Will I Benefit from Therapy for My Mental Health?

Up to this point in my life, addressing my mental health struggles and seeking recovery has been personal work, and I've never been to therapy to help with mental health conditions. I’ve learned about my illnesses and done self-reflection and soul-searching. It’s been by myself, except for a stint of attending peer support groups and being a part of online peer support groups. During all this time, I’ve wondered, would I benefit from therapy for my mental health?

I’ve Never Been to Therapy for My Mental Health Struggles

Therapy for my mental health struggles is something I’ve considered for years, but I’ve never actually gone. I don’t know that I’ve ever feared going to therapy, no more than the general fear social anxiety brings me anyway. I didn’t go to therapy when I first started thinking about it because I had no idea how to access it, especially as a minor that didn’t want to have my parents involved.

That’s pretty much what kick-started me working on my recovery by myself. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot, and the work I’ve done has brought me a long way. I no longer feel ashamed; I no longer blame myself for my illnesses, and I understand my triggers and how to, for the most part, take care of my mental health.

The thing is, self-work has only gotten me so far. There have been plenty of times when I’m at my wit's end with my depression or suicidal thoughts, and many times when I don’t know what to do anymore. It’s in those moments I wonder if I’d benefit from therapy for my mental health.

So, why haven’t I gone yet?

I Don’t Know What I’d Get Out of Therapy

Because the self-work I've done for recovery has brought me so far, I feel that I’m really in tune with myself and my mental health. What is the caveat? When I think of therapy, I don’t know what I’d get out of it.

The way I envision therapy for mental health is therapists are there to help patients understand their struggles and reshape the way they see themselves with their mental illnesses. Quite honestly, I just don’t know what they’d be able to tell me or how I’d benefit from it because I feel I already understand my struggles, and reshaping the way I see myself is something I already actively try to do. So, am I too self-aware for therapy?

I know so many people benefit from therapy, even when they’re not in crisis moments. It’s good for their overall mental health and is just generally helpful. Besides, I won’t even pretend to know everything, but the knowledge I have is one of my biggest hang-ups. 

Yet, if it helps others, maybe therapy for mental health can help me, too. Maybe I should give it a try.