and some may cringe at the thought of it. Wherever you are on that spectrum – that is okay. We as humans are fixers; we see a problem and we want to solve it without inconveniencing anybody else. Mental health is an area where the solution is not to bear it on your own.
A harmful stigma still exists surrounding mental health problems. A portion of society tends to believe that mental health issues are a façade, that it is “all in your head”, or that someone is weak for experiencing these things. Despite the fact that this part of society is empirically incorrect, that does not mean that it does not hurt that a stigma is present. It takes a lot of strength to look past the stigma and prioritize you. You are your most important asset, and you are worthy of having the support, validation, and collaboration of a therapist on your side.
Here at Owens Counseling, our administrative staff and clinicians are all more than welcome to assist you through the next steps of reaching out, finding a therapist, and receiving quality care. Give us a call at (847) 854-4333 for a free 15-minute consultation.