To quickly answer the question which is formulated in the title: the answer is 'yes'. The first step toward getting help can be very difficult, and is a difficult step to take for many people. If you then ask yourself why it is so difficult, many people do not know what to answer exactly. Because it is something else which I need to do extra? Because I then have to admit that I have a problem? Because I then have to talk about it? In short, there can be very many different reasons as to why it is difficult for you to go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Read more about the difficulties of the first step here.

The first step toward getting help?

Many people think that they are alone or that there are not many people who go to a psychologist. Only those who have major issues go to a psychologist. This is not true. There actually are many more people who go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist than you would think. The amount of people who suffer from, for example, depression, also increases. There thus are more and more people who are in need of care. Even for psychologists it is recommended to go a psychologist themselves during their first year as a psychologist. Does this then mean that psychologists often have problems themselves? No, but it means that they are suddenly burdened with emotions because they provide help, meaning that it can be good for tem to also talk about these emotions sometimes. With this, we then also bust the myth that everyone who goes to a psychologist need to have a serious problem.

The first step toward getting help? Online therapy

This might be difficult to believe, but not only 'the average human being' has difficulties with taking the first step toward getting help. Even psychologists, when they then have to find a psychologist during their first year, find it difficult to go to a psychologist or find some other type of help. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online program to reduce the step toward getting help. The program is inspired by psychologist techniques, and you can follow it for fifteen minutes per day.

The first step toward getting help? Take the stress test!

To discover if you might be suffering from depression, stress, and/or anxiety, you can take the free stress test here, which will let you know your scores as soon as you are done.