Should you see a therapist anytime soon?

In the coming few months on, there will hardly be any stigma about psychological difficulties, as they would be common as cold and diabetes. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into a state of setbacks, real losses, uncertainty, social and emotional turmoils and massive change. All the major aspects of life like physical, emotional, financial, professional and interpersonal health have been affected and anything that can affect all these at the same time has a potential to have a lasting adverse effect on human life.

A Psychologists' role is in the Development of normal people in growing eg. managing procrastination, reaching specific goals or improving productivity. They also help people in Distress, where people experience emotional distress triggered by adversities. Finally psychologists especially psychotherapists help people in psychological Disorders.

The earlier you consult a trained therapist, the better, and you don't have to have a disorder to consult one. Neither consulting means you have a disorder, which anyway isn't something to be ashamed of. Psychologists will teach you specific tools that will help you sail through the uncertain times, eg. adaptability, resilience, managing crisis, solving problems, decision making, assertiveness, anti-procrastination, managing emotions, and manage behaviours like emotional eating. The skills will act like shock ups on your bike when you are riding a rough trail.

Psychologists are rapidly upgrading their knowledge and polishing their skills to treat disorders like Depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety and OCD, PTSD, states like suicidality and behaviours such as self harm, drug or substance use, internet addiction etc. The basic rule remains, prevention is better than dealing with a problem once it develops.

Identify your risk factors of developing a state that needs professional intervention.
Add up the points and check yourself. For a more accurate assessment, consult a therapist/psychiatrist. 

Having gone through a major change at workplace- 3
Having lost a family member in the pandemic- 5
Having suffered the infection yourself- 5
Having suffered loss of significant relationship- 4
Having a friend who suffered a major loss- 2
Knowing someone who got infected- 2
Knowing someone who lost a job- 2
Having suffered financial loss- 4
Your partner going through a major change in life- 3
Having a history of depression in past- 4
Having a history of Anxiety disorder, OCD or any other major psychiatric disorder in past- 4
Being the sole breadwinner of the family- 3
Having a strong support system like close knit family, close friends and secure finances- Minus 5
Being physically healthy - Minus 4
Having handled crisis in past well- Minus 4
Feeling hopeless- 5
Having attempted suicide/self harm in past- A


26-46 High risk. You must consult a therapist and/or a psychiatrist today
11-25 Moderate risk. You should consult a therapist and/or a psychiatrist in the coming week
0-10 Low risk. You can consult a therapist/psychiatrist any day to have an accurate assessment of your risk, or learn skills to further lower your risk.

Regardless of the score, if you scored A, which stands for Action, consult the therapist or psychiatrist today. 

Dr Shishir Palsapure MD (Hom), MSc (Psy), Psychotherapist is an Associate fellow and Supervisor of Albert Ellis Institute, New York, USA (Level 2 training faculty) and the instructor of the online course 'Counselling clients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic'  for professionals.