A very common question. What are the “normal”, usual problems in life, and which ones are considered abnormal? Well, as we all know, life can be quite unpredictable, full of ups and downs, positive or negative life events. However, some people seem more fragile than others, meaning the same events may have a different impact on different people. For example, in the face of a loss of a partner, or a job some people may recover more quickly, while some may struggle for months, even years.
Every emotional problem or adverse life event may shake your normal functioning for a certain time. For example, you may experience problems with sleep, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, chronic pain, headaches, or loss of interest in life. However, if you notice that this lasts for too long or you had lost control over it, it is time to seek help. While these negative symptoms are all usual, if they start to impact your everyday life, performance at work, or relationship with your social environment (friends, partner, family) it is time to seek help from a professional equipped with tools and understanding that go beyond of supportive conversations with your friends, loved ones or members of your family.
Sometimes, emotional and psychological problems are not just a reaction to some problematic events in your life but it is something more pervasive that you have been struggling with for as long as you can remember. However, because they have been there for so long you might have lost sight of them, or even worse you may get used to their damaging consequences to your emotional and psychological health. Furthermore, at one point, negative factors in your life or some adverse life event may trigger sudden awareness of these problems. These things are usually of a very sensitive nature and you might not be ready to share them with anyone else but a trusted therapist who can understand and have tools to help you and with whom you can work together to bring a solution.
In short therapy sessions can help you to gain more clarity on an issue, change old patterns, get to know yourself and your unconscious emotions and defenses, untangle complex personal issues, or embark on a journey of self-development. You may seek therapy as a result of a crisis, or you may be encouraged to seek therapy by family members, friends, or colleagues. Whatever it is, your own will to actively work and develop yourself is of utmost importance and is a positive predictor of success in therapy.