People may require the professional help of a psychologist for multiple reasons; however, most people have the prejudice or stigma that you only need a psychologist in cases of mental disorders or illness. Society commonly dictates that people who need psychological help are, for lack of a nicer word, "crazy." This prejudice is not only completely totally wrong but it also causes a lot of damage.
Psychology is the science that deals with the behavior and mental processes of individuals. This field of study covers all aspects of human experience. Psychology explores concepts such as perception, attention, motivation, emotion, brain functioning, intelligence, thinking process, personality, consciousness and unconsciousness, beyond psychological and/or mental disorders.
As we can see, the branch of psychology is so wide that it is normal and common that at some point in our lives we might need the aid of a psychologist. We must stop seeing the psychologist as the specialist who only treats disorders. It's obvious that psychologists have not only the capacity but the responsibility to treat psychological, behavioral, learning and sexual disorders, among others. But that is not the only thing we do as therapists.
The psychologist can be a companion in difficult or confusing times, a guide in our education, a light in our emotions, a counselor for human resources and training, a help in child development. Not to mention a companion when aging, improving in sports or on a personal development journey.
Seeking the help of a psychologist should not be seen as a weakness or as something negative. Rather, the total opposite. The person who seeks the help of a psychologist is a person who knows that he or she will benefit from having someone to talk to, or even vent to, and serve as a compass in scary or difficult times. This to guide will serve to improve overall health and find peace and happiness within.
As human beings we should strive for continuous growth and reach our greatest potential. We can achieve this more easily if we have the help of a professional therapist.
In my experience, the main reasons why people see psychologist nowadays is to help them become aware of and modify certain behaviors, thoughts and/or emotions, that don´t serve them. The idea is to help in these areas under an objective, professional, scientific and theoretical basis that supports the process.
Considering the times we live in, most people live in a state of stress, worry, and high anxiety. This is usually manifested in the following ways:
• Feelings of losing control
• Panic attacks
• Displays of emotions such as crying, anger, anguish, desolation, feelings of helplessness, aggression
• Relationship issues, whether these happen with their couple, family or peers
• Family problems
• Work problems
• Aggression
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Inability to concentrate
When should you make the jump and visit a psychologist? The sooner you consider it, the better. Whenever you feel you want to improve any aspect of your life, to find inner peace, peace of mind, resolve emotional issues, find motivation, increase self-esteem or just need someone to help you organize your train of thoughts or ideas.
Let´s all please drop the stigma and prejudice around psychological therapy and start taking better care of ourselves and value mental health. I have been a psychologist for more than 10 years and I have never had a "crazy" person in my office.