Encarnación Parra: "You don’t go to the psychologist only when you are very ill".

In this interview with psychologist Encarnación Parra we talk about when to go to psychotherapy.

Knowing how to overcome a psychological problem begins with being aware that it exists and, acting accordingly, seeking psychotherapeutic help. However, not everyone knows how to recognize when they are in this kind of situation.

That is why we have interviewed the psychologist Encarnación Parrawho will talk to us about how to identify the experiences that deserve to be addressed with professional help.

Interview with Encarnación Parra: when to go to psychotherapy?

Encarnación Parra is a psychologist with a practice in Granada, and has more than 20 years of experience working professionally with people with all kinds of emotional and behavioral problems. In this interview he talks about the situations in which it is necessary to seek psychotherapeutic help.

Do people tend to underestimate many of the problems that require psychological treatment in therapy?

Yes, they do. A high percentage of people minimize or downplay the importance of problems related to psychological discomfort, partly because they believe that they themselves, the advice of a friend or reading something on the Internet will help them solve the psychological problem or discomfort.

When the mind makes us suffer, the most logical, sensible and quickest thing to do is to ask for help from a psychologist. In this way, and in a much faster way, we can put an end to the problem and the discomfort it entails.

What are the types of emotional discomfort that people tend to assume are normal, despite the fact that if they are not treated they can become chronic?

The question is very interesting, it is just the management of emotions that underlies and underlies psychological problems and disorders. The emotions that provoke more discomfort in consultation have to do with the future, specifically we have the fear of (that this or that happens to me...) low tolerance to uncertainty and it has to do with the immediate or near future. It is then when the person tends to worry and can not stop doing it.

Also the things that have happened to us in the past are a source of emotional discomfort, in this sense, the predominant emotion both for the discomfort it causes and for the consequences is guilt, helplessness and anger. In the past there is also our own life in relation to our parents, siblings or people who were part of our life throughout childhood and adolescence.

People who have lived in unsafe environments, with very anxious parents, disconnected from the emotions of their children or very overwhelmed by various problems (divorce, parents very anxious, worried or very busy at work) are the origin of anxiety and depression problems of people in adulthood. On this there is much research that comes to confirm this statement.

Related to the present moment, they would have to do with decision making, related to changes in life or with a current problem with children, partner, work. Also everyday situations often overwhelm us and get us stuck and prevent us from being calm.

From the point of view of someone without training in psychology, are there clear indicators that indicate that you need to seek psychotherapeutic help for, for example, anxiety?

Yes, there are. I am going to make a list following the order of the discomfort they can generate.

There are several indicators, one of them can be "going over and over things"; we are talking about the symptom of rumination.

The rumination of problems occupies a lot of space in people's minds, if we do not learn to stop doing it, it will be almost impossible to be calm, to sleep well, to stop feeling discomfort. Rumination includes the question "Why? And it carries a component of guilt, fear and worry. That is why it causes so much discomfort. It is the clearest indicator that something is wrong.

Another indicator is to feel physical discomfort in the abdomen (like a pinch) this is a clear symptom of anxiety. In the abdomen there are many neurons that are activated by stress and are a clear sign of anxiety. It is like a red traffic light. It indicates danger. Another very clear one would be the fear of doing something and feeling it in the chest as a kind of pressure.

Another very clear one would be the fear of doing something and feeling it in the chest as a kind of pressure.

Another symptom to take into account is to stop sleeping, or to sleep badly.

And finally, another indicator has to do with avoiding doing what you think you should do. And the fear or anguish of doing it leads us to the immediate relief of postponing, however, all we do is move the problem to a later date or make it bigger. The problems, if they are not faced, do not dilute or solve themselves.

What about a depressive mood?

In depression, rumination is again the most frequent indicator, it is also present in depression and has a meaning of sadness, hopelessness and anguish in the future.

It has much to do and connects with losses of something or someone. But the mechanism that is triggered is the same as the one described for anxiety, what changes is the meaning and the content of the ruminative ideas that are given round and round.

What other problems can be treated in psychotherapy even though many people do not relate them to the concept of "going to the psychologist"?

Everything that has to do with important changes in life (birth of a child, divorce, problems with the family...) The human brain has a hard time assimilating changes and usually responds with anguish and discomfort.

Another source of much discomfort is in relationships, I would say that a very high percentage (I would dare to say that 80% of cases) of anxiety is related to relationship problems.

What is needed to promote the culture of seeking professional help for psychological problems that are harmful in the medium and long term?

I think it is very important to demystify the idea that therapy is only for very severe problems, or that it is a symptom of weakness, cowardice, or madness; one does not go to a psychologist only when one is very ill. One goes to the psychologist to alleviate suffering, to solve problems, to live in peace, to learn to relate better with myself, with other people, to control impulses....

Going to the psychologist is an act of responsibility with one's own health. Our brain is the most important organ and we take little care of it.