Getting help for a pressing personal problem may seem like the obvious solution to one’s misery. For the person that is suffering through it, however, often finds it hard to seek help. This can be infuriating for people around them though for the person with the problem, the decision to not seek help stems from what appears to be very legit reasons to them. We explore some of these reasons that prevent people from seeking help.
Denial
Being in denial is the strongest reason that prevents people from getting help. A person in denial has a hard time acknowledging that he has a problem or that a particular behavior (like drinking or substance abuse) has gotten out of control. Dealing with a person in denial can be very frustrating for friends and family.
Embarrassment
Sexual disorders, drug abuse, phobias etc. are embarrassing or painful to talk about. To avoid having to discuss personal problems with a complete stranger, people avoid getting professional help and try to take care of their problems on their own.
Stigma surrounding “getting help”
While seeking help no longer is viewed as a sign of weakness, many people still believe that the moment one seeks help for a problem, it tells everyone that they are too weak to handle it by their own. For psychological problems, the stigma is often greater and people that are trying to keep a mental problem hidden don’t want to give it away by seeking help for such ailments.
Cost of getting help
The cost of seeking help for problems like drug abuse, alcoholism and psychological/personal problems is rising just like the cost of mainstream healthcare. A single visit to a shrink can cost upwards of a $100 per session excluding the cost of medication that may be prescribed. This is another huge deterrent that prevents people from seeking and obtaining help.
