You are not alone
Let’s start with the obvious, life is stressful. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the ongoing responsibilities and seemingly never ending “to do” lists, that seem to just get longer and longer with every passing day. Most people will do their very best to hide their stress, “just grin and bear it”. Stamping down your emotions. But what happens when you can no longer bear it? What happens when everything just seems so overwhelming and you feel stuck, and that sense of hopelessness starts to set in? No one wants to admit to feeling overwhelmed. Despite all the awareness and education directed towards mental health, it continues to be a low priority for most people, taking a back seat to obligations that are perceived to be more pressing or “important”.
It’s hard to admit you are struggling, to reach out for help when you feel like you are the only one who is suffering, and everyone has “got it together” (whatever that means). But that’s not true, in fact, nothing could be further then the truth. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 50 per cent will have had, or have a mental Illness. In fact 1 in 5 people in Canada live with mental illness each year. Everyone will have had some encounter with mental illness, either personally, or through a friend or family member. You are not alone.
Being able to acknowledge and recognize that your mental health is suffering is hard but once you make that step, then you can work towards healing and moving away from mental illness towards mental health. Psychotherapy (or talk therapy) can help you work towards changing your thought patters and your coping skills so you are better equipped to deal with daily stress and conflict. There are a number of modalities from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Based Therapies, Interpersonal Therapies (IPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and many more. Seeing a therapist can be a huge relief on its own since you know you are already taking action to address the challenges you are facing.
People are beginning to be more open with their personal struggles with mental health issues and the stigma associated with being in therapy is fading. If you feel therapy would be beneficial for you, contact us. It may just be the key to finding more satisfaction in your life.
