Going Back to Therapy Has Changed My Life

Back in October, I published a blog post about suicidal thoughts I was having. As I alluded to in that post, the pandemic-induced isolation was getting the best of me, and I had to learn new ways to cope with the mundane existence that so many of us are living in.

Fortunately, my battle with that extreme depression was handled rather quickly, and I have not felt such sadness since. I attribute my stability over the past few months to many things. Clean eating and regular exercise are lifestyle habits I find to be extremely powerful, as well as meditation and journaling. I also slightly increased the dosage of my mood stabilizer, and I believe that’s helped tremendously as well. 

For the past few years, those habits and routines have become the foundation for me to conquer the symptoms of bipolar disorder and live happily. However, if there’s one pillar of a healthy life that I believe has helped me the most, it would be talk therapy.

Since my battle with suicidal ideation back in early October, I’ve seen a therapist (virtually) twice a week. These sessions are doing wonders for my mental health and overall quality of life. They are without a doubt helping prevent severe agitation, which is the state of mind that can cause my “Hulk Mode” of anger I discussed in an earlier blog post. I also have a newfound sense of security, knowing that I can rely on my amazing therapist if I fall into an agonizing mental state.

Therapy has not only helped me cope with the stressors brought on by the pandemic, but it’s allowed me to work through some of the unpacked baggage that I didn’t realize was weighing me down. There are past traumas from my childhood and boarding school that I didn’t even recognize as traumas, and learning to rewire how my brain perceives those events has helped me move on and live in the moment. I’ve been able to identify the source of many of my insecurities, and fight through that feeling of not being good enough. 

So many of us believe we are not good enough, and what I’ve learned is that no one ever reaches “enough.” Retraining my mind to view success and failure, as well as acceptance and rejection, simply as parts of life, rather than ways to define self-worth, has been a liberating process and altered my view of both the past and the future.

After a long journey through boarding school and college, where I learned to take charge of my mental health, I believed I had everything under control. While there was clear improvement, and the contents of a happy life were apparent, it didn’t mean I was without any difficulties. I know now that therapy could have helped me immensely during college, and I know it can help so many others even if they don’t feel like they need it.

Oftentimes, we belittle our struggles and think we are undeserving of the proper support. We compare our problems to those of others and believe we can just get through it on our own. What I hope can be taken away from this blog post is that we all deserve help, and that therapy allows you to be the best person you can be. 

So why should any of us settle for less than our best? 

Regardless of your specific circumstances, we all have a right to improve ourselves and live happier and healthier lives. By finding the right therapist, you will acquire new perspectives about yourself and the world around you. 

Therapy doesn’t just provide tools for crisis mode. It helps you thrive even in the best of circumstances.

So pick up the phone, there are so many trained professionals just waiting to make your life better.