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Gary Zukav. Dr. Phil McGraw. Sarah Ban Breathnach. Iyanla Vanzant. John Gray.
They're the crown princes and princesses of self-help. If you don't recognize their names, you're sure to recognize their books: Relationship Rescue, Simple Abundance, Yesterday, I Cried, or Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus. Self-help is a burgeoning industry with a solid media backing. But how helpful is self-help? Motivational, inspirational, and personal growth books certainly have their place in the publishing world. They fill a gap, and a need. They present current information on mental health and well being at a basic level. And provide exercises, or active ways of incorporating psychological concepts into our everyday lives. Affirmations. Positive self-talk. Creative imagery. Journaling. Dream work. These are all activities that show up in the psychotherapist's office as well as self-help books. While self-help books do make information more easily available to a large quantity of people, there are certain drawbacks to pursuing self-help. For one, a book is not always an adequate guide. Books can seldom offer constant support or answer the detail-oriented questions we might have about dealing with the specifics of our own day-to-day lives. Self-help books are meant to be general, and they are. It's like following a diet out of a magazine over having a personal trainer come in everyday to run you through your paces, cook your meals and offer moral support. Clearly, most of us would go for the personal trainer. But often, we can't, for various reasons: monetary concerns and convenience, for example. Too, not everyone who picks up a self-help book is going to benefit from it. Some people, while curious about what a certain author might have to say about personal growth, are not in a position to change their current situation. Whether that be a life of self-esteem issues or a less than pleasant relationship. With all major life decisions, there has to be a desire to change. And even desire, without follow through, isn't enough. And there are simply occasions when self-help isn't enough. After all, self-help isn't therapy. You cannot possibly get the same sort of immediate and interpersonal response to your problems with self-help. And another educated person's objective can be priceless. Moreover, serious problems need serious attention. In a previous article entitled When to Seek Therapy and Why, I posted a list of reasons why a person should consider going to see a therapist. Browse the article. If you find yourself falling into any of these patterns, you should consider something more effective and immediate than a self-help book. Consider a therapist. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Is Self-Help Really Helpful? in Psychotherapy & Self-Help is owned by Faith Hamby. Permission to republish Is Self-Help Really Helpful? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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