How Group Therapy Can Help You After a Mental Health Crisis
As the conversation surrounding mental health continues to evolve, many people continue to recognize the power and importance of prioritizing mental wellness. For many people, the idea of speaking to a therapist holds negative connotations. As the stigma continues to melt away through the public discourse, therapy sessions continue to become more accessible for the average person. If you feel as though you’re on the brink of a mental health crisis, one-on-one therapy isn’t the only solution. Consider some of the reasons why group therapy can help you after a mental health crisis.
Strength and Safety in Numbers
If you look at any animal documentary, predators tend to attack the prey when it’s alone. When prey is alone, it’s vulnerable. When it’s surrounded by a pack of its own, the predators are less likely to make a move. Apply the same concept to your mental health. Your negative thoughts, experiences, and hormones can be considered the predators in this case. While you’ll still want to enlist therapeutic methods such as medication, exercise, and a balanced diet into the mix, group therapy provides a safe haven of people who can help to protect you from yourself.
Isolation vs Community
One of the reasons why solitary confinement is such a brutal punishment is because people need community. If a baby doesn’t feel love within a certain period of time, it can die. In order to grow, feel loved, and thrive, people need to be within the safety of a healthy, supportive community. When you’re in the trenches of group therapy, you already know you’re going to experience non-judgmental wisdom, care, and support.
Real-Time Feedback
Group therapy is beneficial because it provides real-time feedback from people who understand your circumstances. You’re not relying on the results from a Google search or generic definitions of a diagnosis you think you might have. You’re talking to actual people who get it and can advise you in a way that’s tailored to your specific situation. It can be difficult to talk to people who don’t understand the mental aspects, varying feelings, and more. Dealing with a mental health crisis requires more than sheer willpower. People in group therapy understand that and can provide relatable wisdom in real-time.
Always remember that you’re not alone. Even if you have a really dark moment, you can always call a hotline in order to speak to someone. Even though a mental health crisis can easily make you feel as though you’re alone and that no one cares, use those feelings as indicators that you need to enlist outside help. By utilizing group therapy in your efforts to face your mental health, you’ll equip yourself with the tools you need to turn your life around.