Updated 5/2/25
Debunking Myths: Why You Shouldn’t Be Ashamed to Say You Go to Therapy
You are not alone. A staggering one in five adults suffer from a mental illness in the U.S. in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Attending therapy is not something to should be ashamed of. Your mental health should be treated like your physical health—addressed with the help of a professional and treated not as something you caused, but something you need to care for.
Myth 1: Therapy is for Crazy People
Unfortunately, there’s still a stigma surrounding getting help for mental health disorders. The end result in many cases is that people who desperately need help do not get it and they continue to suffer. Therapy is for all types of people. People who have severe trauma, depression, or anxiety, or people who just need a support system and someone to talk to. You are not “crazy” if you seek therapy.
Myth 2: You Should Be Able to Handle It on Your Own
We learn to grow both independently and in the context of others. We need doctors to treat physical illnesses, and we need teachers to help us learn, so how is therapy any different?
Myth 3: You’re Looking for Attention
By seeking therapy, you are owning the fact that you may have multiple stressors in your life and are acknowledging that you need help. People see therapists for a variety of different reasons that they feel they need extra support dealing with. “Looking for attention” is not a typical reason people seek therapy. Factitious disorder may be the only disorder that a person would seek therapy for attention. Factitious disorder is when a person fakes symptoms of an illness for attention. However, these individuals will normally seek medical attention rather than therapeutic.
Myth 4: Being Emotional is Weak
Only about a third of people suffering from depression seek help from a mental health professional. Common rationale is that they “believe depression isn’t serious, that they can treat it themselves or that it is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical illness.” However, seeing a therapist shows strength and is a necessary part of self-care.
Myth 5: You Can Just Take a Pill
Both medication and psychotherapy are helpful for treating certain disorders and work together to improve well-being. It is. important to meet with your therapist regularly as well as a psychiatrist to ensure medications are monitored for proper dosage and effectiveness.
Seek Treatment
Remember your mental health should be treated like your physical health, so don’t be ashamed if people are aware you are seeking help.his will show them that someone with a mental illness can seem totally fine on the outside, but battle something on the inside. Show them why you shouldn’t be ashamed to say you go to therapy. It’s OK to get help for mental illnesses.
Contact us today for more information and support.