We speak a lot about seeking assistance for mental illness; reaching out to friends and family, or speaking to a medical professional when symptoms linger.

However, SANE Australia report that people often delay seeking assistance because they fear the stigma and discrimination that exists towards mental illness. The numbers speak for themselves.

65% of people experiencing mental illness symptoms don’t seek help from health services.

About 40% of women get help and fewer than 30% of men.

A 2007 study by the University of California builds a strong case for therapy. The study found that verbalising our feelings can make our sadness, anger and pain less intense.

Whilst treatment plans for mental illness will vary, we’re here to discuss why taking the leap into therapy is always a good decision.

You can learn to handle emotions

You may think you’re a champion at handling emotions. You don’t cry. You don’t show stress to anyone in the workplace. Even your friends don’t know the pressures you’re under.

But is this really handling your emotions in the best way possible?

Therapy can assist in developing skills that are used in everyday life to assist in managing your mental illness. But they are also skills that people who are not suffering symptoms of mental illness can benefit from, like how to be more self aware of what you are actually feeling.

You can treat physical symptoms with therapy

Before you dismiss this point, let us explain. Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you experience aches in your body or unexplainable headaches? These can be physical symptoms of mental illness and is often referred to as somatic symptom disorder.

The Mayo Clinic report that psychotherapy, or talk therapy can help improve these physical symptoms, by examining and adapting beliefs and expectations about health and physical symptoms, learning how to reduce stress, and improve daily functioning at home, at work, in school and social situations to name a few.

You’ve just got to keep going back

You will experience times when therapy feels too much. It may feel like a burden or that you’re wasting your therapists time with endless sessions that don’t progress anywhere.

It’s common for people to feel this way, but it’s this moment when it’s important to keep going back.

You’re not going to find an overnight cure and you will most likely have to put in hard work, but persisting with therapy will assist in addressing negative thought patterns and help you adapt positive coping strategies into your everyday life.

You will increase your resilience

One of the best perks of persisting with therapy is an increase in resilience that will often give you a new lease on life.

Resilience refers to your capacity to recover quickly from difficulties in life. You won’t be knocked down as easy and you will get back up and back to life quicker!

If therapy seems daunting or you don’t know where to start, please reach out to us. We regularly receive emails and messages from people seeking guidance and assistance with their struggles. We have a full list of professional contacts who are able to put you in touch with the right people.