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Do I Need Therapy? 8 Signs You Should See a Therapist

By: Rane Wallace, MS, LPC, LCDC, SAP
A female wondering if she should attend therapy or not.

Are you stuck in a rut and having a hard time shaking it? Or maybe you’re having a hard time concentrating at work? Have you found yourself losing interest in people and activities you once enjoyed? Are you asking yourself, do I need therapy?

Whatever the cause, there are times in all our lives when things just don’t feel right. Sometimes, we handle these challenges on our own. Or with the help of family and friends. But other times, that just doesn’t seem to be enough. What are you supposed to do then? At what point should you enlist the help of a professional?

Therapy is a common treatment for both mental health conditions and everyday hardships. Here at Fort Wellness Counseling, I do my best to create a comfortable, non-judgmental space for you.  A space for you to deal with past traumas, stresses, anxieties, relationship issues, mood disorders, and more. However, I understand that a lot of people aren’t sure whether they need professional help.

If you are asking yourself: Do I need therapy? Keep reading. Today’s blog post is covering the top 8 signs you should see a therapist (and more importantly, how I can help you):

1. You Feel Overwhelmed

A little stress here and there is normal. But, constantly questioning the events of your life and/or struggling to finish everyday tasks could be a sign that you need therapy. If you feel like you have too much on your plate — and you aren’t sure that you can tackle it all — working with a licensed therapist can help lighten your load.

2. You’re Experiencing Irritability in Your Relationships

Humans are social beings, and our relationships are some of the most important aspects of our lives. Therefore, when we experience a change in their dynamic — whether it be struggling to communicate or increased arguing — it could be a sign to seek professional help.

Couples therapy has proven to have a positive impact on the emotional well-being of both partners. At Fort Wellness Counseling, I have ample experience helping couples resolve conflicts and successfully improve their relationships. While couples counseling typically includes both partners, I also do a lot of work with individuals on their own.

3. You Feel Down in the Dumps

Another sign you should see a therapist is if depression and/or anxiety begin to interfere with your quality of life. Depression and anxiety present themselves in a multitude of ways (feeling hopeless, lacking motivation, increasing isolation, a decreasing appetite, difficulty sleeping, etc.). If any of these symptoms start impacting your everyday life — including your ability to complete basic tasks or go to work — then you should make an appointment with a therapist.

Psychotherapy has proven to help individuals with depression by:

  • Pinpointing life events that contribute to their depression
  • Helping them find ways to change, adapt, and address those situations
    Setting realistic goals for the future
  • Identifying distorting thought processes or unhelpful behaviors that contribute to one’s feelings of hopelessness
  • Developing skills to cope with symptoms and problems
  • Identifying and/or preventing future depressive episodes

4. You’re Experiencing Social Withdrawal

While needing your alone time is normal — and necessary for most introverts! — avoiding social situations altogether might be an indicator that you should see a therapist. If you notice that you are feeling distressed around others, fear being with people, or avoid people and activities that you previously enjoyed, a therapist could help you understand and deal with these feelings. Or if you notice you are experiencing problems related to FOMO – the fear of missing out.  You can learn more about how to deal with fomo in therapy.  

5. You Are Facing a Traumatic Event or Life Change

Human beings are creatures of habit, and any major change or traumatic event can seriously affect us emotionally. While many people think traumatic events are limited to combat soldiers, car accidents, affairs, losing loved ones, or other events of that nature could also be considered traumatic.

Trauma therapy focuses on helping people with past trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manage their experiences. Although facing such life events might be difficult, therapy can provide skills and techniques to handle negative thoughts and feelings, reframe your traumatic experiences, improve close relationships and connections with people, reduce your irritability, and eliminate triggers and/or symptoms of PTSD.

6. You’re Coping Via Substance or Sex

Whenever we’re under mental or emotional stress, we tend to cope via rewarding, numbing, distracting, and potentially destructive activities. While substance abuse and sex are two common ways of temporarily alleviating unwanted feelings, they exacerbate problems in the long run. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, an addiction therapist, such as me, can help you break the cycle. I work with clients that have drug and alcohol problems, and also provide porn addiction counseling.

7. You Have Difficulty Regulating Your Emotions

While we all experience a wide range of emotions throughout our lives, it is important to pay attention to how intensely we experience them. For example, while extreme anger is often (harmfully) assumed to be merely a masculine trait, it could actually be an indicator of depression.

If you are experiencing intense emotions and aren’t quite sure how to deal with them, a professional therapist can help. Not only is it our job to help you manage your emotions more effectively, but therapy is a safe space to explore any deeper issues that might be lying under the surface.

8. You Are Underperforming at Work or School

Mental health issues can impair your attention, concentration, memory, and energy, which can lead to underperformance at work or school. Therefore, if you are noticing a lack of interest or increased errors at work, you might be suffering from an underlying psychological or emotional issue. Seeking the help of an experienced therapist can help you regulate your behavior and learn adaptive ways to manage that stress.

Best Therapists in Fort Worth, TX

So, do you need therapy? Hopefully reviewing these 8 signs you should see a therapist will help you answer that question.

If you or a loved one is seeking therapy in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, look no further than Fort Wellness Counseling in Fort Worth, TX. With over a decade of experience providing specialized counseling and therapy services, I am confident in my ability to give you a higher quality of life.

Contact our team today for patient-centered care that provokes long-term change. After all, you deserve to thrive.

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