Some patients hesitate to participate in a psychotherapy because they do not know what their life will be like afterwards. If you are used to your recent habits and behaviours any possible change might feel strange. Sometimes these fears have a realistic background because the environment might not like these changes, if you try to use new assertive competences instead of just do what someone else expects you to do.

So sometimes the environment has to learn that a major change of the person took place. That can cause some struggles at the beginning, but at the long run it is worth the efforts.

To find out what you really want to achieve you could take a sheet of paper and make a list of positive and negative aspects of a cure. Try to find some answers to some of the following questions yourself:

• What will be the first thing you can do after therapy?
  (e.g. going out for cinema after a therapy of panic disorder, meeting old friends if you have a social phobia)
• Which persons might support your efforts to change for better?
• What could be a reward for you if you complete therapy?

However there can be "disadvantages" of a psychotherapy as well:

• Any changes of old habits take time. You will have to "practice" new behaviours in real life. This can be hard work and not always successful in every situation. Be prepared for problems.
• You might have to take more responsibilities (e.g. going to work again). This will change your daily routines and you might have less time for yourself or your family.
• You will have more self-confidence which could cause conflicts with intimates of friends if you do not agree to all their wishes...
• With the end of the psychotherapy some patients feel "lonely" because the possibility to talk about personal difficulties with a therapist established a "close" relationship. This should be addressed at the end of any psychotherapy to develop alternative possibilities of connectedness.