When to go to the psychologist?

There is no clear guideline on when is the right time to seek professional help from a psychologist. It is a subjective need, which does not depend so much on the problem or situation the person is going through, but on the affectation that it entails or the degree of competence they feel to face it.

It is recommended if ...

Broadly speaking, a person may be in a situation of needing psychological help when one or more of the following conditions exist:

• Certain symptoms appear that indicate that some issue is not working properly in the person's life or has been raised wrongly. Some of these symptoms are, for example, excessive restlessness, apathy, concentration difficulties, general sadness, fear or insecurity, among others.
• You experience a strong obstacle or difficulty in your life and you do not know or do not have the necessary resources to face it.
• There are certain significant problems in the relationship with other people, such as frequent arguments, aggressiveness or communication problems.
• You are facing difficult life circumstances, such as the diagnosis of a serious illness, the death of a loved one or the breakdown of a love relationship, among others.
• Intense and difficult to manage emotions or states are triggered, such as sadness, irritability, loneliness or even thoughts of suicide.
• You have started to abuse certain substances such as alcohol or drugs and you do not feel able to control the situation.
• There is a desire to deepen and improve in some aspects of oneself, to lead a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

And it can also help in ...

In addition to the situations described above, it is advisable and usually beneficial to go to the psychologist in the following cases:

• The person has already tried to solve the problem on their own or has requested the help of relatives and other close people, but this has not been enough to deal with the problem.
• This difficulty is an impediment to continue with the usual rhythm of life, affecting different areas of it and preventing it from being satisfactory.
• One begins to incur a state of hopelessness, thinking that things are not going to change or assuming an inability to solve them.
• Enough time has passed not to consider it a temporary or temporary event, that is, that vital and difficult situation is maintained over time.

When we have already made the decision

If in any of these or other situations you want to resort to psychological help, the following necessary steps should be followed:

Above all, the person must admit that they are facing a problem or difficulty and that they do not know how to solve it on their own. It is essential, at the same time, to take responsibility for the situation and have a strong desire to want to change.

Finally, it is important to take into account the following premises:

• Sessions with a psychologist are absolutely confidential.
• It is necessary to create a climate of trust, security and understanding with the professional.
• The psychologist offers advice and support, and tries to help the person seeking help to achieve, by himself and from himself, the objective that he has set for himself. To do this, it works by providing resources or using certain techniques and strategies appropriate to each situation.
• Consulting with a psychologist does not mean "being crazy" or needing that help forever. The accompaniment of the professional has a beginning and an end.
• Sometimes a person doubts whether the help they need can be provided by a psychologist. In this situation, an assessment by the specialist is necessary to confirm if they can help you or if you need to assist another professional from another discipline.
• It is also important "not to make a problem where there is none", attending a consultation if it is not necessary.
• The therapy it is a process that requires time, commitment and dedication to achieve satisfactory results.