Aging changes the way the body looks, gestures, the way it works, and more. As you get older, your role at work and family, and even your self-esteem, may change. However, you do not have to adapt to these changes alone. A good therapist can help you adapt to the change process by establishing a healthy communication with you. A 2019 study shows that 15% of adults over the age of 45 have gone to a therapist at least once. People are becoming more and more aware that mental and physical health is a whole. This encourages adults to go to therapy. In this content, we examined the benefits of going to therapy after middle age. Here are the benefits of therapy…
Therapy helps you cope with change
Hormones tend to fluctuate throughout life, not just after middle age. However, with middle age, hormone levels begin to change significantly. When estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones decrease, everything in your body is affected. Sleep patterns and sex life are among the situations most affected by the change. In addition to changing hormone levels, illnesses can also prevent you from participating in certain activities. On the other hand, as age progresses, significant role changes occur in family life. You may have to care for a baby or elderly parents. All of this can make it difficult to adjust to your new life. If you work with a therapist during this process, you can more easily understand what you want and need.
Therapy lets you discover your identity
The benefits of therapy are particularly evident in adapting to change. Changes experienced after middle age can distort your sense of identity as who you are. Studies show that people may feel more depressed after retirement. Because people feel a great emptiness when they do not do the work that was once the focus of their life. Some people even lose interest in their surroundings completely. At a time when you are redefining yourself, therapy can guide you. What do you want for the rest of your life? Working with a therapist can clarify your thinking at a time when you are reevaluating life.
If you are grieving a loss, therapy can support you
You can lose the people you love at any stage of your life. But as you get older, the odds of facing such significant losses increase significantly. Family members may die, or your child may marry and fly out of the nest. In such cases, you may think that life is over. While all this is terrifying, it is a fact of life. You can get help from a therapist to face these facts and reveal your feelings, and you can get through the process in a healthier way.
Therapy is a chance to make new connections
Experts state that social isolation affects not only mental health but also physical health. As a matter of fact, it has been proven by numerous studies that loneliness causes many problems such as heart diseases. Begin with one-on-one or group therapy. Regardless, therapy helps you reconnect with people. A study conducted in the past years shows that the strong bond established between the therapist and the client makes therapy more effective.
How do you find the right therapist?
A good rapport with the therapist affects the therapy process positively. For this reason, there are some points that you should pay attention to when researching a therapist. People often rely on the professional experience of older therapists. For this reason, when researching therapists, older specialists are preferred over young specialists. But if what’s bothering you is “living in today’s world,” you may find a good fit with younger therapists. If you have problems with your past or if you have to deal with traumas, then the age of the therapist does not matter much. On the other hand, many people think that physical sessions are more beneficial than online sessions. The idea of establishing a virtual connection may seem strange at first, but the home environment can make you feel more comfortable.That’s why you can give therapists online a chance.
The benefits of therapy are not limited to these. There are many studies on the positive effects of starting therapy after middle age. Working with the therapist; It can help you adjust to a changing body, divorce, death, retirement, and other changes that affect you. Therapy also guides you in finding out who you are. It can reconnect you with other people and be the solution to your loneliness. If you’re having trouble adjusting to changing circumstances, remember that it’s never too late to work with a therapist
