Can Self-Help Be More Beneficial Than Going to a Licensed Therapist?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Reasons that Support the Thesis
Counter Arguments and Responses to them
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Annually, around 50 thousand deaths are occurring in the United States of America due to suicide based on severe mental conditions. Mental disorders are the topic that concerns many people worldwide, since it affects the quality of one’s life in negative ways. There are several methods to cope with occurring disorders in life: get professional therapy, help oneself with medications, or engage in self-help. Furthermore, self-help can prove to be more beneficial for some less severe mental states.

Reasons that Support the Thesis

Reason 1

To find a good therapist, one has to invest hundreds of hours and dollars. At the same time, a decent self-help strategy can be found online for free within minutes, which can prove to be more convenient.

Reason 2

While a bad self-help book can waste one’s time, a bad therapy session can worsen one’s condition. Some therapists can appear well-trained and experienced, while the knowledge of others is almost non-existent.

Reason 3

Self-help strategies would make one feel stronger, wiser, and self-sufficient, which can make one a role model for others. Moreover, by increasing one’s self-awareness, one can recognize potential mental issues before they occur and cope with them with more ease.

Reason 4

Practicing self-help can increase one’s self-esteem, since an individual successfully copes with the surrounding issues and learns to be a better person. Furthermore, engaging in self-care can not only improve one’s mental state, but also advance one’s physical health.

Counter Arguments and Responses to them

Therapists claim that all mental issues have to be observed by them because humans are prone to self-diagnosing, which can lead to other significant complications. Moreover, they claim that by engaging in self-help, one can accidentally worsen their mental state if they are not strong-willed enough. Although, indeed, self-help is not suitable for everyone and some severe mental states are better cured at the therapist’s office, one should try it to know if this method is suitable for them.

Conclusion

To conclude, self-help can be useful in some situations and sometimes can benefit the person more than the therapy. However, it is essential to note that people with severe mental issues have to attend therapy, but they can use self-help to cope with their emotions as well, along with professional aid and medication.

References

Ebert, D., Donkin, L., Andersson, G., Andrews, G., Berger, T., Carlbring, P.,… Cuijpers, P. (2016). Does Internet-based guided-self-help for depression cause harm? An individual participant data meta-analysis on deterioration rates and its moderators in randomized controlled trials. Psychological Medicine, 46(13), 2679-2693. Web.

Fennell, M. (2016). Overcoming low self-esteem: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques. Robinson.

Hanson, K., Webb, T., Sheeran, P. & Turpin, G. (2016). Attitudes and preferences towards self-help treatments for depression in comparison to psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 44(2), 129-139. Web.

Smail, D. (2019). How to Survive Without Psychotherapy. Routledge.

Zwaan, M., Herpertz, S., Zipfel, S., Svaldi, J., Friederich, H., Schmidt, F., Mayr, A., Lam, T., Schade-Brittinger, C. & Hilbert, A. (2017). Effect of internet-based guided self-help vs individual face-to-face treatment on full or subsyndromal binge eating disorder in overweight or obese patients: the interbed randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 74(10),987–995. Web.

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