Many times in our lives we are faced with problems that are too hard to handle on our own. We feel embarrassed and we don’t want to discuss these issues with our families because we are scared that they might think we are failures. Often enough these problems become just too much, and we need to find an external source of support that can help us work through these issues without affecting our family lives or our support system.
Sometimes even the smallest issues, can put us over the edge, and then everything else looks much worse than it is. Once we reach that point it is time for us to go and see a therapist. Like I said previously, it has become somewhat of a status symbol to see a therapist from time to time. If the problem is not affecting your mental health, you might just want to see a psychologist, but if it is more complex and affects your mental health you will need to see a psychiatrist.
Problem-solving therapy will give you the necessary tools to identify, manage, and solve problems that arise in everyday life, to improve your overall caliber of life.
Problem-solving therapy can be divided into three categories:
• Structured problem solving
• Short term therapy
• Problem-solving treatment
The intensity of your problem will identify the type of support you need. It is always wise to go to your general physician and ask him/her to advise you on where to go.
It is important to know that when you are in therapy that it is normal, and you should not see yourself as crazy or weak. There is often a real stigma around seeing a therapist, but people are usually misinformed. Seeing a therapist means that you are willing to work on yourself and to improve your own life as well as the lives of your family members.
Therapy is usually suggested when you have one of the following symptoms:
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• General unhappiness
• Relationship issues
The therapy sessions will depend on the specific problem and it will provide you with the following:
• It will identify the specific problem.
• It will help you work through the issues and find the best possible solution.
• It will teach you coping mechanisms that will assist you in your daily life.
• It will improve your communication ability.
Take note that problem-solving therapy is NOT the same as psychotherapy. Problem-solving therapy is used to solve problems and improve your mood. It is not a miracle cure, and it might take weeks or months for you to understand the effect. After a few sessions with a psychologist, it might be suggested that you take part in a group session where more people with similar issues, get together to share their experiences. This can be extremely helpful in knowing that you are not alone.
During these sessions, you will learn how to cope successfully with your issues, and you might find better solutions to handle things differently in your life.
Remember that not all problems always have a quick fix, but to talk about your problems with someone else, always helps. Successful implementation of these problem-solving strategies might give you a better quality of life.
Not everyone handles their problems the same but if you are able to cope better with the normal issues in life, you will feel better, and that might just change your quality of life.
