We hope you get a kick out of these memes just like we did, but on a more serious note, we also hope that you pandas who want to seek therapy know that you absolutely should. It’s easy to assume that your problems aren’t “big enough” to warrant help from a therapist or that it is too inconvenient or expensive to meet regularly with one. But from my own personal experience, I can say that therapy is absolutely worth the investment. 

Even if you don’t think you’re currently struggling with very much, if you have past trauma that has gone unaddressed, it might make a huge difference to work through those issues with a professional. And you’re likely to come out of your sessions feeling happier and healthier after putting a little bit of work into bettering yourself. Plus, if all you want to talk about during your session are the memes that feel like a personal attack against you, I’m sure your therapist will be willing to dissect those too!

If you’re wondering how beneficial seeing a therapist can be, don’t just take it from me. Laughter is the best medicine, and meme pages like this are great in that regard. But there are plenty of reasons to start seeing a professional if you want to get your mental health in check, according to Davis Behavioral Health. If you’re feeling overwhelmingly sad or helpless, don’t brush it off. This could be a sign of depression. And when you feel like advice from friends and family is not helping you, it might be wise to seek professional guidance.

If you’ve noticed yourself using drugs, alcohol or other unhealthy coping mechanisms, try to seek help before those coping mechanisms come back to bite you. There is no shame in seeking help or admitting that you might have a problem. It takes a lot of bravery to ask for help, but it will always be worth it. Perhaps you or a loved one is suffering from a chronic health condition. This can be extremely challenging to manage alone, and if you don't feel like you can talk to anyone in your life who understands or who you can be completely honest with, therapy might be a great option. 

You don’t have to be going through anything particularly traumatic to start seeing a therapist either. Davis Behavioral Health notes that undergoing a big life change, such as a change in marital status or relocating to a new place, can lead to more emotional stress than you might expect. I began seeing a therapist after moving halfway across the world, moving in with my partner for the first time and starting a new job. While those were all wonderful and exciting things, they were also overwhelming. Having a safe space, for even just one hour a week, to discuss exactly how I was feeling during that process helped me out so much. At times I felt like I was drowning or suffocating due to all of the changes happening simultaneously, but I just needed a little extra emotional support during the transitional phase. You don’t have to see a therapist for the rest of your life, but especially during particularly difficult times, they can be a godsend. 

On the other hand, undergoing something traumatic is also a great time to begin going to therapy. If you have recently lost a loved one, close friend or even a pet, you might be feeling suddenly lost. It is important to feel that you have somewhere you can express your feelings without any fear of judgment or any pressure to seem like you’re okay. You can go to your therapist, cry for an hour and then go about your week. Sometimes, it’s just enough to have someone there to validate your feelings and help you understand that what you’re going through is hard. You are allowed to be upset and emotional. And if you feel like you have to bottle things up to everyone else in your life, you can always rely on your therapist to allow you a space to just let it all out. 

Unfortunately, there is sometimes a stigma associated with seeking professional help for mental health (although there definitely should not be!), so if you still need some convincing as to why seeing a therapist is worth it, we consulted this list from Verywell Health noting some of the greatest benefits of therapy. First, they note that mental health therapy is helpful for about 75% of people who try it. So there is a great chance that you will find it worth your while! One of the first benefits that you might notice is your communication skills becoming more refined. Personally, I have always struggled with how to articulate my feelings and understanding where they are coming from. But once I had to learn how to explain things to my therapist, my vocabulary for my emotions greatly increased. With her help, I learned how to express myself much better, and I’ve been able to use those communication skills with my friends, family and my partner to accurately explain what I’m thinking and feeling. 

Therapy can also help with various aspects of your life, including your quality of sleep. When your mind is racing each night and you’re plagued by anxiety, it can feel almost impossible to shut off and have a restful night of sleep. Then the cruel cycle continues every night after days on end of feeling unrested, cranky and emotionally drained. But when your mental health begins to improve from seeing a therapist and working through your personal issues, you can begin to rest easy at night and finally get a full night’s sleep. Therapy can also help you feel happier and more satisfied with your life in general. You will likely start to feel empowered and may notice an increase in self-esteem and motivation as well. Everything is intertwined, and once we begin to heal in one way, our entire being begins to heal.

Verywell Health also notes that many people’s physical wellbeing improves from going to therapy. We all know how valuable a good night's sleep can be, but therapy can go even farther than that. When your anxiety is lessened, your blood pressure will likely decrease, and chronic pain can become less severe. Once we know how to better manage our stress, our entire body will start to relax, little by little. People often become less reliant on unhealthy coping mechanisms as well, such as drinking and smoking, which will increase their overall physical health and reduce their risk for future health issues. Starting therapy can feel like such a small step, but its benefits can snowball into all aspects of your life.  

Many people are hesitant to start therapy because they’re just not sure what they would even talk about. It can be daunting to sit in front of a professional and know that you are in charge of where that conversation goes for the next hour. But if you’ve got something weighing on your mind, you’ve got something worth discussing in therapy. Plus, how often do your friends or partners let you speak for an hour straight? You don’t have to commit to a therapist forever, but even a few months can go a long way in improving your mental health. In fact, the majority of patients report feeling much better after only three months of consistent therapy. You can take what you have learned in those sessions and carry that knowledge and those coping skills with you for the rest of your life.    

If you haven’t already scheduled an appointment with your therapist, we recommend that you do so now. Even if for no other reason than to discuss these hilarious memes! Keep upvoting the posts that you find a little too relatable, and feel free to share in the comments which ones you think your therapist might appreciate. Remember to take care of your mental health, dear pandas, and then if you’re interested in checking out even more of these painfully relatable memes, you can find our last article on the same topic right here.