The 4 most common myths about going to the psychologist

What is the first thing you think of when a "You have to go to the psychologist"?

Your answer will probably awaken a sea of ​​emotions and mostly nothing positive, because around this profession there are many taboos and myths that, although we are already working to eradicate them by educating society, they are still part of our day to day.

Therefore, with this article and from my professional point of view, I want you to eliminate these ideas from your mind in order to get more people to go to therapy, because it is not intended only for those who have problems, but for anyone who considers that they need someone to guide them and need to find a good therapist.

The 4 myths about going to the psychologist

Below we have selected and explained what are, from our point of view, the most common myths about going to the psychologist. Part of these myths are given by the great ignorance that exists about how a psychologist works in therapy.

Myth 1: psychologist or best friend?

During the undergraduate degree, many of us have heard a "Why am I going to spend the money to go to the psychologist if I can turn to friends for advice?"

Not to mention the typical phrases on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks that affirm that "the best therapy is a cup of coffee or traveling".

No, this is a myth. Talking about it with your best friend, traveling, or avoiding thinking about events, it is not a form of therapy and much less to improve the situation you are going through.

It is the job of psychologists to listen to you in depth, to listen beyond what you cannot and then give you back that information so that you can find meaning and start the real change.

A therapy has a cost precisely because it is a health service that helps you feel better about who you are by using what you have. A best friend, a cup of coffee or a trip only hides the symptoms that will later reappear with force.

Myth 2: Going to the psychologist is crazy.

The term madness has always been associated with mental health professionals and perhaps we use this phrase, because who is not afraid of being sick??

And when it comes to a disease that no one sees, it is even worse.

Many of us as psychologists have contributed to this myth, since by not having the sensitivity that the exercise of our practice with patients gives us, whether in an office, hospital or mental health clinic, we misuse the diagnosis based on the DSM-V, manual that guides us to identify individuals in a certain category.

However, by misusing this tool, we classify the individuals in one of the disorders that are described there and then the person "X" ceases to be called that way to be labeled as "ADHD" (Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity).

This is how people are classified and by being labeled for their disorder, we ourselves contribute to making people consider that going to the psychologist is for people who are "crazy" or "sick", an idea that lasts much longer in our population of teenagers.

It is important to combat this idea, because every day there are more people who need to be listened to and guided by a professional, but due to the stigmatization that there is towards the practice of the psychologist they do not attend and, today our society needs too much support.

Myth 3: Psychotherapy forces people to deal with problems from the past.

There is nothing more wrong than this idea. It is true that many of our symptoms come from childhood, but this does not mean that when attending therapy you have to resort to past events in order to solve your problems..

This idea is due in large part to the Hollywood movies we have where patients come to talk about their past lives, an idea also induced by psychologists with a psychoanalytic cut.

Going to therapy is not marrying this model of intervention. There are many other models such as cognitive behavioral therapy, humanistic, gestalt, systemic, Among others that focus on the problem for which the person decides to go to therapy and throughout the sessions the origins of this discomfort are discovered.

That is why I invite you to know the type of therapy that your psychologist practices to see if it is the one that will support you in your problem and if it is the one with which you feel comfortable, and in case it is not, look for another professional.

Myth 4: Low self-esteem equals psychological problems.

It is not true that when you feel bad or have a problem for which to go to the psychologist, this is related to a low self-esteem.

It is correct that in many of the conditions our self-esteem decreases, but even people with very high self-esteem go through discomforts that need to be supervised by a specialized person.

Your self-esteem, regardless of whether it is high or low, is not synonymous with a problem that needs attention, however, it can be a focus that must be paid attention to in order to identify the problem. mental state of the individual, no matter how good or bad it is.

In addition to your self-esteem, there are also other factors that can influence you to identify if you need help, such as your moods, your emotions, or your physiological symptoms recurring.

Having a home, a family, money, a job, a car, among other things, would make anyone happy, because that would lead us to free ourselves from the stress of daily situations to bring sustenance home, to take care of the children, to give them education..

But not by having these things our happiness is guaranteed. It is necessary to start working our interior, and by interior I do not only mean the emotional, but also the physical, since both are equally important for avoid negative emotions.

Around this profession there are many misconceptions, but your job as a professional or patient is to reflect on whether it is about myths or truths..

Reference:

Lilienfeld, S., Lynn, S., Ruscio, J. & Beyerstein, B. (2012) 50 great myths of popular psychology. Ocean Editorial: Mexico