1. Theres nothing wrong with me.

Of course there isnt. While they can be distressing and debilitating, theres nothing wrong with having bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, or anger issues, or just generally not having your shit together. Its all okay. Whether youre in the middle of a mental-health crisis or a member of the worried well, therapy is a step toward a bigger life. Its about embracing life instead of trying to get through it, says psychologist Edward Adams, Psy.D., president of the American Psychological Associations Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities.

2. Im too busy.

When you say you dont have time, youre really saying that other things are more important than your mental health, says Columbia University psychiatry professor and New York Citybased therapist Alexander Harris, M.D., Ph.D. If youre too busy for therapy, its worth thinking about what youre currently putting ahead of your wellness. Is being the best you in work, love, and play a priority? Dr. Harris asks. And if not, why not?

3. Going to therapy means Im weak.

Its not 1952 here! Is it weak to go to an accountant for help with your taxes? Or a mechanic for help with your car? Strong is the person who is effective and gets the job done, Dr. Harris says. And hiring an expert in relationship issues or working for career success is taking care of it yourself. Plus, holding in your feelings can be deadly. A lot of men who are suicidal are the silent type, says Adams. They havent told anyone theyre suffering. And that doesnt typically have a happy ending to it.

4. I need to spend time on my family, not on myself.

Therapy can often be an act of care not just for yourself but for the people around you, so you can be a healthy and productive partner, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, manageryou get it. This is one way to man up in your life, and for your family and for your community, says Wizdom Powell, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut.

5. I cant be seen coming out of that office.

While the stigma is eroding, small, nosy towns can still be small, nosy towns. But the Internet can connect you to counseling services like Talkspace, where you exchange text, audio, or video messages with a therapist in a private, confidential chatroom, and your smartphone can get you to free hotlines staffed by volunteers, like the Crisis Text Line (text 741741), where, yes, you communicate only by text messages.