Experts say there's a stigma surrounding therapy. On this Mental Health Monday, we're taking a closer look at that stigma.
Studies done in 2020 and 2021 by OnePoll on behalf of Vida Health surveyed around 2,000 respondents in the U.S.
The 2020 survey found that nearly half of the respondents (47%) believe seeking therapy is a sign of weakness. The 2021 survey found that 46% think getting therapy is a sign of weakness.
"I didn't feel like going, you know? I was kind of upset with myself because I felt like something was wrong with me," said Marcus Early Jr.
These were Early's initial thoughts about therapy until he tried it.
"After going, it was like... a learning experience, and a learning curve," said Early.
He says eventually, he felt understood.
"It kind of helped me out a lot, just venting out and talking about emotional, physical, probably even emotional stress," he said.
Evans says he found therapy to be beneficial because he was able to open up, and his therapist helped him be the best version of himself.
"To go to therapy and actually be able to talk to somebody one-on-one about your feelings, and get caregiving information back is one of those things where it's good to know, and it helps your soul be easy," he said.
He says that everyone should try it out and go in with an open mind.
"There's a lot of people in this world that have things on their mind that they don't want to talk about, and they hide feelings and that can cause tragic scenarios. Open up your feelings. Actually consider the thought of you getting help. Because at the end of the day, that's all it is, is reaching out for help," Early said.
We spoke with Gloria Cisse, director at The Southern Center for Choice Theory, and she says feeling unsure about therapy at first is completely normal.
So she provided us with tips on how you can ease into it.
- Identify your needs
- Pick a therapist and take the time to learn them too
- Share on your own terms
- Understand that you don't have to be going through a crisis to talk to a therapist
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