Should I seek counseling for myself or someone I care about?  Of course, there are several factors to consider in deciding whether counseling is the right choice for you.  First, there is the consideration of cost versus benefit.  Unfortunately, in West Texas, there is the thought that getting any help with a problem is “weak” approach and a waste of time and money.  At best, the result is that many people who could truly benefit from the treatment of a professional counselor lose potential quality of life; at worst, there are suicides daily on the South Plains by people who refused help and eventually saw no other way out but to end their own life.  Many insurance companies at least cover the partial cost of counseling and some counselors, like me, offer a limited sliding scale for those who are uninsured.

And so, is it worth the time and money to pursue counseling for longstanding painful problems or not?  Are you willing to invest some resources in order to improve your future?  Would someone else in your family, your circle of friends, or people at your place of employment be glad you have finally decided to ask for help?

Self-Diagnostic Questions

How long have I been experiencing my current problem(s) and have I not been able to find any satisfactory solutions on my own?

Do I keep doing or saying the same things expecting somehow there will be a different result the next time, but nothing ever seems to change?

Have other people ever told me that I would be wise to seek help for a particular habit or problem?

Are there hereditary or genetic roots to your problems, i.e. has other relative suffered from the same problems, mood swings or other difficulties that you are?

Are there things that I am currently doing which I obviously cannot control and which cause me ongoing shame or guilt?

Do I have problems with my physical health that I know are connected to personal anxiety or other problems? (ex. IBS, insomnia, and headaches, etc.)

Have I experienced some kind of psychological trauma during my lifetime which continues to produce nightmares, flashbacks, or increased startle response as well as other troubling symptoms?

Have I sometimes felt like giving up because nothing ever seems to change?

Counseling May Help

If you were honest with yourself and answered “yes” to any of the preceding questions, counseling will most likely provide some relief for you. Research has shown that Cognitive-Behavioral counseling is at least as effective in providing relief as the new generation antidepressants are for depression.  Additionally, it has been shown that the two together are more effective than either alone.  Although the results of counseling can never be guaranteed it is, in my opinion, more efficient to attack the root causes of mental discomfort rather than to merely relieve the symptoms with medication.

The other significant consideration is to understand how counseling for you affects others as well.  As a matter of course, you do realize that your problems directly affect those not only around you at home, but also at work, at church, and even your larger extended family as well.  In my counseling practice I have found that when one person gets help in a family, it has a ripple effect on other members of the family as well.  Sometimes that effect may be negative, especially when someone does not want to change; however, many times the effect has been positive with other family members getting some help as well. Your decision to get counseling will possibly not only help you in stopping the dysfunctional aspects of your current existence, but may also have significant impact on present and future generations.