Therapy doesn't just have to be for individuals facing trauma, or other forms of mental illness or distress. I've heard it can be a useful tool and service for learning how to deal with emotions, dissect problems in life and have a professional to talk to.<p>I'm set to attend my first appointment, and I was hoping to see how therapy / counseling has helped members of HN get through life, and how it has benefited them, be it due to mental health issues or something else.
I found that it helped me work through how strange and at times counter to my wellbeing hyperrationality is. When I get stressed, I become hyperrational. It makes me well suited to business but poorly suited to connecting with people under stress. Further, I have a real need for stimulation so I seek out difficulty to overcome, which forces me back into this hyperrational state that hurts my relationships in ways that are hard to be aware of without a neutral third-party advising you. In terms of life outcomes, therapy can really reset your trajectory in terms of how you perceive yourself, and make sure the various levels of your identity, stress responses, etc. are working. I never used it when I really needed it, but when I got better I was able to convince myself it is worthwhile, and I do not regret that at all.