Are we drowning in therapy? Maybe. Your FYP may have you believing everyone’s sitting on therapy couches seven days a week to work out their issues and have incredible a-ha breakthroughs.
It’s not just social media amplifying the popularity of therapy. According to the stats, we’ve gone from just 13% of adults saying they’ve had therapy in 2004 to 23% in 2022. While treatment is more popular than ever, it’s still only one in five American adults who’ve received mental health services within the past year. The truth is that working with a trained, licensed therapist remains a relatively underutilized trend in the United States.
Have you been waiting for your sign that it’s time to take the plunge and see a therapist? Let’s really, truly, and candidly talk about how mental health professionals can actually help you.
Your Podcast Can’t Diagnose You
While the intention isn’t to throw shade at your favorite podcasts and mental health influencers, the truth is that a lot of us are substituting authentic and personalized therapy with motivational podcasts and self-help social media accounts.
Many people are beginning their healing journeys with these resources, but it gets tricky when you only use social media for mental health support. In fact, many people who struggle with asking for help may retreat further into self-isolation while thinking they are improving because they’re receiving good, high-quality information.
The problem is that people don’t know how to apply the principles they learn from podcasts or influencer chats to their lives because they’re not getting the one-on-one attention or follow-up care needed for that. It’s like getting just enough information to identify what’s “wrong” without getting the tools to begin the healing work.
Mental Health Influencers on Social Media
Without the explosion of information sharing, none of us would know what “chronically undiagnosed female neurodivergence” or “complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)” means, but this also poses a risk for incorrect self-diagnosis.
Simply hearing mirrors of your symptoms and lived experiences being shared by someone else or spelled out by a mental health professional online can feel like a watershed moment. You finally feel seen, have words to put to your experiences, and understand that it’s not just a “me” problem. However, a mental health diagnosis can be more complicated than that. Many diagnoses have overlapping characteristics or important criteria that are difficult to capture in a boilerplate description.
Most of us aren’t self-diagnosing correctly. Researchers have been paying attention. In fact, researchers at the University of Colorado say that people are most often incorrectly self-diagnosing online because they present with similar symptoms and behaviors.
These are the most common disorders people believe they have:
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) + Bipolar
- ADHD + BPD
- Schizoid Personality Disorder + Autism
- Anxiety/Depression + Almost Everything Else
Self-diagnosis doesn’t just rob you of the growth and healing you could be getting from a supportive, licensed, and trained mental health expert. It can also be straight-up harmful. The main danger of incorrect self-diagnosis is delaying treatment. Other risks include self-medication and adopting harmful coping strategies that could bring unnecessary stress to your life, caused by a diagnosis that isn’t real.
It Takes Courage to Ask for Help
If you really do have a mental health concern, a licensed therapist will help you get properly diagnosed, so that you can receive treatment approved by your insurance. Then, your therapist gathers information and conducts assessments, using tools like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to make an accurate diagnosis.
If you’re looking for therapy to help with life transitions or for your personal growth, a mental health professional can also help you gain insight about self-beliefs, behavior patterns, and relationship habits that aren’t necessarily tied to a diagnosable mental health condition. Other modalities like somatic therapy, group therapy, and holistic options are also effective if you want additional support.
What Can a Therapist Do for You?
There are many different therapeutic modes and techniques to choose from when beginning your journey. The traditional therapy most of us think of when we’re picturing sitting on a couch opposite from a therapist is “psychotherapy” or “counseling.” During this process, they work with psychiatrists, psychologists, or licensed counselors to trudge through your behaviors and emotions. However, there’s also much more targeted and tailored therapy options out there. For example:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A goal-oriented form of psychotherapy focused on making connections between beliefs and actions. Great for getting unstuck from patterns in your relationships or professional life. It can also be used for things like depression and anxiety.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Helps you accept and move through difficult feelings or thoughts.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): A marriage of CBT and mindfulness therapy that helps you manage emotions and navigate life.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): This immersive therapy helps you process unprocessed traumatic memories and experiences using specialized eye movements that are activated by a therapist.
- Prolonged Exposure (PE): A mode of healing from trauma-related memories or feelings through gradual exposure to things that make you feel panicked or uncomfortable.
This is just a small sampling of the many therapy options available today. Of course, the availability of in-person and online therapy resources means you also have more power than ever when it comes to finding a mental health professional who can meet your needs. There are also entire practices focused on inclusivity that cater to clients seeking mental health care for people of color or those from marginalized communities.
Mental health conversations have never been bigger. While that’s amazing, it’s still important to make sure that you’re not just stopping at conversations. The “work” for many of us includes actively seeking support from a qualified mental health professional.
