Guest Post: Thoughts on seeing a psychologist

Throughout this year, I have seen a psychologist a dozen or so times, and I'd like to share a little bit about that experience. As for my motivation, it may seem a bit trivial, but the point is that it didn't feel that way to me. I don't have a diagnosed mental disorder, and I'm not on medication. I'm not suicidal, and I'm not clinically depressed. But I have trouble with some thought processes and knowing how to deal with them. There's more to it than this, but essentially I have a strong tendency to over-analyze and become "stuck" in that place at the expense of my ability to be in and enjoy the moment. Sometimes this means anxiety or an inability to sleep, other times it just means having to work really hard to be present. It got to the point that it was affecting my every day life on a consistent enough basis that I decided to take it to a professional. That was not something I was comfortable with at first. I have always taken a lot of pride in trusting my mind over my emotions, others' opinions, cultural biases, or whatever other influences might come. My brain is my "fortress of solitude" where I can find peace and comfort in logic. But life does not always bend to such analysis, and confronting that fact in a huge way at 26 years old was enough for me to need some help. I talked to family and friends, I opened up myself to emotions that I had previously shut off, I had conversations that were uncomfortable and raw. Don't get me wrong, those things were incredible and life-giving, but they weren't enough to give me the insight that I needed. Seeing a psychologist is not a magic bullet. It isn't something where you go once, talk about your feelings, and you're fixed. It's a process, and I'm still not done with mine. But it helps so much to work with someone who has the proper training to ask the right questions, make the right recommendations, and focus on the right areas to make progress. It's not about going and hearing what you want to hear. It's about identifying problematic thought processes that are holding you back and working on changing them in an environment free from judgment. You'd be shocked how many red herrings can be stuffed in a single noggin. (Side note: if you know a therapist of any kind, give them a hug or a high five or a word of encouragement. Their job is not just to play music, organize games, or listen to people talk. So much more goes on there; it's subtle and so, so difficult to do.) Going through this process has helped me immensely, and continues to do so. Seeing a psychologist doesn't make me a broken person, it just means that I want to take care of my brain. Anyway, the main reason I wanted to write this is to hopefully convince someone that feels this might benefit them to look past some of the stigma and give it a try. Your mind is worth the investment. If you can't afford it, ask around for places that provide services with rates based on your ability to pay. Don't worry about what others think, I've found that to be a non-issue. Everyone I've talked to about this has been supportive or just said "oh, that's interesting." Feel free to contact me if you want more information, or just to chat. You're not alone, and our minds can be pretty complicated sometimes!

#guest #stigma #therapist #counseling