Reasons Not to Take Mental Health Treatment.

Do you ever wonder why people living with anxiety, depression, conflicting relationships, and other psychological issues do not take help?

Continuous research both in the field of medicine and psychotherapy have been successful in providing new ways of treatment of psychological problems. Still people opt to suffer in silence.

Mental health professionals are warning repeatedly that 1 out of 4 of us will have some kind of mental health issue sometime in our lives. Practically each one of us is vulnerable; still, we don’t want to, rather we avoid discussing our mental health issues.

What could be the reasons of this silence and self-defeating attitude?

1. The stigma attached to mental health issues:

The most prevalent reason for not seeking help is ‘STIGMA’ attached to mental health issues. The fear behind this stigma is that if one tells others about his/her mental health issue, they will consider him/her insane and after that s/he can never live a normal life.

“How can I tell someone what I am going through, what someone will think about me? I don’t think anyone talks about all these things to another person.” These are some of the thoughts people have when they feel a sense of shame and guilt about their issues. They are very sure that their issues are unique, and others don’t have these and there is something very wrong with them. If they discuss these issues with a therapist, he or she might look down upon them. They have the worst fear that what if everyone got to know about their problems.

Some have the fear of rejection. In today’s world where there is a lot of pressure to be perfect and in control, telling someone about your problem is like admitting some flaw in yourself. Therefore, many people don’t seek help because they think that the therapist will think about them as incompetent and stupid and that they will lose respect.

2. Mental health issues are due to factors outside one’s control:

There is other reason why people avoid seeking help. This is especially true in the Indian context. People think that mental health issues are due to factors outside their control so there is no point to seek help. These factors are the beliefs like destiny, bad luck, some kind of curse, last life deeds, God’s punishment for some misdeed, or irreversible hormonal and chemical changes in the body.

3. Distorted cognitive Filters:

There is another reason why people decide to remain in a suffering situation. They think that their misery is unavoidable. They are convinced that the way they think and feel is absolutely valid and anyone who happens to be in situation like theirs would have thought and felt in the same way. They have a very good filter in their mind that allows only the supporting information to register in their mind. They don’t want to look at the people who have dealt with similar situations in a different manner.

4. Hidden advantages of not seeking help:

There are people who have intentionally or unintentionally started taking advantage of their particular condition. Right now they are getting attention and care which would stop when they feel better. They don’t have to do their work, don’t have to take care of themselves, don’t even have to work to support themselves financially because there is someone who loves them and is doing all this for them. They are in a position to control and manipulate this person as and when they want. Letting go this helpless but powerful position is not that easy.

5. Putting the blame on others:

Sometimes people are convinced that other people are the cause of their misery and pain and that they are the innocent victims. They think that others need help and not them. They believe that they are entitled to happiness and fair treatment from others. They negate the idea that they are responsible for how they feel. They don’t see any point in seeking help to deal with their issues.

Some people think that love, care, or attention of a specific person can only make them happy and complete. They are not ready to learn to create their own happiness and contentment. Some have extreme belief that they are nothing without the other person and that they cannot live without her/him.

6. Quick-fixes and short-cuts:

Some people are looking for quick results or you can say ‘quick-fixes’ so that they don’t have to work on themselves. They look for a magic pill or a magician who can free them of their ordeal. Some experiment with drugs and alcohol and some take the advice of soothsayers. Both may give some relief for some time, but these do not prepare the person to deal with the psychological issues on their own.

7. Lack of awareness about mental health issues:

Lack of awareness about the physiological symptoms of the psychological issues is another important reason. Some people think that their symptoms are the result of some undiagnosed physical disease, and they keep visiting doctors one after the other but do not find any relief.

8. Lack of awareness about psychotherapy:

Some people are of the opinion that they are mature adults, so they should be able to resolve their issues by themselves. They think that mental health professionals can only give advice which they already possess.

In counseling and psychotherapy, the therapist or the therapist do not give advice. Mental health professionals rather help people learn new skills and prepare them to deal with their life issues more effectively.