May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it has us thinking about the importance of therapy. For many, therapy is not a thought they have considered, and while it is not the only solution to unburdening your mental troubles, it is a healthy path to take. Knowing that, the important question to ask is, should we all try therapy?
What is Mental Awareness Month?
Mental Awareness Month is a special time each year, usually in May, dedicated to recognizing and understanding mental health challenges. It started back in 1949 as a heartfelt effort to help break down the stigma surrounding mental health. During this month, there’s a lovely focus on sharing helpful resources, and one of the most encouraged options is therapy, which can make a real difference.
Ways We Can Take Care Of Our Mental Health
There are several ways to keep your mental health in good shape without breaking the bank, and these solutions can be incorporated into your day-to-day activities or go beyond them. Here are a few ways you can take care of your mental health:
- Exercise
Engaging in physical activities, such as daily exercise, can help reduce stress, improve sleep quality, boost your mood, and enhance overall health and well-being.
- Limiting Screen Time
One of the unspoken ways to take care of your mental health is to take time off from the fast, overwhelming pace of the internet. Taking some time off social media to read, journal, and connect with yourself would go a long way in helping you care for your mental health.
- Therapy
Ensuring therapy is a part of your weekly or monthly routine is a great way to care for your mental health. Our mental stress is significantly reduced when we communicate our feelings and navigate our emotions effectively, which a professional therapist can encourage and guide us in doing. Most Nigerians never try out therapy because they have no idea where to begin, so here are a few places you can try for your therapy needs.
- Mentally Aware Nigeria
- Famasi Africa
- She Writes Woman
- Idimma
You may be wondering what exactly therapy is. Everyone says to try it out, but what is therapy? Let’s break that down for you.
What is Therapy?
Therapy is often a collaborative, conversation-based process where a caring, trained professional supports people dealing with mental health challenges or trauma responses. It is a safe, confidential space to openly talk about your mental health struggles, helping to understand behavioral patterns that influence change. This supportive environment also helps people manage their mental health conditions more effectively and positively.
How Do You Know You Need Therapy?
There are several ways to know when you need therapy; it presents differently for everyone. Some of the ways you can tell if you need therapy are:
- Overwhelming Emotional State
One of the major ways to know if you need therapy is when you start feeling intense emotions like anger, sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety. These emotions are not limited to needing therapy, but they can be helpful in figuring out your mental state.
- Struggles With Trauma and Grief
Being unable to come to terms with trauma and grief in a way that impairs your sleep or day-to-day activity is an indication that you need therapy. When past or present grief and trauma are affecting your daily life, then you need to consider therapy.
- Loss of Interest
A key sign that you may need therapy is a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable. Unexpected lack of interest and tiredness in relation to things you used to enjoy can be a sign that you are struggling mentally.
Why is Therapy Important?
Therapy is important for a number of reasons. Some of them are the contributions to healthy living, better boundaries, and healthier personal relationships. Here are some important reasons for therapy:
- Managing Your Mental Health
Therapy provides a great service by helping you identify, understand, and work towards better managing your symptoms. These symptoms could range from depression to trauma and anxiety, among many others.
- The Creation of Improved Relationships
Therapy contributes heavily to helping people with mental health struggles navigate personal relationships better. It helps them know when to set boundaries, how to resolve conflicts, and also how to build strong connections.
- Acts As A Safe Space
One of the most important aspects of therapy is how it provides a healthy and non-judgemental environment for people struggling with their mental well-being. It helps these individuals share their thoughts, which are often difficult to express in everyday conversations.
- Physical Well-Being
Therapy contributes to the physical well-being of the individual who is seeing a therapist. A crippling mental health condition can contribute to the deterioration of the physical health condition of a person, as it can cause issues like insomnia or eating disorders.
- Creates Better Coping Mechanisms
Therapy helps individuals with mental health struggles learn healthier coping mechanisms that help them navigate life better.
What Do We Think?
Although not everyone struggles with their mental health, it is common knowledge that mental health struggles do not always present the same way for everyone. It is important to try therapy at least once to learn how to navigate your mental health state and also figure out behavioral patterns that could be connected to your upbringing.
