To think that people overuse therapy as a solution for every problem?

[SnugOtter]

It feels like therapy is recommended for every small issue - are we too quick to turn to it?

What do you mean by 'small issues?'

@SnugOtter , a LOT of people these days appear to me to be completely unable to cope with sneezing without a tissue.

YABU. You will struggle to get therapy for anything on the NHS and it costs a fortune privately, money most people don’t have .

I don't know what you mean.
On MN, therapy gets recommended for lots of things. Great if you can afford it.
If you are relying on NHS therapy, then you are going to be very disappointed.

I mean issues that might not seem severe, like feeling a bit down after a tough week or needing help with work-related stress. It feels like we’re turning to therapy for everything instead of trying to work through things on our own first. I think it’s great to seek help, but I wonder if we’re too quick to label every bump in the road as a reason to go to therapy.

What an utterly ridiculous thing to say. How can anyone rationally seeking help to discuss their problems be bad?

Because being too introspective can sometimes (not always) make things worse.

I think sometimes the point of therapy is to build resilience. So no, a bad week at work should not send you to therapy. But if you can’t cope with a bad week at work, then therapy could put you in a position where in the future you could cope.

Emotional litteracy, life coaching, learning how to cope with rejection, loneliness, all these kids do not require therapy, just the correct renewing of the mindset. But people still go to therapy , is this what you mean?

Literally nobody gets therapy for those things on the NHS and few people have the ££££ to go to therapy privately for serious MH struggles let alone for a bad week at work. 🤔

Kinds

You are being unreasonble. Seeing as the suicide rate in the UK is currently higher than it"s been since the 90s, clearly not enough people are using it, and we should be encouraging more to do so.

But you have no idea why people are in therapy - you're just speculating on what you think you know about them?

I'm seeing a therapist at the moment. Two months ago my teen daughter tried to kill herself and is now not in school. I'm finding navigating getting her support quite difficult (there is none). Hope that meets your threshold?

I do understand what you're saying, but sometimes, if small things happen and you ignore them, things just get bigger, and not manageable.
It's like the stress bucket theory: you can keep chucking things in, but sooner or later, it will spill over. And it can be the smallest thing that causes the breakdown.

I wouldn't say therapy, necessarily, but talking to someone, even a helpline, can help. I work in a mental health role (non therapy) and people don't talk about their issues enough.

Just because MN suggests therapy a lot, it doesn't mean everyone is getting therapy off MN.

What do you propose they do instead?

Numb their problems with alcohol, over-eating and TV?

YABU. Who are you to judge what problems require therapy?

How cruel of you to assume this? Therapy isn't cheap and neither is it easily accessible. Why are you judging people? A relative of mine killed themselves unable to get to the bottom of their mental health issues. The premise of your opening comment is disgraceful, disrespectful and downright dangerous. I hope those in therapy continue their journey, because they have the strength and confidence to seek out help.

I'm a therapist. My clients are functional enough to hold down jobs so that they can afford me (apart from the charity clients I also see voluntarily) but have deep seated issues that they're masking in their day to day life or are turning up in other unhelpful behaviours. They are definitely not the worried well. Generally they want to do the work in the minimum of sessions (and outside it - because we can help you with tools but 50 minutes a week (or biweekly - cost) is not going to 'fix' you, as if that is even a thing) as they, and I, are very well aware of the financial cost to them. Ideally they'd be with me long term to really work through where the issues they want to change (because that is why the majority of people seek help) came from, but sadly most cannot afford that. And I'm reasonably priced in a pretty affluent area.

I definitely don’t advocate for numbing problems with unhealthy coping mechanisms. My point is more about exploring different ways to address life’s challenges that don’t immediately default to therapy. There are various approaches, like self-help books, peer support, or even lifestyle changes, that can help people develop resilience and better coping strategies. Ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for each person. Therapy is valuable for many, but it’s not the only option.

I'm currently seeing a therapist because I had an accident earlier this that has left me permanent disabled, in pain, and in need of multiple further sugeries. If I didn't see her I'd probably have killd myself by now. I tell people like the OP who sneer at people like me that I see my therapist because I got attacked by a set of stairs. Why would I share the truth with someone so obviously lacking in empathy?

Yes! Fully agree

I haven't heard of anyone seeking therapy for any of the things you listed, you also wouldn't know how severe someone's mental health problems were. Even loved ones living closely many times haven't the faintest idea. I do agree though that the number of people needing MH Interventions seems to have exploded, almost every other person I know personally has some form of severe MH problem requiring therapy which I find quite strange.

But default to therapy literally isn’t happening.

People with chronic mental health issues are not getting anything on the NHS and sadly private therapy is out of the question for the majority.

Therapy isn’t a ‘cure’ for suicide, though. People take their lives for all sorts of reasons.