I've been feeling very anxious and exhausted for a long time. That's why I decided to start therapy, but I'm hesitant to tell my family. I'm afraid they will react negatively because they might say things like, 'We raised you, what could be wrong with you?' How should I explain this or should I hide it? Has anyone else experienced something like this before?
My daughter, when a friend of mine's daughter said something like that, they really pushed her hard, and the poor girl got even worse. I think you should talk openly, but don't forget that they will worry about you too. Just stay calm while you express your troubles 😳
I had trouble sharing things like this with my family too. But I said, 'This is something I want to do for myself. I want to talk to a professional to feel better.' Their reactions were weird at first, but they got used to it.
Look, you have the right to get support like this. It doesn't matter if your family says "we raised you" or something like that; you want to understand your feelings as a grown individual. You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself because of their ego.
I think the real issue is more about their fear of what they will hear than the therapy itself. In other words, they might be hesitant to hear their own mistakes when they say things like 'we raised you' and so on. But you are the only one who knows this part.
Just say, 'I feel a bit bad, I will get better by consulting a specialist.' Don't go into too much detail. You control what you want to talk about in therapy sessions, you don't need to share anything personal.
You might be overreacting to this situation a bit. I mean, we all have some anxiety, and when therapy is mentioned, family often doesn't understand. Maybe if you had a deeper conversation with a friend at first, you wouldn't feel this tense.
By the way, let me add a detail, my family is somewhat aware that I'm having issues at the place I work, but I'm not sure if they would be understanding. I'm nervous about whether they'll react strangely when I say 'psychologist.'
Starting the psychotherapy process requires both courage and sometimes informing those around you. If you tell them, 'This is like a kind of personal development process; I want to see different perspectives,' you can break down their prejudices. But if even explaining this tires you out, you definitely don't have to disclose it.
