One question I get asked a lot is: “When should one ask for professional help?” As a psychotherapist, I’ve had the privilege of helping a wide range of people such as: people dealing with the loss of a loved one, a painful breakup, a marital crisis, a career change, and other difficult life transitions. On the other hand, a not so obvious group of people is the “successful” professionals. Despite their successful status defined by society’s standard, the professionals still have day-to-day issues just like everyone else. They may come to therapy due to work stress, relationship difficulties, or family and emotional issues.
My point is, regardless of one’s background, we all have life challenges to overcome.
However, I’m by no means suggesting that we shall all seek out therapy whenever we’re faced with a difficult situation. In fact, most people don’t need therapy because most of us have developed healthy coping skills and a network of friends and family that can play a critical role in our ability to deal with stress. What I’d like to emphasize is one needs to respect the perception of how they’re feeling.
It’s normal to feel heart broken after a difficult break up. But after a while, we tend to move on and continue to have other meaningful relationships. However, some people may have a harder time recovering from it and fall into a deep depression and lose all of their confidence. Just because people around us have overcome break ups on their own, it doesn’t mean our experience will be the same. By the same token, just because we were able to tough out the previous break ups, it doesn’t guarantee we can do the same the next time. Learn to respect your own experience and not compare it with others or the past. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you feel you need it.