do you think people with mental illness always need therapy/someone licensed to talk to?

even if they have a support system and friends to talk to openly about their mental well-being?

i’ve always prided myself on being self aware of the struggles i face, and throughout periods of my life i’ve had a good support system to lean on about these things. but is it really ethical or sustainable to only talk to friends about your mental health?
i’m not sure how these discussions came across to friends in the past since i have memory issues, but i think that within recent times i haven’t trauma dumped onto others; the discussions were all willingly had. but i’m unsure if having that support system makes it right to avoid talking to a professional about my issues. i can be very stubborn when it comes to my mental health, and i’ve held the belief in the past that personally there’s nothing good that can come out of therapy. i know what is wrong with me, i’ve learned methods to help me, and i have people i trust to talk to. i don’t know if this is me being self aware or if my avoidance is rooted in wanting to enable my own mental suffering further.

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sstronaut

Hmm 🤔 can I go the opposite direction with it...

And maybe say that ALL humans, even the ones without any illness (mental or otherwise) might all benefit from professional therapy.

That being said, NO, not all humans (not even all people with mental illness) need therapy... as some are able to cope just fine without it.

And I can speak from personal experience...

Sometimes you can go to professional therapy, and that person, or I've heard of people going through 10+ therapist and not finding the right one for them.

My worst one (at least for me), all he'd do is ask sort form of "Why?"... "Or why do you think that is"?

I begged him to try something different, or give me some feedback, as after I ran out of possible "Why?" answers, I had absolutely no idea where to go next, and he would just keep asking "Why", a trained bird would of been just as good as him.

That being said, I've also had some that have really helped me understand myself better.

Of course you can also get resources outside of the professional....

This is this one girl on YouTube that talks all about her ADHD... and she's helped me understand myself better in some ways, and she's not a professional, but just sharing her knowledge.

tobynshorty · 51-55, F

@sstronaut I think you did well with the person on Youtube. I agree it doesnt always.have to be a professional