How do you know if you need therapy?

Hey, thank you for your question about trying to figure out if you need therapy and some of the follow up details that you provided.

Something that stood out in the follow up information is the fact that you feel like you run from your problems, instead of facing them head-on. This is a common enough problem, but can create feelings of confusion and other unpleasant feelings. For example, I don't know if you've heard the term trying to sweep it under the rug, but in doing therapy from a therapist perspective, it is true that that only works for a certain length of time. Basically, it's like trying to run from your feelings, or distract yourself from your mental health concerns. 

On the other hand, some of the best advice I can give you is to do everything in a semblance of moderation. Basically, if you end up processing and facing your feelings constantly without a break or a healthy distraction, that can lead to mental health concerns too. What's healthiest is trying to break down your concerns and address them one by one, but sometimes that is difficult because they can become intertwined.

Going back to your original question, and how do you know if you need therapy or not, I think the best way of coming to an answer to that question is looking at the way your daily life is affected. If you were having trouble functioning on a daily basis because of emotions or feelings, I think it's definitely time to explore therapy. If you find yourself frequently stagnant, which I believe you mentioned, it's time to explore therapy. 

The good news is is it therapy does not have to be a long process, there is solution focused therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy that is meant to address things in the short term. Some clients find therapy very helpful and continue it for a longer period of time, but that is something that you get to decide.

Something that I think might help you to try to understand yourself is the therapy process, or if you decide not to go that route, there is also self affirmations and journaling prompts that you can explore online. Identifying your goals for therapy in the beginning can also be a helpful tool.