In life we think of ourselves as able to roll with the punches. We visualize ourselves as strong and durable enough to handle life’s challenges.
Hopefully that is true to some degree. Hopefully we are equipped to handle a lot of life’s stressors and transitions. Several factors contribute to our strength and resiliency. We can thank the families that we came from, the schooling or professional growth that we’ve encountered, and supportive people that believe in us, as well as several personal characteristics about ourselves like openness to new experiences, humor, hope, problem solving skills, or a sense of purpose.
Sometimes we encounter problems and challenges that are greater than our abilities, resources, or perspective.
The problems may become longer lasting, pervasively affect other parts of our life, or keep us from moving forward. Our normal coping skills or resources may seem to be lacking in their normal efficacy. We may notice that we’ve turned to unhelpful skills of avoidance, covering it up, addiction, or anger.
Nevertheless, a time comes when we’re no longer to manage doing well in the midst of our suffering. It is important to know when counseling can help us.
It will be important to ask yourself any number of questions including:
- Is my normal life routine disrupted or out of sorts?
- Are my family or friends noticing changes in me?
- Am I avoiding the people who care about me?
- Have I given up doing the things that used to be important to me?
- Am I reacting with excessive anger, crying, or fear?
- Have thoughts of suicide crossed my mind as a way to end the pain?
- Has there been a significant event or change in my life that is confusing? Such as: Divorce? Death? Trauma? Relocation? Loss of job? Disability? Baby? Empty nest?
- Have I started using substances, shopping, or electronics as a way to cover my pain for temporary relief?
- Do I have an abundance of stressors?
- Do memories of abuse or trauma keeping circling through my brain?
- Am I at a loss of what else to do with my life or where to go next?
- Do I wish to grow in self-confidence, esteem, or identity?
In asking or answering these questions, you may find that counseling becomes a worthy option. Counseling can offer people the safety to name a problem without judgment, a place to feel known, explore motives or influences, speak with openness, identify values and goals, practice skills, and create a plan.
Counseling can offer people the opportunity to talk and see their problems in a different light, have a non-biased perspective can speak into the situation, receive hope and support, and identify the sources of the problem.
Counseling will assist in equipping you to learn the skills to cope with or address the problems.
