Self Assessment

Could a Psychotherapy or Counseling be helpful?

Please mark the sentences that feel right:

I occationally suffer from strong heartthrob and am afraid to die
I feel sick, but there are no diagnostic findings
I can't get it accomplished or avoid doing things I'd really like to do
I suffer from one of the following fears: of contact with others - of public places - places with no easy means of escape - of confined rooms - of authorities - of certain kinds of animals - of diseases - ..
It's often difficult for me to fall asleep or sleeping through
 
There are certain things occupying my mind which I find difficult to talk about with other people (nightmares, feelings of stress, feelings of guilt, hate, other aspects of life..)
I often feel lethargic, exhausted and/or over-burdened
I'm currently in a burdening/stressful transition period (death, unemployed, divorce, separation, accidents, diseases,...)
I'm often feel dispirited and don't really enjoy my life
Sometimes, I think about suicide or am injuring myself
 
I'm living in a difficult relationship which takes my breath .. it's not what it was anymore or what it was supposed to be.
I'm addicted - on alcohol, drugs, certain kinds of food, hunger, love, sex, gambling,..
Violence is a factor in my life - against myself or others
I just can't 'forget' about certain painful incidences or experiences in my life
I can't go without applying certain rituals (like washing myself, closing up,...) even though they are constraining my life considerably
 
I would like to better utilize my talents and potential - but have no clue of where to start.
I'd like to improve my relationships with others, but find myself fighting with the same problems in this area over and over again..
I am needed - but often feel overwhelmed by that
I can't live my sexuality the way I would consider it important for me
I have hard times to make decisions
 
Since quite some time, inner tensions are limiting my zest for life
My zest for live is fading away and/or the world as it is, as well as the meaning of life seems increasingly questionable to me
a new turn of my life raises questions I currently can't find answers for
our family has been under quite a bit of strain lately and/or the atmosphere has been bad for quite some time now
I/We find it increasingly troublesome to deal with "the kids"

 

If one of these sentences applies to you, it can be useful to get professional help - especially if the problem already persists for a considerable amount of time or if it reduces your quality of life. Often, this allows for a faster and more sustainable improvement of the situation. My experience is that the sooner someone starts with counseling or psychotherapy, the sooner it is successful - probably because the inappropriate strategies are not so deeply wired the early stages of a crisis. Sometimes, remarkable improvements or significant relieve can already be accomplished after just a few sessions.

More on psychotherapy and counseling..

(Source: Austrian Association for Psychotherapy)