Mental Health: Do I Need the Approval of the People I Love to Get Help?
By seeking continuous recognition, we seek immunity from pain and avoid disappointing those who are important to us.
However, disapproval cannot be avoided no matter how hard we try; it is for this reason that it is necessary to learn to deal with criticism in a positive way.
The need to be recognized by others is a problem when it comes to being satisfied with oneself and can significantly affect assertiveness in our own decisions, especially when it comes to our mental health.
It is easy to feel alone when you are worried about your mental health. No one seems to understand what you are going through.
You may not even understand it yourself, the important thing is to understand that there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who have suffered from some illness or have difficulties with their mental health.
If you are going through a situation that affects your mental health and you find that some people in your circle don’t understand, think that it’s not your job to convince them and just keep trying to find a support system that works for you:
Friends and Family
If you already have supportive friends and family, opening up to them can be a good starting point as well as a great relief since you don’t have to hide how you feel.
You can also open up to coaches, teachers or religious leaders, anyone close to your personal life, with whom you don’t feel judged.
Professionals
Professionals you can talk to about your mental health include doctors, therapists or coaches. Any well-conducted therapeutic process will bring benefits to the patient’s mental health, learning to change their thoughts or behaviors, feeling better mentally and physically and noticing an improvement in their symptoms in a short period of time.
Support Groups
In general, support groups are made up of people who have experienced similar situations. Today you can do this in person or virtually. In these groups, conversations about daily life flow, struggles are shared and the strategies they have used to move forward and thrive are presented. With this option, many people are able to improve their condition as they feel they belong to a community with people who are going through the same circumstances.
Anonymous helplines
Many organizations, private and public institutions, have hotlines, usually staffed by volunteers or employees who are trained to listen. Talking to an outsider can help you feel more confident about what you are sharing, and they can offer more objective feedback than the people involved in our lives.
What do I say?
If you are not sure what to say, try writing down your thoughts first. This may help you clarify your words. Try using a helpline or support group as “practice” for opening up to friends, family or professionals you might feel less intimidated talking to.
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