In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month I thought I would write a quick blog about how to know when it is time to ask for help, how to find a therapist in your area, and a good resource guide.
As a therapist I believe that we all could use some help in some regard. The question I’m often asked is “How do you know when it is time to ask for help?” That’s a great question. Do any of the following statements apply to you?
• I’m feeling overly stressed.
• I’m just so overwhelmed.
• I’m carrying around a secret.
• My anger is getting the best of me.
• Sometimes I just explode.
• Lately I’ve just been so tired and unmotivated.
• I just can’t keep continuing this same cycle of stress, anxiety, fatigue and anger anymore.
• This relationship just isn’t working for me anymore.
• I feel so alone.
If any of those statements describes the way you are feeling please know that you do not have to go through this alone. Get back on track to the life you deserve by seeking help from a licensed therapist. A lot of people will have a tendency to wait to ask for help because there is still a social stigma that counseling is not ok, or that it is a sign of weakness. According to Dr. John Gottman, most couples wait 4-6 years before they get help for their relationship. I would suggest that we ask for help a lot sooner. I know that I might be bias because I am a
therapist but as I already stated, we all need help in some regard. You weren’t meant to feel this sense of loneliness or isolation.
Having a therapist help you with whatever your struggles might be will help you feel “lighter”, let you see your world a little brighter and give you a renewed sense of energy or positive thoughts instead of ones that consume you. I
would also say that even if you are not sure you need counseling, call and ask a therapist. Here are some good search-engines that will help you find a therapist in your area:
www.therapistlocator.net
www.gottman.com
www.psychologytoday.com
www.networktherapy.com
www.theravive.com
www.goodtherapy.org
www.licensedtherapist.com
Lastly, here is a list of resource that you may find helpful on your journey:
• The American Association for Marriage and Family therapy website has a lot of helpful information or “consumer updates” that gives you some basic info about specific problems or issues in your life or your
family. www.aamft.org
• The Gottman Institute has information about relationships, seminars, finding a Gottman trained therapist in your area, and books that are helpful for relationships and parenting. www.gottman.com
• Alcohol anonymous, Narcotic anonymous www.aa.orgwww.na.org
• Smart Recovery is also an addiction recovery program that is not affiliated with AA.
• Suicide Hotline number 1-800-273-talk www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• National Domestic Violence hotline 1-800-799-SAFE www.thehotline.org
• Sexual abuse survivors www.rainn.org
I hope that this blog has been helpful and it gives some good information on how to find help when you need it.