Agree with me or disagree with me, I am of the opinion that everyone could benefit from some form of therapy. As a matter of fact, I think everybody needs one. If people started actually unpacking and working through their emotions, the world would be a much better place.
The public opinion on mental health has changed over the past few years. I don’t know if it’s gotten better; it’s just different. Mental health used to be demonized and taboo. Picture asylums and white hospital gowns like scenes in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” If you were a slightly anxious housewife in the 50’s, boom, lobotomized.
Even if the public has grown to accept mental health, the general feeling you might get from some people now, even if they won’t admit to it, is that mental health is all just some kind of ruse. A 2022 Forbes survey revealed that 47% of Americans believe seeking therapy is a sign of weakness. Especially for young men, driven by hyper-masculine standards, the idea that you should just suck it up and keep things to yourself prevents a lot of people from getting the help they need.
Scientifically, this is the last thing you should do.
Research shows that mental health is such an integral part of your overall well-being that it affects every facet of your life. If your mental health is poor, you can’t perform at school or at sports, you stop enjoying your favorite things, and your entire personality can change. It can even manifest physically.
People need to realize that mental health is health, period. Once that is understood, wider acceptance and adoption of talk-therapy is the next step.
“More and more people are recognizing that mental illness is not something to be embarrassed about, that it is a normal kind of illness, it’s just treated in a different way,” psychology teacher Mrs. Amanda Lawson said. “When you have strep throat, you go to the doctor, and you get an antibiotic. When you have anxiety, you go to a therapist.”
The reality is that anyone can benefit from therapy, though a common misconception is that therapy is only for people who have ‘something wrong’ with them. That same Forbes survey showed that 30% of people not in therapy aren’t because they don’t think their problems are big enough.
Even in the rare instance that you have never experienced any independent feelings of worry, sadness, or fear, you could still need therapy at some point in your life.
Therapy is also for people who may have experienced an isolated and potentially traumatic event. Even if you consider yourself a “normal person,” things happen, and therapists can help you react to and process these events.
Counselor Ms. Dani Lyons points out that many people are not diagnosed with a specific disorder before, during, or after therapy.
“Maybe you lost a loved one, or you tried out for the play and you didn’t get a part that you wanted, or even if you’re a senior going off to college, that could bring up a lot of emotions,” She said. “None of those things have anything to do with being diagnosed with a specific disorder.”
Even just being a teenager is reason enough to see a therapist.
“I would definitely say that [mental health struggle] are prevalent for teens. I think you guys have a lot of things kind of going against you,” Lyons said. I mean, number one, just being a teenager, your hormones are going crazy. It’s also the time in your life where you’re most around people that are your age, so there’s a lot of social comparison. There’s a lot of pressure on you with grades and thinking about your future, that can be anxiety inducing.”
Some people see talk therapy as useless, which is understandable in some ways. I mean, you’re literally paying someone to talk to you, and a lot of people would probably do that for free.
However, therapy goes a lot deeper than that, and the benefits of talking to someone completely removed from your life versus a parent or a friend can be enormous.
“When you’re talking to a friend, and they’re telling you something, and you feel like the answer is so obvious, it’s because you’re not the one who’s going through it,” Lyons said. “That’s what happens in therapy: a therapist can see what’s happening from the outside and help you make decisions that will lead to a better outcome.”
The removed nature of a therapist can be vital for a teen going through something they feel like they can’t talk about with friends or family.
“Therapy can be beneficial because it allows you to express how you’re feeling without any judgment, in a way that maybe if you were to talk to your parents or your peers, you may feel that judgment,” senior Morgan DeJarnette, leader of Mental Health club said.
While all these factors are fine, it would be irresponsible to assume that therapy is accessible to everyone. Many teens might actually want to start seeing one but can’t afford it, or are lacking approval from their parents.
Students have so many activities, sports and responsibilities, and sometimes seeing a therapist just doesn’t fit in amongst everything. However, if you feel like you could benefit from therapy, it’s so important to carve out space in your life for mental health maintenance, because without it, everything else falls apart.
“A lot of students are so busy with things that they feel like that would just be something else they have to add to their schedule that they wouldn’t have time for. Even though if you don’t have your mental health, you don’t really have anything,” Lyons said.
Professional therapy is essential for some people struggling with mental health challenges, but it’s vital that we recognize that there are many other ways to maintain and prioritize your mental health. It can be therapeutic to go for a walk, paint, journal, or listen to music. Therapy should be an option for anybody who feels they need help, but what is most important is that you are putting yourself first in any way that you can.
“I think that finding out what brings you joy can improve your mental health, whether you realize it or not. If going on a walk makes you feel better, it makes you feel relaxed, then do little things like that,” DeJarnette said.
Each opinion represented in The Panther Press is the view and voice of the writer. Opinions, as the selection and curation of content by the editors, do not represent the views of the entire Panther Press staff, the adviser, the school, or the administration.
