How to know when to go to the psychologist? 12 questions you should ask yourself

Going to the psychologist may seem like something that only a few do and that does not go with oneself, but actually receiving help psychology can be essential at different times in our lives, giving us tools to better cope with problems.

There are signs or symptoms that may indicate that something is wrong and we should ask for professional help if we want to avoid the development of more serious conditions or pathologies. Asking for help is not a failure and even though we are independent beings and capable of doing and facing many situations there are some that can overcome us, it is in these circumstances where it is advisable to go to the psychologist. In this article, we mention some behaviors, feelings or sensations that may indicate that it is time to seek professional help.

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When should I go to the psychologist?

There is a stigma in society regarding attending a psychologist since there is a tendency to think that people who receive psychological help are "crazy" or that it is necessary to be very ill to require professional intervention. But the reality is that everyone can benefit from going to the psychologist since during the course of the difficult or complicated situations happen to us in life, where the support of a professional can go a long way good.

In this way we must bear in mind that the role of the psychologist is not to cure your problem, by this we mean that normally the role of the professional consists of teaching the pertinent techniques and strategies for each patient so that he himself is the one who faces the conflictive situation and thus, if a similar situation occurs again, he knows how Act.

In reference to subjects with chronic pathology, the purpose will be to improve their condition so that they integrate, as far as possible, into society and have a functional life. We see how the purpose of the psychologist is to intervene in the individual so that he is as independent as possible. However, Although everyone can voluntarily go to the psychologist, there are some symptoms or signs that alert us and indicate that it would be appropriate to seek help. There are some situations where requesting professional intervention is more urgent and it will be more advisable to attend.

Note that the decision to seek help is very personal and in the end it will be oneself who decides to go to the psychologist or not. To help you identify possible indicators that may give rise to the need for intervention, we present a list of the most frequent.

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1. You have experienced a very stressful situation

It is common to compare life with a roller coaster, this refers to the fact that life is not a straight line, events happen that can change our state and change our moods. In the same way, there are people who experience crisis situations more intensely than others and who have the most marked ups and downs of mood.

It may be that you notice that the situation overwhelms you and that you do not feel good emotionally, this not being able to control the situation is an indicator that it would be favorable for you to seek psychological help and thus learn our tools to better manage situation.

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2. You have trouble sleeping or resting

Many of the sleep disturbances are due to psychological discomfort, concerns or problems that do not disappear from our minds and do not allow us to function properly in other areas, for example at rest.

Sleeping and resting is essential to perform well, be productive, as well as for many brain functions and for its correct recovery. Thus, going to the psychologist can help us reduce the problems that lie behind not being able to rest and, if we do not have adequate sleep patterns, establish healthy ones.

3. You feel physical discomfort for no apparent reason

The physical discomfort, after having done the pertinent tests and ruling out organic causes, may be due to a psychological problem. Sometimes worries, anxiety or depression, affectations that we are not used to relating to bodily problems, generate a physical ailment. If the doctors have ruled out other pathologies and cannot find the cause, it may be helpful to go to a psychologist because perhaps you are somatically expressing a mental disturbance.

4. You have repetitive thoughts that cause you discomfort

There may be different causes behind the appearance of repetitive thoughts and knowing the real reason behind it behind these ideas can help us to know how to deal with the situation or propose the intervention to reduce the affectation.

For example, repetitive ideas are observed in patients with obsessions, these are thoughts that arise persistently in the subject, generating great discomfort; They can also be shown by individuals with delusional beliefs, which revolve around a theme and present repetitive ideas about it. Although it is not necessary to have a pathology, overvalued ideas are ideas with a greater affective charge, which stand out in relation to others, and are repeated over time.

5. You feel that no activity gives you satisfaction

Anhedonia, the loss of the ability to feel pleasure or satisfaction, is a typical symptom of major depressive disorder, although we can also observe it in other affections or in the population without pathology. Persistently feeling that activities, things, that used to give you pleasure no longer do so can be a sign that something is not right in you and you could benefit from asking for psychological advice.

6. You notice difficulties in your social relationships

We may feel that it is difficult for us to interact with others, that we cannot establish friendships and that this situation causes us discomfort. The psychologist can help you and provide strategies to improve your social skills, communication and assertive so that your relationships are more favorable and increase both your satisfaction and the of others.

It is just as harmful to have a manipulative behavior, to take advantage of others, as to act in a submissive manner and not defend their own rights and thoughts. Thus, learning strategies to find the balance, the midpoint, can be very useful.

7. You feel overwhelmed at work

Burn out is the name given to work stress. It has been observed that this is usually caused by a lack of control over work, feeling that your work is not recognized or working in a profession that implies a high emotional load. It is important to intervene when we notice the first symptoms and not wait for them to get out of control, as they can lead to more serious conditions such as depression.

8. You notice that your life is disorganized

We live in a fast-paced society, where we are continually asked to achieve objectives, goals, achieve achievements and we forget the basic needs that we really require in order to live, such as sleep or to eat. This feeling of disorganization that causes us discomfort can be solved by establishing healthy routines and habits that give stability to our lives. Sometimes the simplest factors like sleeping at least seven hours and eating at least three times a day is what helps us to be happier.

9. You feel that your life has no meaning

In the same way that when we have a physical ailment we go to the doctor, if we feel bad emotionally we should go to the psychologist. We must not accept the loss of meaning in life as something normal, we have the right to be happy. So if you notice that you live on autopilot and that you no longer find meaning in your life, it is time to ask for professional help to identify and solve what causes this feeling.

10. you stopped loving yourself

Self-esteem, loving oneself, is very important to achieve a good self-concept, a good perception of oneself, to feel good, to be happy, that is, it is a fundamental piece that has repercussions in different areas of our life, but at the same time it is difficult to have it in a good level.

This feeling of self-esteem is worked on and does not remain stable throughout life, for this reason if we notice that it is damaged and not we are fine with ourselves psychological intervention can help us train strategies to improve perception, assessment and esteem own.

11. You feel angry and aggressive

Irritability and aggressiveness can be the expression of internal discomfort. It is possible that worries, depressed mood, anxiety make us more sensitive and we jump easily without there being an objective reason. Asking a professional for help can be useful to work on the cause that causes this behavior, as well such as learning self-control and relaxation techniques for when we feel irritated or when we lose our Calm down.

12. You feel that substances are the ones that control your life

Substance use can lead to dependence on them and thus loss of control. Drugs not only change our state or modify our behavior, repeated consumption leads to changes at the cerebral causing our body to depend on them and we notice adverse sensations (withdrawal) if we do not we take.

So, it is not easy to leave it since our body is used to it and not only that, but we feel that we function poorly without it. In this way, the intervention of a professional who has experience in this field and who helps us to leave it is essential.