Even by causal considerations, more people are seeking therapy today than they did a few decades ago. While the developments in the field of psychology are to thank for this, there are a number of other reasons that have contributed to the growth in the number of people seeking therapy.
Individuals in society are more isolated these days
Society as a whole has become a lot more individualistic these days than it was a few years ago. But this focus on the individual also leaves each person more isolated and wrapped up in themselves due to excessive work or lifestyle pressures. This limited exposure to others leaves people with little third party input on personal problems and a therapist’s help is sought to provide this perspective.
Stressful lifestyle leaves little time to cope with pressures
These days, people need to work really hard both at home as well as at work to stay on the impossible schedules that they have drawn up for themselves to reach life goals. While it makes it easier to stay on top of what needs to be done to achieve certain goals, it leaves individuals with little time to really just sit back and cope with problems or to ponder over them and look for solutions on their own. Here is where an hour with a therapist during lunchtime seems like a better investment than taking an afternoon off from work to think about a particular problem.
Everyone is in trouble and it is easier to trust an expert to help
Back in the good old days, people relied on the counsel of friends and family to provide support in times of stress. These days, everyone is struggling. Some are struggling harder than others. While this makes it easier for people to relate to each other, it also makes it harder for those that need more help to trust those that are doing relatively better to not judge them for the mistakes they have made. Thus, instead of talking to a friend, talking to a therapist about personal problems makes a lot more sense to people.
