Day 17: Find a Good Therapist
February 2nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
As I continue with the 31 Day Reset Challenge , I have decided to pace myself so that I can fully assess, complete, and reflect on each exercise, so that I can no longer feel as if I am completing each one in vain. I have found that I have made some progress, but at the same time I feel as if I am breezing through each exercise and not fully reflecting on my feelings, emotions, thoughts, desires, and goals. While all my feelings, emotions, thoughts, desires, and goals that I have put to pen (and blogged) are true reflections of who I am, what I feel, and what I desire; I believe that to in order to be where I eventually would like to be at the end of this reset, I need to truly appreciate each lesson (exercise) in and of itself, as well as a collective.
Several people have commented that this challenge is “like therapy.” But while many of the exercises have proven to be therapeutic in nature, personal reflection is not an adequate substitute for real therapy…In addition to personal development, working with a trained mental health professional is one of the most valuable investments you can make in yourself. Today, I encourage you to find a good therapist.
Today, I took the first step! I contacted the Student Counseling Center, and made an appointment to speak with a licensed psychologist. I have an appointment, in less than two weeks. This exercise was delivered to my inbox on 25 January 2011. The idea of finding a therapist bounced back and forth in my brain for a few days. It is no secret, well maybe it is, that I had been hospitalized in the past for severe depression and bipolar disorder after a failed suicide attempt during my junior year of undergrad. I spent a week in a mental institution before convincing the hospital staff that I had been “cured” of my “crazy”! I will not say that I came out 100% ready to tackle “the cruel, cruel world” that had forced me to deal with all the “demons” that I had battled for so long, but I felt a little better.
Four years later and I am feeling like I’ve tucked all the pain and hurt, loss and confusion, in a tiny bottle and buried it somewhere at the back of my brain! So, at this point I feel like this is what I need – I really need to seek the professional help necessary, to deal with the trust issues, the co-dependency issues, and I need help with the self-esteem and self-concept issues. I need to let go, of that which is no longer for me. I need to be able to grab a hold of that which is for me – the things that I deserve- putting an end to the feelings of unworthiness. I can no longer run away from it and believe that if I don’t think about these things they’ll work themselves out. It’s time to stand firm and face them head on. I am more than a conqueror!
