Many people are afraid to seek help for fear of being seen as weak or out of control. This concept goes back many years, when mental disorders were a reason for family shame and exclusion.

In the psychiatric asylums, “correction” techniques were applied that led to psychological suffering, in addition to violent and disrespectful treatment and shame for the families. The psychiatric reform in Brazil emerged in the late 1970s, and since then the issue of mental health has strengthened, but these stereotypes still cause people to be reluctant to seek help.

An article in Galileo Magazine reports that: “One in four adults has been diagnosed with some kind of psychological disorder, yet one-fifth of people still think that some of the main causes of mental disorders are lack of self-discipline and willpower.”

It is necessary to change this perception and fight prejudice.

Some elements influence how psychotherapy works, from the behavior of the patient, the professional, the techniques used, even the patient’s expectations of the professional and the treatment.

It is important to identify the problem and deal with it in the best way. Perhaps changing the professional or the therapeutic approach (we will talk about this later) or understanding that the process can take time to generate results is already enough, but it is important to analyze each case separately.

Although the two terms are the same, therapy has a broader scope, so it is possible to classify acupuncture, physical therapy, hypnotherapy, and aromatherapy as therapies as well. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is focused on the patient’s emotions, and is performed by a psychologist, who deals with the patient’s behavioral and psychological problems.

As stated before, if you haven’t felt that you were able to adjust to the therapy sessions, you can look for professionals who use other approaches. It happens that not many people know, but psychologists do not follow the same line of treatment. There are different approaches and what works for one person, may not work for another.

Created by Sigmund Freud, in this approach the patient exposes his/her thoughts freely and without filters. The therapist makes connections between what was said and what led the patient to seek help, while accessing memories from the past and confronting traumas and problems.

Based on the ideas of Carl G. Jung and post-Jungian, this approach aims to help the patient rescue his/her essence, living according to who he/she is. Personal dreams and symbolism are very important. The conversation is not completely unrestricted, the therapist guides the topic around the problems that made him/her seek help.

Gestalt therapy analyzes patients based on their environment, as well as observing gestures, postures, facial expressions, and voice. The therapy focuses on the present, so the analysis is based on the problem occurring at that moment, unlike psychoanalysis that retrieves memories and traumas from the past.

Also known as CBT, this approach helps develop individual aspects of perception about the world and the things around them. It focuses on one type of behavior or disorder and treats it.

As in psychoanalysis, the Lacanian approach is based on conversations and the unconscious. However, unlike in psychoanalysis sessions, the patient is open to speak what the unconscious dictates, with little interference and no set schedule. The sessions last as long as the therapist believes they should, according to the content addressed by the patient.

We hear a lot about mental health and psychotherapy for young people and adults, but it can be needed in all age groups, since at each stage of life we face different problems.

It is during childhood that we develop our mental structure. The early years form a basis for how the brain will function in the years to come, and it is also at this stage of life that symptoms of disorders arise that, when left untreated, can cause more serious damage to the individual.

When a child is identified with symptoms of learning disorders, for example at the age of 5 to 6 years, the prognosis is more favorable and the rehabilitation process is faster.

A study conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry at University of São Paulo Medical School in partnership with UNIFESP (Federal University of São Paulo), UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul), and CNPq (Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development), analyzed students aged 6 to 12 in public schools in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, and found that 80% of students with mental disorders do not receive medical or psychological treatment. Most conditions are chronic, and 75% of cases can persist into adulthood. They are problems such as:

• Anxiety
• Phobias
• Schizophrenia
• Hyperactivity
• Attention Deficit
• Autism

The message is clear: children also need this attention and care.

Although many teenagers have good mental health, a portion of them go through physical, emotional, and social changes and traumas that can make them more vulnerable to mental disorders.
A WHO (World Health Organization) survey states that half of all mental problems begin by the age of 14, but most of them go undetected and untreated. Depression is often a major cause of illness and even disability in young people. Furthermore, there is a very alarming fact: suicide during the teen years is the third leading cause of death among young people between 15 and 19 years old.
It is important to watch for atypical behavior and problems in social and family relationships, as well as school performance. These “clues” may signal the need for psychotherapy.

It is estimated that 30% of adults worldwide meet the diagnostic criteria for any mental disorder, with substance abuse disorders and mood disorders being the most common for this age group.

Worldwide, the elderly are considered to be the most vulnerable group to suicide. In Brazil, they are the ones that present the highest average, but the subject is not usually addressed much. In old age, isolation, the feeling of incapacity, physical and psychological limitations, and the onset of illnesses are factors that can lead to more serious cases of depression.
Children are no longer at home, retirement, inability to work, and other issues are very striking in some cases. It is important to seek psychological support, as well as to resume social contact, make friends, and find pleasurable activities that will restore a sense of well-being.