10 myths about psychology, debunked

In recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic that we have suffered, awareness of the importance of mental health has grown remarkably. Unfortunately, the population has suffered the consequences of the new normal that we have lived through and the health system is not even remotely prepared to deal with such demand.

This is because mental health has been a pending issue for decades, and it is now that it seems that it begins to receive the prominence it deserves. Although the process is slow and progressive, it is a good first step for people to begin to naturalize mental health problems and, above all, to receive help from professionals.

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The stigma of mental health

Although going to therapy and visiting the psychologist / psychiatrist is much more normalized than decades ago, there is still some suspicion Faced with this issue and there are many who, suffering from significant psychological problems, do not ask for the help they so badly need. However, an important part of this rejection comes from ignorance, since psychology and psychotherapy have always been clouded by numerous false myths.

Many of these erroneous beliefs have been assumed to be true in the general population, which has significantly damaged their image. Although the discipline itself has been damaged by these ideas, those who have been most harmed are those individuals who, out of ignorance, have ruled out going to a professional for fear that these myths were some.

Suffering from a psychological problem and not receiving professional care can lead to important consequences, worsening the situation over time and other added difficulties and even a psychological disorder appear chronic. A mental health problem impairs the functioning of the person in their daily life and affects all areas of their life. In the most serious cases, impaired mental health without professional treatment can end the life of the person, because unfortunately suicides are a painful reality much more frequent than what has been believed.

In this article we will try to collect the most widespread myths around psychotherapy and we will refute each of them. If you are also going through a difficult time and you think you may need professional help, read on and discover how many preconceptions you have learned about psychology are false.

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What myths about the world of Psychology must be dismantled?

As we have been saying, psychology has not had the best image in the general population, as it is surrounded by numerous erroneous beliefs. We are going to deny the most frequent ones.

1. The "crazy" or the "weak" go to the psychologist

Who has not ever heard these claims? Seeing a mental health professional has always been associated with weakness and insanity. This is not, in any case, true. First of all, there is no phenomenon recognized in science by the name of "insanity."

Those who have traditionally been labeled as "crazy" have been people with mental disorders now well known, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Fortunately, today these psychiatric problems can be addressed to ensure that the person has a life as normalized as possible.

In these cases, the treatment of choice is pharmacological, although the role of the psychologist is interesting in maintaining adherence to such treatment, support the family and provide management guidelines and different life skills everyday. Going to the psychologist is not a "weak" thing either. Asking a professional for help does not make you weaker. On the contrary, it can make you stronger, because psychotherapy can help you solve the psychological problem you suffer, you will achieve good mental health and you will acquire strategies to handle the situations that arise.

In addition, you will learn to know yourself much better and you will feel supported and listened to in a calm and non-judgmental environment. Ultimately, your quality of life as a whole will improve. Going to the psychologist is, contrary to what is usually thought, a difficult step to take, since recognizing that something is not going well and taking steps to change it requires great strength.

2. The psychologist does the same as a friend, but paying

Another of the erroneous beliefs that are associated with psychotherapy is the one that defends that the psychologist is limited to listening to the problems of his patients, just as a good friend would.

This statement is truly unfair to psychology professionals, who train over the years to acquire a great knowledge about human behavior and the work tools that they can use as professionals. Going to therapy is not about going to a consultation to vent and that's it. Although there are phases in which the patient speaks and expresses himself, of course many more things happen in therapy.

The psychologist will be able, according to the information he gathers, to determine what variables may be causing and maintaining the problem. Once these have been identified, he will intervene to modify them with different types of techniques, thus solving the problem that afflicts the person and improving their well-being and quality of life.

3. I don't want anyone to give me advice

This is another of the most deeply rooted beliefs in relation to the figure of the psychologist. No, a psychologist will never tell you what is best for you or how you should act. On the contrary, it will give you tools to make decisions, it will help you to reflect on the issues you have to address, what you want to achieve, what you need, etc. Using a simple metaphor, we could say that the psychologist will never build the house you want, but he will give you the tools and materials you need to do it and he will accompany you throughout that construction process until the house is finally finished.

4. I'm afraid of what the psychologist thinks of me

One of the obstacles that most hold back people when it comes to going to therapy is the fear of being judged by the psychologist. The truth is that one of the characteristics of psychotherapy is that it constitutes a space in which the person can open without judgments, since the psychologist will adopt a neutral position in which at no time will he pronounce on how his patient should live his life. One of the many reasons why going to therapy is helpful for people is because in this space they find, for the first time in their life, a place to be themselves without filters, without "shoulds" and without labels.

5. The psychologist only talks

Although there will be times when, of course, the psychologist speaks, the truth is that he does not do so in a vacuum. As a professional, his words are based on a whole scientific model that tries to understand and explain psychological disorders. Therefore, speaking within the framework of a therapy is not comparable to a standard conversation, since the professional speaks with the goal of helping the patient who has come to him and not just to fill the silence.

6. I don't believe in psychologists

Psychology is a science, and as such does not allow for questions of faith. This discipline starts from a scientific base Thanks to the numerous investigations that have been carried out since its origins, so its postulates do not allow beliefs about its veracity or not. The scientific method is the only one that delimits what is certain in psychology, this having no relation to subjective and individual opinions.

7. Psychological therapy takes a long time

The truth is that there are different types of therapies and different types of situations depending on each person. The duration of the therapeutic process will vary in each caseAlthough, of course, the highest efficiency is always tried to achieve the expected results in the fewest possible sessions. No good professional will take therapy longer than necessary.

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8. Psychologists give pills to solve the problem

Although there are many who think that this statement is true, in reality psychologists cannot prescribe medications of any kind, since this is the responsibility of doctors. The colleagues who from medicine also work with people's mental health are psychiatrists. Although they can prescribe psychotropic drugs, the truth is that their work is not reduced to this either, since they have other tools to work with their patients.

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9. Psychotherapy looks for the problem in the patient

Psychotherapy does not start from the idea that there is some defect or problem in the patient. Sometimes, the discomfort that this presents does not even fit into a specific diagnostic picture, since mental health is much broader than a manual of watertight categories.

Even when there is an official diagnosis, it is not assumed that everything that happens can be justified on the basis of this, because sometimes the professional's gaze must be broader. The psychologist usually explores the close circle of the patient, his relationships, her family, etc., since many times a An important part of the problem for which you go has had its roots in problematic interpersonal dynamics or harmful.

10. We all have to go to the psychologist

There are some people who, based on their good experiences with mental health professionals, have begun to proclaim that everyone should go to a psychologist. However, going to the psychologist is not a hobby, it is a necessity. Therefore, the one who does not feel well and needs help should go to be able to recover and continue with your life in a healthy way.