Do You Need A Therapist? These 5 Signs Point to Yes

You lose a loved one, a job, a relationship, a pet, or get into an accident, have an injury, gain weight, have a baby, return from war, or experience something else that just rattles you to your core.

You know something isn’t right; you feel a bit off, but continue living your life, thinking you’ll get over it.

We all have been there.

Often, with time, we DO get over it, sort of.

These life scars helps us to grow, and while that is great in theory, the pain that comes with growth can take a toll on us.

Our mental health is directly connected to our physical health.

When we see illness, we know it’s a clue our mental outlook is out of whack.

Do you need a therapist?

How can you tell? 

What are the reasons to see a therapist?

Dr. Sanam Hafeez, an NYC-based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College, and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, offers five signs that you could benefit from therapy.

5 Good Reasons To See a Therapist

1. Risky behavior to self-soothe.

You might medicate with sex, drugs, alcohol, or other risky behaviors.

Anytime you are escaping a problem with alcohol or drugs, that’s a RED FLAG that your coping mechanisms are off.

You’re desperate for an escape – and sex, drugs, and alcohol seem to be a fast fix.

These are valid reasons to see a therapist.

A therapist can help you by providing tools to help you cope and pivot to more positive, hopeful, and self-soothing thoughts.

2. You’re sleeping too much or not at all.

People who are grieving or sink into a depression either can’t get out of bed OR seek to pack their days with distractions and work.

These people start cleaning out their closets and scrubbing bathrooms at 3 am.

Again, how we cope is what we should pay attention to.

A therapist can help you understand the thoughts that keep you awake and make sense of them.

They can help you to understand HOW you choose to soothe yourself and offer healthier ways of coping.

3. Your mental self-talk is terrible and you lose time in rumination.

When our mind wanders, and it’s too disparaging, self-loathing mental noise can be damaging and self-sabotaging.

You could drift off at a red light and realize you would have stayed there for 20 minutes if someone didn’t honk at you.

Negative self-talk can manifest itself in serious illness if not addressed.

When you find yourself in your head too much and blocks of time go by wrapped up in thought, it’s time to consider therapy.

A therapist can listen to how you typically talk to yourself or your perception of a specific problem.

He or she can also offer tools to end that cycle of self-defeating mental focus.

4. You have physical manifestations that tie to grief, depression, anxiety, worry etc.

When you physically feel ill or maybe sweaty, faint, or jittery when a certain situation or topic arises, these are reasons to see a therapist.

A therapist can screen you to see if you perhaps need medication temporarily to address a chemical imbalance that is resulting in physical reactions and sensations.

It’s important to share these physical occurrences.

A good therapist will ask pointed questions as part of an onboarding process.

5. You’re neglecting responsibilities and people.

When you’re caught up in your own hard time, you may forget to let the cat inside, participate in an important conference call, or pick the kids up at a different location.

You are unable to focus and seem forgetful.

This wandering mind could put you – and those close to you – in danger.

A therapist can help re-direct your focus and attention when your mind wanders down a rabbit hole of limiting beliefs.

Why do so many people feel embarrassed to admit they might need a therapist?

Dr. Hafeez explains that we live in a culture that stigmatizes the need for therapy and self-care.

It’s presumed as weak or crazy.

Seeking therapy, in actuality, is a self-loving, self-caring action.

“If you cut yourself with a knife while cooking and needed to get stitches, no one would criticize you for dropping everything to get to the emergency room.

If you went through a loss or some other event that triggered negative thoughts and a depressive spell, people want you to just get over it and get on with life.

They can’t see any blood or pain, so to them, it’s all in your head and can be easily sorted out,” she explains.

Is therapy more common than most of us imagine? 

According to Dr. Hafeez, we see more and more people interested in self-improvement and true desire for feeling good.

People don’t tolerate feeling bad for long.

Just look at social media: people post positive quotes, life hack websites, and articles like these intended to make people better themselves.

“As the world appears to get more out of control more people choose to go inward and listen to their inner guidance. Some people are so disconnected with their true inner beings that they need the help of a therapist to assist them with reconnecting.”

She adds that NOT everyone who has reasons to see a therapist needs to be put on anti-depressants, which many people are apprehensive about.

“Many people just need new perspectives and coping mechanisms to help them shift into a healthier mindset. A good psychologist or psychiatrist must do their due diligence in thorough interviewing and assessment, so that proper treatment in therapy and even medication can be properly tailored.”

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Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD. is an NYC-based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College, and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C., a neuropsychological, developmental, and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. 

Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting, and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…).

In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse.

Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise with news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

Connect with her via Twitter @comprehendMind or www.comprehendthemind.com