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?

I disagree. It nearly always helps to be able to talk things through. And if it doesn’t help, it doesn’t make it worse

@Moier dear God. How horrendous for you. I'd imagine all this has informed so much of your life path. People on the outside could look at you and have no clue what you've endured. I'm giving lots of flowers out today. These are for you. 💐

I've found some of the most judgemental people to be the ones from seemingly good backgrounds with supportive parents and family.

So sorry to hear about the horrendousness you've survived,@Moier.

Your idea of small challenge has no bearing on other peoples ideas. what seems small to you may be catastrophic to another.
What you are doing is judging people from your perspective and is ignorant of other peoples choices.

I’m sure that doesn’t fall under ‘small issues’ as per the OP.

I get you

@SnugOtter I think you're right in making an observation that loads more people go to therapy, access therapy and talk about going to therapy openly. You just don't know the reasons so it's interesting to know why you think it might all be about trivial things?

Tbh I would be open about therapy in the right place but I wouldn't go into the specifics. So on the outside it may seem like 'Titat still sees a therapist?' Those people wouldn't really understand the full breadth of what led to that.

So you've had therapy and you admit it has helped you.
So WTAF has it got to do with you what help other people reach out for.
That's not a question, it's a statement.

Please do eff off op.

Have you read The Body Keeps the Score or read Janina Fisher or Peter Levine's work. The answer to your question is that the trauma is trapped in your body and a body based therapy might be more appropriate - like somatic experiencing or Pesso Boyden group work or vagal nerve work. It's about your body starting to be able to experience what it's like to feel safe. It's about experiencing co-regulation, which then allows it to self regulate. Once you can self regulate you are less likely to spiral when you get triggered.

I can't say which of these approaches work best for individual people. Some find sand tray work or art therapy useful. Others swear by EFT tapping. But ultimately the aim is to find a place of balance where your body can feel safe. From that place you can move between appropriate states (sometimes it's a better strategy to freeze or fight for instance). Bur the point is that when you're balanced and regulateyou don't get stuck in one state and you move between freeze, fight/flight and social engagement flexibly and appropriately.

Therapy can help everyone with the right therapist. You don't have to be mentally ill - in fact it's more effective if you're in a rational headspace. I've seen a couple of posts on here where people are sneery about therapy recently. If it's not for you don't have it.

The issue is that therapy isn't a magic wand. You need the right type and you frequently need far more than the NHS will give you. I've had cbt and talking therapy on the NHS, then private therapy via a charity. I'm not "fixed" and probably need long term psychotherapy. I still have some unhealthy coping mechanisms. But I'm no longer long term depressed and on antidepressants. At no point during therapy did I think "this is it, this is the breakthrough", but I now have much more insight and that's been very helpful.