Here in New York City, we like to think that we’re a different breed. And, in many ways, we are. New York City is an exceptional place in all sorts of ways. New Yorkers are a hard-working and cosmopolitan bunch. We get married later than folks elsewhere in the country, and we are more likely to be foreign-born. We drink more, we work longer hours, and we have more millionaires than any other city on the planet (of course, most of us aren’t millionaires, which makes the high New York City cost of living tough to deal with). We go to the museums and the opera, we attend and teach at prestigious colleges, and we turn out for protests and demonstrations. We’d like to think that we are a pretty enlightened bunch.
But we’re not always as forward-thinking as we’d like to be. While the stigma may be worse elsewhere, there’s no doubt that we New Yorkers could be smarter and more open-minded about mental health care. More of us should be in therapy, and more of us should be addressing and treating mental health stresses — whether those stresses are serious issues like depression or more common (but still quite serious) issues like stress.
The truth about therapy
In New York City, many of us share a problem with the population of the United States (and, to a great extent, the world) at large: We think of therapy as being a last resort for people with mental health issues. That’s not accurate, explain the professional therapists in Manhattan.
The reality is that therapy is far from a last resort. It’s a powerful treatment option that can ease the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Many of us suffer from common issues such as depression and anxiety, and not all of us are aware that we have a diagnosable condition. Furthermore, therapy isn’t just for people with diagnosable mental health conditions.
In fact, just about anyone can benefit from therapy options such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Therapy is all about understanding how and why we think and do certain things. By learning to understand our own thought patterns and behavioral patterns, we can better ourselves in all sorts of ways. That can mean creating happier, healthier lives, such as being a better partner in a relationship, or even being more productive at work.
A lot of different types of therapy are out there. From addiction therapy to couples therapy, there’s sure to be an option that addresses the challenges you face.
New York City and therapy
And when you’re talking about challenges, you’ll have a lot to discuss in New York City. This is a stressful, busy place, and there’s perhaps no place on Earth where therapy should be more in-demand.
Therapy is useful no matter what, but it’s even more essential when you’re facing stresses that harm your mental health. And with so many New Yorkers suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions and challenges, it’s particularly important for us to consider therapy.
New Yorkers work longer hours, on average, that folks in the rest of the country. And because work is such a clear source of stress for Americans, that means New Yorkers probably have more stress (and, in fact, studies show that they do). Stress is a mental health challenge that can hurt your physical health, too. Studies show it can quite literally take years off of our lives.
Then there are the crowds, the crazy commutes, the cutthroat professional environments, and that one weird dude who creeps you out on the subway. This is a crazy, stressful, anxiety-filled city. Therapy makes sense for everyone — for New Yorkers, it should be a no-brainer!