I have my own feelings that therapy is different to physical healthcare. Therapy requires the patient to put in the majority of effort themselves- I feel. As a tutor used to tell us: 'You can lead a horse to water but, you can't make it drink.'
So, for me for instance. It would be pointless. I'm not so eager to overcome my social anxiety that I would be willing to put myself through the discomfort of being in social situations. It seems obvious to me- that's what they would try to get me to do. So, I would effectively be paying for advice that I would then ignore!
Sometimes, I wonder if we choose certain behaviours- even though they may not be good for us- self harm, alchohol or drug abuse, obsessive behaviours, any kind of coping mechanism, because they enable us to get through lives we find difficult.
To effectively remove our reliance on those things though, life either needs to become easier for us or, we need to have a bigger goal to believe in and work towards. Or, we need to erase the trauma that sends us spiralling towards those things. Can therapists change those things for us?
I guess drugs are introduced sometimes to create a sense of being able to cope. Then, life's rewards are presumably supposed to pick up the slack.
I have these different feelings towards therapy I suppose. On the one hand, I think it is presented as a kind of 'fix all' cure, when I think the reality is- the lion's share of effort will need to come from the patient. I wonder if it's sometimes doomed to fail from the start with some people.
I actually think it's unreasonable for us to go in and effectively expect them to 'fix' us. I wonder if it's even possible for some people. If an addict doesn't really see the point in quitting- will they ultimately? If someone with social anxiety refuses to be around people, how can they ever be cured?
I suppose I feel like we should stop being presented with mental healthcare as some fix- all solution. Not that I'm against trying it of course. But, maybe it's also unreasonable for some of us to expect to magically be 'fixed'. If, deep down we have such strong motivations to harm ourselves- effectively.
Would it be more helpful to view it in terms of something that can be helpful only if we are truly intent on recovery? But then, maybe that's untrue. I suppose any assistance it can bring in coping with life must be a good thing.
So, for me for instance. It would be pointless. I'm not so eager to overcome my social anxiety that I would be willing to put myself through the discomfort of being in social situations. It seems obvious to me- that's what they would try to get me to do. So, I would effectively be paying for advice that I would then ignore!
Sometimes, I wonder if we choose certain behaviours- even though they may not be good for us- self harm, alchohol or drug abuse, obsessive behaviours, any kind of coping mechanism, because they enable us to get through lives we find difficult.
To effectively remove our reliance on those things though, life either needs to become easier for us or, we need to have a bigger goal to believe in and work towards. Or, we need to erase the trauma that sends us spiralling towards those things. Can therapists change those things for us?
I guess drugs are introduced sometimes to create a sense of being able to cope. Then, life's rewards are presumably supposed to pick up the slack.
I have these different feelings towards therapy I suppose. On the one hand, I think it is presented as a kind of 'fix all' cure, when I think the reality is- the lion's share of effort will need to come from the patient. I wonder if it's sometimes doomed to fail from the start with some people.
I actually think it's unreasonable for us to go in and effectively expect them to 'fix' us. I wonder if it's even possible for some people. If an addict doesn't really see the point in quitting- will they ultimately? If someone with social anxiety refuses to be around people, how can they ever be cured?
I suppose I feel like we should stop being presented with mental healthcare as some fix- all solution. Not that I'm against trying it of course. But, maybe it's also unreasonable for some of us to expect to magically be 'fixed'. If, deep down we have such strong motivations to harm ourselves- effectively.
Would it be more helpful to view it in terms of something that can be helpful only if we are truly intent on recovery? But then, maybe that's untrue. I suppose any assistance it can bring in coping with life must be a good thing.
