Therapy

When someone is dealing with a behavioral health problem whether it is mental health or substance use, a line that is often heard is “you should talk to a therapist…” Now for the record, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement but it’s not as simple as that. Therapy comes in various forms, many of which are traditional, psychotherapy based models such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), talk therapy, family therapy, etc. These are all wonderful ways to dig into the issues and start the healing process.

For some, the word therapy or therapist sounds daunting and scares people away from taking action. We should not be afraid of this concept, it does not have to be an overwhelming experience and it certainly doesn’t have to be received in a clinical setting. We have to think outside the box as we tackle the issue of behavioral health. Therapy can be anything that helps to clear our heads of all the noise we experience which often exacerbate the problem. This can be exercise, meditation, music and the list goes on. For me, I like to drive while listening to music and podcasts. Sometimes I drive for hours to just tune out everything that is causing me stress or anxiety. I have done this since I was 16, it is therapeutic for me. Whatever it happens to be, we need to do something to take care of ourselves. Our mental health and well-being are of the utmost importance.

Many of us get caught up in the daily grind and are constantly connected through our phones, social media, texting, etc. We need to unplug and get our minds right. I am the worst when it comes to this, I can’t function without my phone and I neglect my mental health everyday by overloading it with useless information. So, I don’t write these posts to seem like an expert but rather to share my opinion and my story.

The bottom line is that therapy is available to every one of us and whatever type works for you, run with it. Don’t let the stigma of “mental health” keep you from taking care of yourself.