Talking rewires your brain

Talking as a therapy?

Those of you who have read, or follow, my blog may have guessed by now that I marvel at the results of hypnosis and frequently use it on my clients, however  Psychotherapy, known as talking therapy, is also an effective treatment for clinical depression and many other mental health issues.

For some clients who have heard negative portrayals about hypnosis (usually from the press) they choose to follow a psychotherapeutic approach to rehabilitation.

Contrary to popular belief, talk therapy is also a great tool for everyday individuals who are seeking to improve the quality of their life, overcome unwanted habits, and deal with stress effectively.

Below are some of the ways talk therapy can change our life.

You realise that you are not alone.

A lot of times, especially during difficult moments, we can’t help but feel alone. We may find it difficult to tell someone, especially a friend or family member, about what we are going through.

In this case, talking to a professional therapist is a great option. Psychotherapy has been shown to alter activity in the brain involving the regions that regulate executive control, fear, and self-referential thoughts or the ‘me-centred’ worry thoughts.

Even the physical symptoms are healed.

Stress, anxiety, phobia and many other mental health problems come with physical symptoms too. Psychological trauma can trigger physical symptoms, which can be mild or debilitating. Going to therapy can help those symptoms go away.

When our negative emotions are not expressed properly, our body reacts, and we start experiencing unexplained pains, fatigue feelings, sleep problems, and other forms of discomfort.

It’s a great venue to tackle problems.

It is hard to tackle an issue when you can’t even figure it out in the first place, particularly the reason why you are experiencing it in the first place.

Through talk therapy, a person becomes more aware of what is making them feel anxious, sad or angry. And consequently, learn how to manage these feelings or take action to alleviate the factors causing such.

It rewires your brain.

Many people rely on medications to curb mental health symptoms by altering the brain, but a large body of research suggests that talk therapy does the same. As mentioned earlier, psychotherapy alters the brain regions involved in emotional regulation, critical thinking, and self-referential thoughts.

It helps you deal with repressed emotions.

Some of us are haunted by unexpressed feelings and traumas and choose to repress, rather than confront them. It may seem counter-intuitive, but revisiting the events related to these unwanted feelings may be necessary in addressing the current mental health issues we have.

Learning how to deal with them is one of the great benefits of psychotherapy, which has a significant impact in improving the other areas of our life, from our work to our personal relationship.

It gives you a different perspective on other people.

Not only does therapy gives you a better understanding of yourself, it also clears and deepens your understanding of other people.

When we are caught up with negative thoughts and emotions, we find it easy to make negative assumptions about what other people think and how they behave that way. Without the mental clutter, it is a lot better to understand others.

The benefits of therapy last for longer.

The huge difference between psychotherapy and medication is that the benefits of the latter cease the moment you stop taking them. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, benefits the person even after the treatment is over.

As always, your thoughts and comments are most welcome.

Richard Scott
mynd.works