10 Signs You Might Want To Seek Individual Therapy

Think back to a time when you had a really terrible day.  Now, imagine yourself in that day.  What was that day like for you?  How did you feel?  Most likely, you were feeling down, unmotivated, frustrated, and perhaps even sad.  Little things overwhelmed you and, really, you just wanted to go back to bed and sleep it off.  You just were not feeling like yourself.  Typically, these days come and go – and you feel like you go back to normal after a good night sleep.  But what if those days just continued, and you felt no relief from the sense that something within you was just off?  Indeed, many of us go through periods of our life where we simply feel down, depressed, or blue for days, months, or perhaps even years.  When having bad days becomes the rule rather than the exception in your life, individual therapy is often very helpful.  In individual therapy, you and your therapist explore, process, and learn about what has changed within you and what you can do to get back to feeling like yourself again.

If you are noticing some of the 10 signs listed below, it might be wise to consider seeking out an individual therapist who can help you gain insight into these issues and assist you in making meaningful, lasting changes.

1. You feel like there is nothing to look forward to. You notice that you have lost your excitement about life and nothing really seems interesting anymore.
2. You are becoming more and more apathetic. You notice that you are caring less about what used to matter to you.  You notice that you are not experiencing many emotions.  You feel empty.
3. You are feeling powerless to make things better. You sense that you do not matter and that nothing you do really makes a difference.  You may begin to feel hopeless and helpless.
4. You are noticing changes in your sleep patterns. You either want to sleep all the time or you just cannot sleep well.  Perhaps you are waking multiple times in the night, having nightmares, or having difficulty falling asleep.
5. You do not want to get out of bed. You wake up in the morning and feel overwhelmed at the very idea of starting your day.  You are still tired when you wake up and have the urge to pull up the covers and go back to sleep.
6. Your appetite has changed significantly. You notice that you are hungry more often, craving food more, and perhaps even putting on weight.  Or, you realize that you have lost your appetite and are losing weight.
7. You have a shorter fuse. You notice that it takes less and less to get you irritated.  Sometimes it seems that everything – even little things that would never have bothered you before – are irritating you.  Perhaps you are being more critical, yelling more, or feeling more easily flooded with emotion.
8. You are more tearful. You are crying more than you used to, and sometimes it seems like for no reason at all.  You feel more sensitive and emotional that usual.
9. You look forward to drinking alcohol. Perhaps you notice that you are drinking more often and consuming more alcohol than usual.
10. You do not want to be social. You find that you do not want to respond to emails or phone calls.  You may even be avoiding social events and staying home more than usual.