How to Know If It’s Time to Try Therapy

Maybe you’ve been feeling not-so-much like yourself, or noticing that daily life is more difficult than usual. But, how do you know if it’s time to try therapy?

This is a very common question that many people consider. The thing is, there’s no “baseline” of suffering that you need to be feeling to seek therapy. If you think you may benefit from going, there’s absolutely no harm in doing so!

However, if you’re on the fence, here are some signs to watch out for that might indicate you could benefit from outside help. 

Emotional/Mental Signs

If you find your mood consistently impacts your daily life, it’s important to consider seeking help. Here are some questions to help guide you:

• Do daily tasks such as laundry, dishes, and hygiene feel overwhelming?
• Do you find yourself feeling hopeless, anxious, or sad more often than not? 
• Is it difficult to turn off negative thoughts, do you tend to dwell on them?
• Have you noticed a lack of interest in hobbies you used to enjoy?
• Are you quick to anger or frustration?
• Are you having a hard time regulating emotions? 

Behavioural Signs

Sometimes, it’s tough to be in tune with what you’re feeling, and how it compares to previous times in your life. Alternatively, you can try to think about your recent behaviour. 

Therapists tend to look for the following signs as an indication of struggling mental health:

• Sleeping more or less, having trouble falling and/or staying asleep.
• Appetite changes – feeling more or less hungry.
• Relationships (professional, family, friends) are affected, you may have a harder time communicating, more arguments, etc. 
• Social isolation – not seeing friends and family as often, not answering texts/emails/phone calls.
• Harmful coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol use.

At the end of the day, if your daily life is impacted by your mental state, this is an indication of poor mental health. You don’t have to wait for things to be “bad” enough to seek help! If you are considering therapy, book a consultation here to learn more about it.