How to understand when it's time to see a psychotherapist

Many find it difficult to understand why a psychotherapist is needed. Normal people have friends, you need to talk to them heart to heart, and then gather your strength - and all the problems will pass. And all this psychotherapy is a way of siphoning out money, before that there was no such thing and there were no depressions either.

One cannot but agree with the fact that in the past they somehow managed without psychotherapists. But there is a person, he has a problem, and he does not want to live "somehow, as before," he wants to live well now. A justified desire that psychotherapy can help to realize.

Who is a psychotherapist

A quick reference so as not to confuse who is considered a psychotherapist and who is not.

Psychologist - this is a person with a higher specialized education, the diploma says "psychologist". After special training - “clinical psychologist”. All other names (gestalt psychologist, art therapist and others) indicate only what methods he uses. The psychologist helps to find a way out of difficult situations, to work out the problems. But he does not cure mental disorders and diseases, he consults healthy people.

Psychiatrist is a person with a higher medical education, a specialist in the field of psychiatry. He treats people with severe mental disorders, usually in a hospital, mainly with pills and procedures.

Psychotherapist is a psychiatrist who has received additional training. He can prescribe drugs, counsel and heal with a variety of psychotherapy methods.

A psychotherapist is needed both for the rehabilitation of patients with serious illnesses, and for the treatment of disorders that in one way or another interfere with living, working, building relationships and engaging in creativity. In general, psychotherapy improves the quality of life.

When is it time to make an appointment

Mental disorders rarely appear out of the blue and tend to get worse over time. The following should alert you:

The character has changed. A person becomes withdrawn, loses interest in business, does not communicate with people who were previously important.
Faith in oneself leaves, and so much so that one does not even want to start something, because he is sure of failure.
Fatigue is constantly felt, I want to either sleep or do nothing.
The reluctance to move is so strong that even simple actions (taking a shower, throwing out the trash) turn into a daily task.
Incomprehensible sensations appear in the body. Not pain, but just something completely indescribable or very strange.
The mood changes quickly for no apparent reason from violent joy to complete despondency.
Unexpected emotional reactions appear: tears when watching a comedy, despondency in response to "Hello, how are you?"
Aggression and irritability are often present.
Sleep is disturbed: insomnia or constant drowsiness comes.
Panic attacks roll in.
Eating behavior changes: systematic overeating or refusal to eat is noticeable.
Difficulty concentrating, studying, doing business.
Obsessive repetitive actions and habits have appeared or have become more frequent.
I want to hurt myself (or it is noticeable that a person injures himself: there are minor burns, scratches, cuts on the body).
Suicidal thoughts appear.

These are not all indicative symptoms that signal difficulties in the work of the psyche.

The main criterion: if something interferes with your life and reminds of yourself every day, go to the doctor.

If you notice any symptoms in a loved one or friend, offer help. Do not scold the person and do not laugh at him, do not force him to be treated. Say what is bothering you and ask how you can help. Find helplines or specialist addresses so that a person can contact them.

When you don't need to sign up

If you're in a bad mood because of the nasty weather, if you get a bad grade, get fired, or have a fight with your loved one, you don't need a therapist. This is all decided by a few days of rest, the very conversation with loved ones and a cup of hot chocolate or watching a football match.

If you have experienced severe stress, grief, cannot resolve a conflict that has been dragging on for a long time, and you really need to sort out your feelings in order to understand what to do next, then you should go to a psychologist.

However, if you are afraid that all these situations will badly affect your life, and decide to see a psychotherapist, it will not get worse. The doctor will help himself or refer you to the same psychologist (or to a psychiatrist if it turns out that your disease is more serious than expected).

What to do before going to a psychotherapist

Many of the symptoms that signal mental disorders do not always appear due to mental disruptions. General weakness, chronic fatigue, irritability, insomnia and depression can appear with common diseases that have nothing to do with mental health. Therefore, before visiting a psychotherapist, you need to make sure that you are physically healthy.

No one bothers to simultaneously visit a psychotherapist and investigate a physical condition.

How to check your health when nothing hurts, but in general something is wrong:

Contact a therapist and pass basic tests.
Pass the required examinations. Lifehacker wrote what it was and when to pass them.
If there is a chronic disease, go to an appointment with a specialized specialist and check if there is an exacerbation.
Visit an endocrinologist. Many symptoms of mental illness are associated with endocrine disorders.

But don't get carried away. Many sufferers spend years searching for the cause of sudden attacks of raging heartbeats or suffering from insomnia before admitting that the psyche is to blame.