I keep too much inside, I don't talk things through out loud with others much, but think I should.

Hello there Reggie!

Thank you for asking this wonderful question and I am glad to hear that you are starting to explore other options to process your problems and personal concerns rather than just internalizing them on your own. I would like to start with "talking it out" with a therapist or counselor is referred to as Talk Therapy. ANYONE at any age can find assistance with this and I would like to give a few important benefits of this talk therapy:

• Clarity~by talking to someone and "letting it out" you can better explore and clarify your "triggers" for negative thoughts or behaviors and discuss more effective ways of coping with stress and anxiety-related issues
• Support~talk therapy adds more support besides your friends or family to your support system and it is a "safe space" to share your deepest thoughts and concerns in a non judgmental environment
• Self Care~participating in talk therapy is a positive way of performing self care activities. You can clear up any negative thoughts and explore various coping mechanisms that will serve you better than maybe your current ones are. It is important to remember that the mind and body are connected and it is encouraged to not only take care of your physical self but also your mental self

The goals of becoming involved in talk therapy are to improve your mental health, invite overall wellness into your life, find more valuable insight into your problems and concerns that you might not discover on your own, clarify your emotions and clear out any negative "mental baggage". There are many ways that you can find talk therapy, it can be in person locally in your community, an online platform like Better help in which you can have sessions that are either messaging, phone or video. 

Be aware that with talk therapy, you may encounter many approaches to dealing with your issues such as psychoanalysis in which this therapy is longer term and explores the inner mind to have more positive reactions and behaviors in life. Another common approach in talk therapy is CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In this one, your counselor works with you to change your thoughts, have a better understanding of your feelings and learn to modify your behaviors in a more constructive, healthy manner. There are many others but I thought I might mention some common approaches for a light introduction into talk therapy.

This a a brief overview on what talk therapy is, what it can offer and what to expect from it. Again, I am glad that you are considering "opening up" to other options and suggestions in your life so that you can achieve your best mental health status and improve your life overall!

Best of luck to you Reggie and consider starting Talk Therapy soon to begin your self improvement journey!

All the best,

Debi~