Dr Gemma Gladstone.
Why Schema Therapy Can Help You
- Gemma Gladstone
- September 19, 2018
Why Schema Therapy Can Help You …..
Most people can benefit from Schema Therapy because we all have some degree of difficulty in our life which is linked to a schema. Everyone has schemas. Have you ever wondered why your emotional buttons get pushed, or why you seem to push other people’s buttons? Have you met people that really trigger a powerful emotional response in you? The answer is tied up in understanding your schemas, what they are, where they came from, and what or who triggers them. So gaining some insight around your schemas at an intellectual level firstly is helpful so you can have a framework for understanding your issues or problems. An experienced schema therapist will help you formulate your issues in a different way. Quite frankly, it is often the case that schema therapy is able to conceptualise your issues in new meaningful ways which differ significantly from previous therapies you might have tried. Schema therapy offers many people new hope when they have been previously told that they are beyond help or somehow ‘treatment-resistant’.
When schemas and/or modes are very strong and go unchecked or unchanged for a long time they become factors which play a very real role in the cause of emotional/psychological health problems like depression. By modifying your schemas, you can greatly reduce your vulnerability to future depression, clinical anxiety and other psychological issues. In particular, schema therapy is very useful for anyone with recurrent or long-standing mental health or psychological difficulties. Things like, multiple episodes or recurrent depression; depression which is difficult to shift; reoccurring negative events or persistent low self-esteem. It’s also very helpful for people with problematic romantic or family relationships and for people whose own personality styles tends to interfere with their well-being, relationships and general functioning.
Good examples of problems which are driven by schemas include: being a ‘self-sacrificer’ who can’t say “no” and becoming depressed or ill as a result; being attracted to ‘unavailable’ partners over and over again; expecting or anticipating that others will have control over you and carrying a lot of anger internally; expecting yourself to be perfect and not feeling good enough; feeling inferior to others; feeling inadequate and not able to stand on your own two feet; expecting loved ones to leave or disappoint you; being unable to trust other people; having volatile or difficult relationships or avoiding romantic relationships all together .
If you have noticed any type of recurring and unhelpful ‘pattern’ in your life, in relation to your mental health, work relationships or friendships, romantic relationships, stressful family dynamics or decisions you have made, then schema therapy is probably the best therapy for you! If you suffer from recurrent episodes of depression or if you have been told that you have ‘treatment resistant’ depression, then schema therapy is likely to help you in a way that other treatments have been unable to. If you have been told that you have Bipolar II disorder, problems with emotional regulation, urges to self-harm, or issues of addiction, then a dedicated attempt at schema therapy is likely to really help you.
You don’t have to have a serious mental health issue to benefit from Schema Therapy. It might be that you are curious about learning more about your personality and understanding why you do the things you do. Do you find it hard to ask for what you need? Are you the one always giving to others or do you guilty when you decide to take care of yourself? Have you noticed that you seem to be surrounded by Narcissistic people – at work, in your family of origin or in your friendships? Are you having trouble finding a healthy romantic relationship? Do you tend to have relationships with the same type of person? Do you tend to attract emotionally unavailable partners when all you are wanting is a secure relationship with a loving partner? Why does it seem so hard? Schema Therapy can often provide the answers you’ve been looking.