Six out of 10 people in the UK have had at least one time in their life when they found it difficult to cope mentally (according to research done by Mental Health Charity: Together)

As many as 70% of people suffer stress, 59% anxiety and 55% depression at some time in their lives.

Usually if there is a problem or difficulty in almost any other area of life we seek help because it makes sense to. We may ask our friends, relatives or neighbours for help and seek advice from professionals.

However when it comes to seeking help for anything related to emotional difficulties or mental health people often say they think it is weak (or silly) and they “should” be able to cope and that the problem will probably blow over or get better eventually.

• It takes courage to ask for help and making a decision to seek help is a brave one. It shows strength rather than weakness.
• Seeking help means that you are taking responsibility and gaining control. You can find answers, get accurate information, be pointed in the right direction and do something now rather than waiting and wondering. It is a sign of self care.
• Seeking help involves some degree of self knowledge because there is a realisation and acceptance that there something is not right.
• Asking for help is a way of connecting with someone else through sharing and questioning and can tap into someone else’s knowledge and experience that you would not otherwise have access to.
• A problem shared in indeed a problem halved and it can be extremely reassuring and normalising to realise that you are not the only one who is struggling with certain thoughts, feelings or experiences.
• Not seeking help could mean that the problem deepens or worsens and even if it goes away it may come back again at a later date. Seeking help increases your chances of preventing this from happening.
• Seeking help can provide relief about something that was really taking over your thoughts and taking up mental energy that could be used on other things.
• It is very hard (if not impossible) to do things alone and problems often seem to worsen and magnify when we are alone and suffering.
• There are many other successful people who are getting help. Sports stars, political figureheads, business people, celebrities etc. usually have a team of people around them helping them. This team could include a coach, mentor, personal consultant and various others.
• Getting help makes things easier.
• To be successful and / or overcome obstacles you need to take action.
• Therapists often say the healthiest people come to therapy.
• The majority of therapists (counsellors, coaches, psychological therapists) have been in therapy themselves. It is overcoming their own obstacles often that lead them to a career in helping others.
• The fact that there are so many therapists and well trained people ready to provide help means that there is a market for it and many other people are seeking help regularly. It is therefore quite normal to seek help these days and completely acceptable.