Why therapy?

 I woke up today reflecting on therapy. 

In my last post I wrote about somatic therapy. In fact there are many modalities of therapy available. Everything from energy healing to cognitive behavioral therapy, to dialectical behavioral therapy, psychodynamic, psychoanalysis, humanistic, holistic, integrative and on and on the list goes.  

Therapists are here to give us a sounding board. They are here to provide us with a mirror, a self reflection, a fresh perspective on how we are thinking, how we are acting, how we are reacting to life. Certainly in some cases medications can help us, but medications *alone* are not the single answer to life's difficulties and challenges. We need to understand our own behavior and our own actions. 

Many people grow up with the mistaken belief that we need to hide or push down or suppress our innermost grievances. This suppression can cause physical harm to you in the form of illness and dysfunction. 

Did you know the leading cause of  disability in the WORLD is depression, responsible for BILLIONS of dollars a year in lost work? Truth.

Your body physically reacts to anger, stress, anxiety and depression. Stomach aches, ulcers, headaches, insomnia, back pain, shoulder pain, jaw pain - all the places we physically hold our tension can be relatable to our mental health. 

One of the coolest things about therapy is that our brains REWIRE as we heal. 

Therapy can change your physical Self.

In brain imaging it has been recorded that healing a depressed brain shows changes in brain activity. These changes are noted in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and the amygdala. These areas control our "self referential thoughts" otherwise known as executive functioning, emotion and fear. 

Another benefit to Self Help and therapy is the generational effect. Not only do YOU benefit from your recovery and healing but your children learn healthier ways to deal with conflict and pain. Expressing anger in a constructive way is an important lesson to learn for children as they grow. Expressing frustration, or pain, or loss - any negative emotion there is a constructive way to deal with it.

There are many podcasts on Spotify on mental health, videos on YouTube and Ted Talks, books on Kindle and mental health resources out there to learn from. 

If you or someone you know is suffering from a mental health concern, encourage therapy.