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Comment by __s | Hacker News Reader

As with many things, a therapist offers one to exchange money for time spent figuring out things on your own

I've found success without therapy through minimal exercise over no exercise & framing things as neutral

Framing things as neutral: I'm Canadian, so during Winter I've made a point to perceive the statement "I'm cold" as a neutral statement. A sensory experience as opposed to an affliction of pain. Also focussed on relaxing my muscles in the cold, which made it less uncomfortable. Shivering & clenching up are unnecessary until the temperature has dropped to a point that you really are in pain & should either get inside or get better atire

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No, a (good) therapist helps you find things that would be difficult or impossible to find on your own, it's literally an outside perspective. If what you did works for you, you either didn't have any serious mental health issues to begin with, or you figured out a hack to avoid thinking about the things which trouble you, which isn't much different from people avoiding problems by losing themselves in work, alcohol, religion, whatever. It's essential to have techniques to help yourself stay on an even keel, but it's damaging to other people who actually have problems to encourage them to dismiss their problems as insufficient detachment.

I think you've misunderstood me; I'm not suggesting people avoid therapists. I agree with what you're saying

I started taking cold showers in the morning about two months ago to practice this exact thing.

After about a week, you sort of learn to neutralize the feeling of being cold as just that, a feeling. And a temporary one.

It’s a good reminder for other “negative” feelings, and something I can point my brain to with other emotions I don’t like, anger, anxiety, etc. They all pass fairly quick the less I dwell on them.

This is an approach that worked for you. You have employed your own CBT technique it sounds like, and that's great! Bit I think it's unfair to imply that you can just work harder and come to the same conclusions without a professional. A physiotherapist is often highly educated in psychology and has had, usually, years of experience dealing with a range of people, issues and scenarios. Some people, due to what ever is going on in their head (myself included) can't see the wood for the tree's and a therapists job is to help bring that clarity. Mental health is complex and unique to the individual, there isn't a thing that works for everyone, even therapy.

For sure. When I say "time is money" that might involve more time than you'll ever have available. & a friend once reflected on seeing a therapist: "It's not the job of my friends to be my therapist" ie there's value in bouncing ideas off someone who you don't have to worry about stressing a casual friendship over

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