There is a general stigma around seeking help for complex matters such as mental health and/or counselling around general stress levels, work, life and relationships
It’s the classical human bias, being ignorant of our own ignorance – not realising that someone is out there an readily available: to unclutter your freighted life, not as an alchemist but an independent, competent and true supporter.
This is how I think about it:-
You’re going about your busy life and your car breaks down. Will you give up your day job to fix your broken car by DIY/YouTube channel? No, you go to a mechanic who has skills, time, competence and an economic function to help you get on with your journey OR Do you keep on pushing the broken car, just because you’re in denial?
Similarly, let’s say you have your life’s hard earned savings stored in a bank. Do you give up your day job, to guard that bank because you have trust issues or get anxiety about financial matters? No, you rely on banks/social structures to guard money and create an economic function out of it. OR Do you give up your passion, time with loved ones and pursuing a meaningful career to guard your local CBA/NAB branch?
Luckily, we are relatively more reactive when we see a rash or a lump and reach out to a surgeon who will cure our ailment, a liver and/or lung which needs treatment. We surprisingly, don’t have the same approach to metaphysical areas which require nurturing, healing & help too i.e. our mind, life, dreams, ambitions, stress level and general existential angst tolerance.
Have you realised we are processing five times (Conservatively: 5x) more information than people in 1980s and also (mind you) no one had a personal computer. Now, we have them as our limbs, motivation, shopping carts, banks, friends, access to family, the good the bad – mostly human tools to convince ourselves we are doing something with our time/life without doing anything!
You need a mentor to guide your cluttered vision – so seek them.
IF you need help with stress, anxiety and/or work/life balance reach out to counselling.
IF you have spiritual concerns around your way of life, reach out and discuss them with professionals who can keenly listen and help you evolve them for yourself and humanity.
IF you have conflicting views around morality and social norms – reach out to someone who can give you real objective benchmarked evidence based ‘opinion’ on how to turn them into constructive and productive actions – or heal from antisocial/personality disorder tendencies.
You don't kill a false notion and stigma by being a servile victim in hopes someday a medical researcher will find the bodies and try to identify you or your victims to prepare a procedural/avoidance guide for a better tomorrow & world - عدنان
Ask them, what you’re worried about, will this impact my life? Is this session recorded? Will it impact my employment? Will this information be stored? Will this impact my health insurance? Will this make me an outcast? Will this lead to clinical behavior therapy? Will this remove my subconscious depression? You’re on a train which is running out of track and there are others who look up to you and for courage to deal with their life’s complexities.
One way to think about taking action on above can be, just like having food won’t solve all the problems in your life. However, only by having food first, will enable you to make progress in all the other areas of life. It is the same with mental health knowledge, help, counselling and broadly ensuring that you are able to pull yourself out of the rut you’re in right now. Its humility, vulnerability and humanity to take steps to have a more fulfilling life for yourself and others around you
I read somewhere – Maturity is being a better friend to yourself. And the best way to help someone else is to be a person who doesn’t need help themselves!
