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I really didn't understand the difference between the two. I just meant should I see SOMEONE. I just meant should I see any type of mental health worker.
Therapy can be amazingingly helpful -- can help you learn about yourself, and if you want to change something about yourself, no matter what it is, self-awareness is the first step.
My experience has been that not all therapists (or therapies) are created equal. Every patient is different, I suppose, but it took me a while to figure out that I do best with a therapist who hears what I say and can repeat it back to me, but phrased differently than the way I said it. Sometimes I get stuck in my grooves and it's hard to get UNSTUCK...hard to see it from a different perspective. A good therapist is able to move me out of those grooves, able to help me see an old familiar problem in a different light, from a different angle. That's where my "aha!" moments always come from.
I try to avoid the therapists who don't ENGAGE with me, who are just passive listeners, asking stuff like "how did that make you feel?" I like to think of my best therapists as coaches: they've helped me learn the rules of the game, have identified my skills and helped me develop them, have helped me identify and overcome my weaknesses, have offered encouragement AND corrections.
If you do decide to pursue therapy, leave your preconceived notions at the door, and keep in mind that -- unfortunately -- progress and revelation takes time. The first several sessions will be spent laying the groundwork as you give your therapist your history, and you may begin to feel that you're not really accomplishing anything. Also be aware that sometimes progress is pretty darn uncomfortable! My experience with therapy is that it promotes healing and growth through self-knowledge...and there's a lot of truth in the saying that ignorance is bliss! But there's also a lot of truth in the saying "Change your mind and the rest will follow."
One thing I forgot to add. When I was in a history class, after being passed back our tests, our teacher told us what the highest score in our class was. When I realized that it was me, I had what sounds like a panic attack. I thought I was going to pass out if people figured out that it was me and looked at me.
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