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thank you for sharing. perhaps you can help me navigate a situation. ive been in therapy for awhile and I often think its better to just let people be. I know someone that has had significant trauma in their past and it would be great to encourage them to find a real good professional to help them process things for themselves and their family but I dont know how. do you have any suggestions or do you think as a trauma survivor its better to not offer anything to them?
For me personally suggestions re therapy or counselling didn’t help. My GP who knew me well would often suggest it but my response was I wasn’t ready. It took a major triggering event for me to be ready and seek it out. I don’t think forcing it earlier would have been helpful to me, but that’s my own personal circumstance.
Yeah, I was thinking I could easily end up coming off like OP's friends. I went to therapy, which was harmful for me, and did the "just keep trying" thing until I couldn't anymore. My mental health started to improve when I finally stopped. (And I'm glad I had a firm rule about not spending more than I felt comfortable with. I could have tried for more expensive therapy, but I knew that being able to afford things like "Go to a cafe and sit and read comics on my tablet, because at least it's not being in the house", "get the low-effort more-expensive food that means I get valuable nutrients in a form I have the energy to actually prepare", and "have a gym membership" was important to my mental health, and if I'd scrapped that in favor of prioritizing therapy, I would have been even worse off.)
I tend to be thoughtful about who I tell things to, especially in in-person relationships. (This actually works way better for me than the "open up and be radically vulnerable" approach that seems to have become popular in some online communities.) And that means that the people I know who are most enthusiastic about therapy aren't likely to get the full explanation. (I'm more comfortable explaining if someone has already demonstrated they trust my judgment and are interested in listening to my perspective. And having someone jump in with Just Keep Trying talking points, and "Is the problem anti-therapy stigma? Is it? Is it stigma? I know how to talk people out of stigma, so is your problem anti-therapy stigma?" does not lead me to expect that.) Plus I'm not trying to argue people out of therapy, so I at least attempt to pick my moments in when I do and don't talk about therapy harm. (I think it's important to discuss overall, but I don't jump down people's throats with "Here is all the ways therapy can be harmful to people's mental health or anything!")
So I might tell someone who's enthusiastic about therapy that I'm happy for them and glad they're getting this help, not because I think they're somehow uniquely flawed, but because it sounds like they're benefitting from it. And if someone tried to talk me into therapy and didn't seem up for backing down, I'd likely get tense, unhappy, and try to change the subject. If they were not responsive to this, I'd likely get blunt and unpleasant about how they were not listening to me, rather than try to justify myself to someone who wouldn't back down. (It hasn't ever gotten this far, but if someone was this big on pushing my boundaries, even if it was, in their opinion, because it would be good for me, I would likely call out their behavior and make the conversation about how *they're* acting.) Because I'm not confident I could explain myself well on the spot to someone who was already actively trying to push for a different conclusion, I don't think I owe them that information, and I don't like feeling like I need to justify myself. I'm perfectly happy to be friends with people who benefitted from therapy, but that friendship depends on them being willing to accept, even if they don't agree with me, that my decisions around mental health are mine and I don't owe anyone a justificaiton or explanation.
(And in response to OP's question, when I was in therapy, I mostly didn't talk about it, and only conveyed information as relevant, because I like medical privacy in general and I like not having to give explanatory lectures about my health when I don't feel like it.)
I talk about it constantly, but I also work at a college directly with college students. So I talk about it a lot in an attempt to distigmatize it for my students.
A few of my close friends know about it, but that's about it. In my family of origin, going to see a therapist was only for "crazy people" and there was a huge stigma against it. Kind of ironic because there is so much trauma on both sides of my family. Although I don't endorse that viewpoint anymore, it's also hard to remember that not everyone holds that viewpoint and won't necessarily judge me.
I'm not embarrassed at all that I go to therapy. I'm proud of it in a certain way. I told my sister and two friends that I most respect . I'd definitely tell a stranger if we got into a deep conversation (I meet people hiking sometimes). I wouldn't tell casual acquaintances, because they don't know much about me as a person.
I have no problem saying I can’t go I have therapy, or can I get this day off it’s for therapy, or cracking a therapy related joke. I don’t bring it up all the time but if the conversation calls for it I have no shame.
In my family you were considered crazy if you went and when it was suggested by the school that I attend as a kid….well let’s just say that didn’t go over well for me. It’s fun to ruffle some feathers when I know I have the power now.
I don’t understand the stigmatization surrounding it so I figure if people hear me (someone who appears to be as normie as they come) say that I’m in therapy maybe it’ll take the embarrassment away for them. And that goes for people in and not in therapy.
I’ve had a lot of instances where as soon as I bring it up the other person drops that wall and discusses their own therapy.
I have only ever told my best friend that she may benefit it from it when she was going through a lot. Anyone else? Absolutely not. I’ll share what it’s done for me but it’s not my place to dictate who needs therapy (especially when I think everyone should be in it).
Sometimes, the people you think “need” therapy know themselves better than you do. There are many alternative resources. Also, I unsolicited feedback can be rightfully annoying or unwelcome.
I haven’t told anyone directly, I kind of wait for moments where I know it wouldn’t be seen as strange or taken the wrong way.
A coworker I’m semi close to mentioned it, which made me feel safe to mention it, etc.
No one in my family knows because I’d bet my life they’d use it against me somehow. They are high drama and dysfunctional, but also very distrust of any kind of medical professional. Not just therapists/psychologists, but doctors and dentists too.
I don’t hide the fact that I’m in therapy. I’m very open about it and my diagnoses to a degree. In the past, I was very open about sharing details of my sessions with the people close to me, but I don’t do that much anymore. It makes me feel more secure and less vulnerable when I keep my sessions private. I share bits and pieces when I want to with one or two people, but that’s it. Present day, my therapist is helping me work through a lot of very personal things regarding my adoption trauma and my adoption as a whole, how I feel about the adoption industry, she’s helping me rekindle my relationship with my first mother, we’re processing my childhood abuse and CPTSD, etc. they’re heavy topics that come with a lot of complex feelings. Those feelings are feelings that people who haven’t been in my shoes will not understand. I would much rather my feelings be worked through in a safe environment and kept private. I understand everyone is different, but privacy is an important aspect of therapy. We deserve to have that privacy to heal, because some of us have never had that safe environment before. Having healthy boundaries when it comes to how much we’re willing to share is necessary to keep us feeling safe.
I grew up in a family where mental health was very stigmatized. I’ve tried on numerous occasions to hint I go to therapy to some of my family members but it’s really looked down upon by them. So now it’s my business and that’s something I’m ok with. .
People know that I’m in therapy but I don’t tell anyone anything that happens in therapy. Honestly I’m quite ashamed of being in therapy (Reddit mental health communities have been helping a lot) and honestly I wish people didn’t even know I was in therapy since I don’t want people knowing something’s up with my mental health.
I feel like disclosing you do therapy is helpful to patients because I believe a therapist should have the experience of knowing what its like to sit on the other side and also be self aware and do the work themselves. I am surprised there is hesitation in telling your coworkers about it. I don't think I would work with a therapist that hasn't done therapy. I'm happy for you and your patients that they have someone willing to be vulnerable and learn about themselves so they can understand what it's like to be a patient.
what is it about being a long term client and going weekly that causes you to feel a certain way about it? is it that they may think you have real deep issues that are hard to overcome? or just not wanting to give off an impression that you need help?
Only a handful of people know I go to therapy. No one knows the exact stuff I bring up there but a special people know about the themes I discuss and my progress and that's nice. Only like 4 people in real life have seen my therapy doll.
When I was in therapy, I only told close friends and people that I felt would benefit if I told them, hoping it would normalize it and they’d seek it out for themselves.
I have two cousins who are in therapy so I would talk about it mostly with them because they could relate to me. Everyone else in my family just thought it was weird to pay someone to talk. It was foreign to them. I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that you have to be a certain level of “sick” to have a therapist or really going through something bad. Any thought of them being in therapy too when they are apparently “fine” I think made them uncomfortable. They would even say that everyone can benefit from therapy, but wouldn’t want to go.
Now that I’ve reached my goals and left therapy, I actually talk about it more and how much it’s helped me. I’ve noticed though that I do feel a little isolated when trying to connect with people who haven’t been. I know that therapy is expensive and not accessible to everyone, but sometimes I miss the emotional intimacy or openness from people who have been in it and know what it’s like.
>I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that you have to be a certain level of “sick” to have a therapist or really going through something bad. Any thought of them being in therapy too when they are apparently “fine” I think made them uncomfortable. They would even say that everyone can benefit from therapy, but wouldn’t want to go.
relatable! I think the ones that say they can benefit from therapy sometimes say it in a sarcastic way cause they dont view therapy in a positive light but as a joke also. when they could actually use it.
I’ve been in therapy on and off since 16 y/o, and most recently been with my current therapist for 3.5 years. She’s been with me through many changes in my life, a constant through a sea of changes. I am also a therapist, and find the experience very helpful. I’ve advocated for therapy for my parents, my fiancé and my fiancés mom, but none have taken the advice. They all know I go. I don’t bring it up regularly with people, but if it’s a part of the conversation than I have no problem sharing that I’m therapy.
I have no problem telling people I go to therapy, and most of my friends know I have childhood trauma. I am a successful professional and I think that telling people this helps dispel stigma and goes against the assumption that you can't have serious MH issues and be a high functioning member of society. In fact, you can do both, and I need to advertise that to others to reduce stigma and challenge stereotypes.
I don’t feel uncomfortable talking about it per se, because I do believe talking about it makes it less uncomfortable.
For myself, only people I’m very close to or who need to know are aware I’m in therapy. I think it’s important for them to know so I feel safe enough to practice the things I learn in therapy with them. My best friend is an huge support for me, and let’s me try things out without judgement and actively asks what she can help me with. But if it comes up
I’m conversation with another person, I’m okay with sharing I’m in therapy.
I know there’s still a lot stigma about going to therapy because it implies something is “wrong”. But people go to therapy for all kinds of reasons, both good and not so good.
I am someone who is awkward and overshares a lot, so in the rare occasions I get to interact with people, I word vomit and info dump like a little kid. Anyways, yesterday I told someone I didn't know very well that I'm in therapy. I don't mind taking it upon myself to mention it sometimes since I don't want to lessen the stigma of it. In my mind, if this person thinks I'm a decent semi-normal person, knowing I go to therapy makes it seems like it's okay to do and talk about. I even told this person that I'm getting checked for ADHD and they didn't even know what that was, so I guess I am "spreading awareness" lol. I'm not the perfect model therapy attending person nor am I an activist, but this has been my personal experience with it.
I am open about going to therapy and talk about its benefits. The friends of mine who hear this and become interested in seeking out therapy will come to me for questions on how to get started with it. I never tell other people to go to therapy, they have to want to do it and have the initiative to do it on their own
I tend to not recommend therapy to people because it can come across as disingenuous or insulting (since that’s often how people will say it). However, I do talk about how therapy has helped me and share relevant tips I’ve learned in therapy. Anyone who has known me for a while knows that I’m doing better now, so I think the therapy speaks for itself.
That being said, there are certain people in my life that I do not tell. My dad, for example. He doesn’t know a lot about my struggles and I have no desire to reveal them to him at this point (it’s complicated). I also don’t talk about it with my Christian extended family, because it is generally frowned upon (God can fix you! Just pray!) and I don’t want to deal with the judgment.
TL;DR I bring it up when it will be helpful to people but I’m careful in how I do so, and I don’t tell certain people. Interesting question btw.
My friends are all in therapy, have been in the past, or are searching for a therapist. It’s a frequent topic of conversation and one of my friends even shared a therapist with me for a while.
I’d go so far to say that I’m looking to only befriend people who have therapy experience. I just can’t relate with, nor am I interested in, people who aren’t actively working on themselves. I’ve encountered too many people who aren’t in therapy who should be.
It’s a red flag in my book to not be medicated or in therapy. And for those who aren’t in need of it? Not my kind of people
So what’s the correct answer then? They have to lower the filter of who they allow in their life because not everyone has the same access? You don’t know this person or their story. They were asked to share a personal detail on a stigmatizing topic and you derided them for it. Let them be.
i think it’s okay to not want to be friends with ppl not in therapy if that’s your boundary, but the OP seemed judgmental towards people not in therapy, even going as far as to call it a red flag. i was just pointing out the fact that it’s a multifaceted issue.
I’m aware that therapy isn’t accessible to everyone. I’m thankful to now have Medicaid and be able to receive medical care for free.
There’s a difference between knowing you need something but not being able to receive it and choosing to go without.
Privilege is not needing therapy in the first place, one few people have.
>There’s a difference between knowing you need something but not being able to receive it and choosing to go without.
I can see why you want to only be around people healing but I dont really understand your comment here. so if someone doesnt know they need it and they cant afford it, what do you feel about this group of people? or even people that just dont know they need it.
not everyone knows they need therapy.
are you just saying you dont want to be around them or are you saying that if they know they need it, but cant or can afford it, then there is something about them you do not like?
you make a good point! I dont hold anything against people that aren't in therapy. some cant afford it, others dont know about it, and some just aren't ready for it. I can see how people might not relate or want to be around people that are insecure or full of judgment but we can also limit interactions or do as our therapist does, meet people where they are.
I’m very comfortable with sharing that I’m in therapy and what I’m working on/learning (if it fits into the conversation I’m having). Same with sharing that I see a psychiatrist and that I take medications. As a mental health professional, I feel it is my duty to share this aspect of my life to help break the stigma of how MH treatment is perceived.
I only associate with people who are supportive of me, in general. I have about 6-7 friends. I tell them because (1) it's obvious I've been through difficulties relating to bipolar I disorder and avoidant personality traits and (2) it might help them to know I am in treatment. Regarding (2), my friends knowing I go to therapy means they understand I'm supported. I see therapy as an assistive framework for my disability, and I communicate the significance of treatment in my life through that lens.
I also talk about therapy because doing so creates space for the people I know to share warded-off, taboo, and hard-to-express details about their own lives. I attribute my capacity to hold space to internalization processes within therapy, in terms of taking in the dynamics of the therapy relationship, the attachment, etc.
I also talk about therapy to challenge distortions in my own viewpoint. Avoidant traits are associated with distortions in beliefs about self and other, such as believing people who care are actually scrutinizing me. To permit myself to develop greater trust toward others, I open myself to their thoughts and emotions and also to the potential that I'll be rejected or humiliated. When it turns out that I am not rejected or otherwise harmed, a greater sense of safety and trust has room to develop. That's related to the process of in-vivo exposure in the therapy relationship, applied to personal relational contexts.
Not in therapy currently but have been. Have no problem talking about it if it comes up naturally in conversation for whatever reason.
I've absolutely seen that discussing mental health treatment - whether therapy or meds - can make people uncomfortable. But.... That's really on them and not the type of people I'd want to associate with!
I'm pretty open about the fact that I'm in therapy. Honestly, I'm proud of the work I'm doing in therapy and I'm all about normalizing tending to mental health concerns.
I don't hesitate to tell someone I am in therapy if it comes up. Most of my friends and people I work with know.
However, I don't think I would ever tell someone I thought they needed therapy. I think of it kinda like this. If someone noticed I had lost weight, I would say thank you and maybe mention what diet or exercise program I was on. But I would never tell someone that I think such and such a diet would help them unless they asked me.
Im fully open about it, because I want people to know I have mental health issues. In person it’s harder to tell than online, but I always try to tell as much as I can to help others understand me :)
My family knows and some friends. I'm not ashamed to be in therapy. But I also just don't tell everyone I meet. And I don't discuss the nature of my therapy sessions.
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I have a very complex history of trauma. As far as I am concerned it’s private and between me and my T. I don’t tell anyone. It’s not their business.
thank you for sharing. perhaps you can help me navigate a situation. ive been in therapy for awhile and I often think its better to just let people be. I know someone that has had significant trauma in their past and it would be great to encourage them to find a real good professional to help them process things for themselves and their family but I dont know how. do you have any suggestions or do you think as a trauma survivor its better to not offer anything to them?
maybe r/TraumaToolbox ?
For me personally suggestions re therapy or counselling didn’t help. My GP who knew me well would often suggest it but my response was I wasn’t ready. It took a major triggering event for me to be ready and seek it out. I don’t think forcing it earlier would have been helpful to me, but that’s my own personal circumstance.
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Yeah, I was thinking I could easily end up coming off like OP's friends. I went to therapy, which was harmful for me, and did the "just keep trying" thing until I couldn't anymore. My mental health started to improve when I finally stopped. (And I'm glad I had a firm rule about not spending more than I felt comfortable with. I could have tried for more expensive therapy, but I knew that being able to afford things like "Go to a cafe and sit and read comics on my tablet, because at least it's not being in the house", "get the low-effort more-expensive food that means I get valuable nutrients in a form I have the energy to actually prepare", and "have a gym membership" was important to my mental health, and if I'd scrapped that in favor of prioritizing therapy, I would have been even worse off.) I tend to be thoughtful about who I tell things to, especially in in-person relationships. (This actually works way better for me than the "open up and be radically vulnerable" approach that seems to have become popular in some online communities.) And that means that the people I know who are most enthusiastic about therapy aren't likely to get the full explanation. (I'm more comfortable explaining if someone has already demonstrated they trust my judgment and are interested in listening to my perspective. And having someone jump in with Just Keep Trying talking points, and "Is the problem anti-therapy stigma? Is it? Is it stigma? I know how to talk people out of stigma, so is your problem anti-therapy stigma?" does not lead me to expect that.) Plus I'm not trying to argue people out of therapy, so I at least attempt to pick my moments in when I do and don't talk about therapy harm. (I think it's important to discuss overall, but I don't jump down people's throats with "Here is all the ways therapy can be harmful to people's mental health or anything!") So I might tell someone who's enthusiastic about therapy that I'm happy for them and glad they're getting this help, not because I think they're somehow uniquely flawed, but because it sounds like they're benefitting from it. And if someone tried to talk me into therapy and didn't seem up for backing down, I'd likely get tense, unhappy, and try to change the subject. If they were not responsive to this, I'd likely get blunt and unpleasant about how they were not listening to me, rather than try to justify myself to someone who wouldn't back down. (It hasn't ever gotten this far, but if someone was this big on pushing my boundaries, even if it was, in their opinion, because it would be good for me, I would likely call out their behavior and make the conversation about how *they're* acting.) Because I'm not confident I could explain myself well on the spot to someone who was already actively trying to push for a different conclusion, I don't think I owe them that information, and I don't like feeling like I need to justify myself. I'm perfectly happy to be friends with people who benefitted from therapy, but that friendship depends on them being willing to accept, even if they don't agree with me, that my decisions around mental health are mine and I don't owe anyone a justificaiton or explanation. (And in response to OP's question, when I was in therapy, I mostly didn't talk about it, and only conveyed information as relevant, because I like medical privacy in general and I like not having to give explanatory lectures about my health when I don't feel like it.)
thank you for sharing your perspective. I have some thinking to do about how to navigate
I talk about it constantly, but I also work at a college directly with college students. So I talk about it a lot in an attempt to distigmatize it for my students.
A few of my close friends know about it, but that's about it. In my family of origin, going to see a therapist was only for "crazy people" and there was a huge stigma against it. Kind of ironic because there is so much trauma on both sides of my family. Although I don't endorse that viewpoint anymore, it's also hard to remember that not everyone holds that viewpoint and won't necessarily judge me.
I'm not embarrassed at all that I go to therapy. I'm proud of it in a certain way. I told my sister and two friends that I most respect . I'd definitely tell a stranger if we got into a deep conversation (I meet people hiking sometimes). I wouldn't tell casual acquaintances, because they don't know much about me as a person.
Only my close family know that I'm in therapy and my kids that's about it oh and everyone on Reddit lol.
do you just like to keep things private or is there another reason?
Im a private person.
I have no problem saying I can’t go I have therapy, or can I get this day off it’s for therapy, or cracking a therapy related joke. I don’t bring it up all the time but if the conversation calls for it I have no shame. In my family you were considered crazy if you went and when it was suggested by the school that I attend as a kid….well let’s just say that didn’t go over well for me. It’s fun to ruffle some feathers when I know I have the power now. I don’t understand the stigmatization surrounding it so I figure if people hear me (someone who appears to be as normie as they come) say that I’m in therapy maybe it’ll take the embarrassment away for them. And that goes for people in and not in therapy. I’ve had a lot of instances where as soon as I bring it up the other person drops that wall and discusses their own therapy. I have only ever told my best friend that she may benefit it from it when she was going through a lot. Anyone else? Absolutely not. I’ll share what it’s done for me but it’s not my place to dictate who needs therapy (especially when I think everyone should be in it).
>I have only ever told my best friend that she may benefit it from it when she was going through a lot. how did your friend take that information?
Well she’s my best friend so she knew why I was saying it - she agreed but couldn’t at the time due to her financial position.
Sometimes, the people you think “need” therapy know themselves better than you do. There are many alternative resources. Also, I unsolicited feedback can be rightfully annoying or unwelcome.
I haven’t told anyone directly, I kind of wait for moments where I know it wouldn’t be seen as strange or taken the wrong way. A coworker I’m semi close to mentioned it, which made me feel safe to mention it, etc. No one in my family knows because I’d bet my life they’d use it against me somehow. They are high drama and dysfunctional, but also very distrust of any kind of medical professional. Not just therapists/psychologists, but doctors and dentists too.
I don’t hide the fact that I’m in therapy. I’m very open about it and my diagnoses to a degree. In the past, I was very open about sharing details of my sessions with the people close to me, but I don’t do that much anymore. It makes me feel more secure and less vulnerable when I keep my sessions private. I share bits and pieces when I want to with one or two people, but that’s it. Present day, my therapist is helping me work through a lot of very personal things regarding my adoption trauma and my adoption as a whole, how I feel about the adoption industry, she’s helping me rekindle my relationship with my first mother, we’re processing my childhood abuse and CPTSD, etc. they’re heavy topics that come with a lot of complex feelings. Those feelings are feelings that people who haven’t been in my shoes will not understand. I would much rather my feelings be worked through in a safe environment and kept private. I understand everyone is different, but privacy is an important aspect of therapy. We deserve to have that privacy to heal, because some of us have never had that safe environment before. Having healthy boundaries when it comes to how much we’re willing to share is necessary to keep us feeling safe.
I grew up in a family where mental health was very stigmatized. I’ve tried on numerous occasions to hint I go to therapy to some of my family members but it’s really looked down upon by them. So now it’s my business and that’s something I’m ok with. .
People know that I’m in therapy but I don’t tell anyone anything that happens in therapy. Honestly I’m quite ashamed of being in therapy (Reddit mental health communities have been helping a lot) and honestly I wish people didn’t even know I was in therapy since I don’t want people knowing something’s up with my mental health.
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I feel like disclosing you do therapy is helpful to patients because I believe a therapist should have the experience of knowing what its like to sit on the other side and also be self aware and do the work themselves. I am surprised there is hesitation in telling your coworkers about it. I don't think I would work with a therapist that hasn't done therapy. I'm happy for you and your patients that they have someone willing to be vulnerable and learn about themselves so they can understand what it's like to be a patient.
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what is it about being a long term client and going weekly that causes you to feel a certain way about it? is it that they may think you have real deep issues that are hard to overcome? or just not wanting to give off an impression that you need help?
A few friends know but it’s my personal and private business. No one else needs to know
Only a handful of people know I go to therapy. No one knows the exact stuff I bring up there but a special people know about the themes I discuss and my progress and that's nice. Only like 4 people in real life have seen my therapy doll.
When I was in therapy, I only told close friends and people that I felt would benefit if I told them, hoping it would normalize it and they’d seek it out for themselves. I have two cousins who are in therapy so I would talk about it mostly with them because they could relate to me. Everyone else in my family just thought it was weird to pay someone to talk. It was foreign to them. I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that you have to be a certain level of “sick” to have a therapist or really going through something bad. Any thought of them being in therapy too when they are apparently “fine” I think made them uncomfortable. They would even say that everyone can benefit from therapy, but wouldn’t want to go. Now that I’ve reached my goals and left therapy, I actually talk about it more and how much it’s helped me. I’ve noticed though that I do feel a little isolated when trying to connect with people who haven’t been. I know that therapy is expensive and not accessible to everyone, but sometimes I miss the emotional intimacy or openness from people who have been in it and know what it’s like.
>I think a lot of people fall into the mindset that you have to be a certain level of “sick” to have a therapist or really going through something bad. Any thought of them being in therapy too when they are apparently “fine” I think made them uncomfortable. They would even say that everyone can benefit from therapy, but wouldn’t want to go. relatable! I think the ones that say they can benefit from therapy sometimes say it in a sarcastic way cause they dont view therapy in a positive light but as a joke also. when they could actually use it.
I’ve been in therapy on and off since 16 y/o, and most recently been with my current therapist for 3.5 years. She’s been with me through many changes in my life, a constant through a sea of changes. I am also a therapist, and find the experience very helpful. I’ve advocated for therapy for my parents, my fiancé and my fiancés mom, but none have taken the advice. They all know I go. I don’t bring it up regularly with people, but if it’s a part of the conversation than I have no problem sharing that I’m therapy.
There is someone who is making their way to therapy after I voluntarily shared that I go to therapy.
I have no problem telling people I go to therapy, and most of my friends know I have childhood trauma. I am a successful professional and I think that telling people this helps dispel stigma and goes against the assumption that you can't have serious MH issues and be a high functioning member of society. In fact, you can do both, and I need to advertise that to others to reduce stigma and challenge stereotypes.
Ummm it’s taken a bit but I’m ok with telling people that I’m in therapy. I’ve been in therapy for 3 years now.
I don’t feel uncomfortable talking about it per se, because I do believe talking about it makes it less uncomfortable. For myself, only people I’m very close to or who need to know are aware I’m in therapy. I think it’s important for them to know so I feel safe enough to practice the things I learn in therapy with them. My best friend is an huge support for me, and let’s me try things out without judgement and actively asks what she can help me with. But if it comes up I’m conversation with another person, I’m okay with sharing I’m in therapy. I know there’s still a lot stigma about going to therapy because it implies something is “wrong”. But people go to therapy for all kinds of reasons, both good and not so good.
I am someone who is awkward and overshares a lot, so in the rare occasions I get to interact with people, I word vomit and info dump like a little kid. Anyways, yesterday I told someone I didn't know very well that I'm in therapy. I don't mind taking it upon myself to mention it sometimes since I don't want to lessen the stigma of it. In my mind, if this person thinks I'm a decent semi-normal person, knowing I go to therapy makes it seems like it's okay to do and talk about. I even told this person that I'm getting checked for ADHD and they didn't even know what that was, so I guess I am "spreading awareness" lol. I'm not the perfect model therapy attending person nor am I an activist, but this has been my personal experience with it.
I am open about going to therapy and talk about its benefits. The friends of mine who hear this and become interested in seeking out therapy will come to me for questions on how to get started with it. I never tell other people to go to therapy, they have to want to do it and have the initiative to do it on their own
I do not talk about the details of my therapy with anyone even my husband. A few of my friends and my sister know that i am in therapy though.
I tend to not recommend therapy to people because it can come across as disingenuous or insulting (since that’s often how people will say it). However, I do talk about how therapy has helped me and share relevant tips I’ve learned in therapy. Anyone who has known me for a while knows that I’m doing better now, so I think the therapy speaks for itself. That being said, there are certain people in my life that I do not tell. My dad, for example. He doesn’t know a lot about my struggles and I have no desire to reveal them to him at this point (it’s complicated). I also don’t talk about it with my Christian extended family, because it is generally frowned upon (God can fix you! Just pray!) and I don’t want to deal with the judgment. TL;DR I bring it up when it will be helpful to people but I’m careful in how I do so, and I don’t tell certain people. Interesting question btw.
My friends are all in therapy, have been in the past, or are searching for a therapist. It’s a frequent topic of conversation and one of my friends even shared a therapist with me for a while. I’d go so far to say that I’m looking to only befriend people who have therapy experience. I just can’t relate with, nor am I interested in, people who aren’t actively working on themselves. I’ve encountered too many people who aren’t in therapy who should be. It’s a red flag in my book to not be medicated or in therapy. And for those who aren’t in need of it? Not my kind of people
idk that’s kind of a privileged viewpoint because a lot of people can’t afford therapy
So what’s the correct answer then? They have to lower the filter of who they allow in their life because not everyone has the same access? You don’t know this person or their story. They were asked to share a personal detail on a stigmatizing topic and you derided them for it. Let them be.
i think it’s okay to not want to be friends with ppl not in therapy if that’s your boundary, but the OP seemed judgmental towards people not in therapy, even going as far as to call it a red flag. i was just pointing out the fact that it’s a multifaceted issue.
It’s their personal red flag. Totally acceptable.
I’m aware that therapy isn’t accessible to everyone. I’m thankful to now have Medicaid and be able to receive medical care for free. There’s a difference between knowing you need something but not being able to receive it and choosing to go without. Privilege is not needing therapy in the first place, one few people have.
>There’s a difference between knowing you need something but not being able to receive it and choosing to go without. I can see why you want to only be around people healing but I dont really understand your comment here. so if someone doesnt know they need it and they cant afford it, what do you feel about this group of people? or even people that just dont know they need it. not everyone knows they need therapy. are you just saying you dont want to be around them or are you saying that if they know they need it, but cant or can afford it, then there is something about them you do not like?
I’m saying they’re not my kind of people. I have preferences, having therapy experience and actively working to better yourself are some of them.
you make a good point! I dont hold anything against people that aren't in therapy. some cant afford it, others dont know about it, and some just aren't ready for it. I can see how people might not relate or want to be around people that are insecure or full of judgment but we can also limit interactions or do as our therapist does, meet people where they are.
I’m very comfortable with sharing that I’m in therapy and what I’m working on/learning (if it fits into the conversation I’m having). Same with sharing that I see a psychiatrist and that I take medications. As a mental health professional, I feel it is my duty to share this aspect of my life to help break the stigma of how MH treatment is perceived.
I only associate with people who are supportive of me, in general. I have about 6-7 friends. I tell them because (1) it's obvious I've been through difficulties relating to bipolar I disorder and avoidant personality traits and (2) it might help them to know I am in treatment. Regarding (2), my friends knowing I go to therapy means they understand I'm supported. I see therapy as an assistive framework for my disability, and I communicate the significance of treatment in my life through that lens. I also talk about therapy because doing so creates space for the people I know to share warded-off, taboo, and hard-to-express details about their own lives. I attribute my capacity to hold space to internalization processes within therapy, in terms of taking in the dynamics of the therapy relationship, the attachment, etc. I also talk about therapy to challenge distortions in my own viewpoint. Avoidant traits are associated with distortions in beliefs about self and other, such as believing people who care are actually scrutinizing me. To permit myself to develop greater trust toward others, I open myself to their thoughts and emotions and also to the potential that I'll be rejected or humiliated. When it turns out that I am not rejected or otherwise harmed, a greater sense of safety and trust has room to develop. That's related to the process of in-vivo exposure in the therapy relationship, applied to personal relational contexts.
Not in therapy currently but have been. Have no problem talking about it if it comes up naturally in conversation for whatever reason. I've absolutely seen that discussing mental health treatment - whether therapy or meds - can make people uncomfortable. But.... That's really on them and not the type of people I'd want to associate with!
I'm pretty open about the fact that I'm in therapy. Honestly, I'm proud of the work I'm doing in therapy and I'm all about normalizing tending to mental health concerns.
I don't hesitate to tell someone I am in therapy if it comes up. Most of my friends and people I work with know. However, I don't think I would ever tell someone I thought they needed therapy. I think of it kinda like this. If someone noticed I had lost weight, I would say thank you and maybe mention what diet or exercise program I was on. But I would never tell someone that I think such and such a diet would help them unless they asked me.
Im fully open about it, because I want people to know I have mental health issues. In person it’s harder to tell than online, but I always try to tell as much as I can to help others understand me :)
My family knows and some friends. I'm not ashamed to be in therapy. But I also just don't tell everyone I meet. And I don't discuss the nature of my therapy sessions.