Okay, well, I promise this won't be as long as the past two! But it's something I think nicely follows my last post, so here we go!
I think a lot of people have a misconception about therapy. I know that I used to think that it was for "crazy" people who had some sort of psychological disorder, and who wasn't mentally strong enough to figure their problems out themselves. I have learned that this is not the case.
The woman (lifesaver) I was referring to in my last post was a woman we shall refer to as AL. I first contacted her at the end of my freshman year of college, because I was struggling with my grades and she was listed underneath the "Academic Support" tab. I set up an appointment, expecting it to be a quick session about how to improve my studying habits and work ethic. What I found, however, was that it was a therapy session.
It caught me off guard at first because it was something I never thought that I would do. But it didn't take me long to settle in, and I found that talking to AL came naturally to me. After the first session and her wise words, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. This appointment came at the very end of the semester, so I was only able to meet with her once before the summer. I took her business card, however, and promised I'd e-mail her if I felt the need to meet in the future.
I kept this promise at the beginning of my sophomore year when I was going through a really tough time as I struggled with anxiety and depression. I e-mailed her and we set up a day and time where we met once a week for the entirety of my first semester. In these sessions, AL helped me in more ways than I can begin to explain, She helped me through one of the absolute toughest times of my life, and was always willing to listen to anything and everything I had to say. Her advice resonates with me, and I find myself replaying different parts of my sessions in my head in order to make it through certain struggles I face.
The stigma around therapy that suggests asking for help means you're weak is completely false. If anything, asking for help means that you're strong because it's not an easy step to take. I recommend it to everyone, at least once, because it's a liberating feeling to be able to say whatever you want and not have to worry about hurting anyone's feelings. It has helped me profoundly in so many ways, and I'm grateful each and every day that I accidentally walked into her office at the end of my freshman year.
For AL, if you're reading this, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over. You have helped me more than you know, and I am so grateful for that.
And for any of you out there who are going through a tough time, I know therapy isn't for everyone, but it may be worth looking into. I know it's scary, but you're not crazy. You're not weak, and you're not wrong for wanting to talk to someone. You're strong, and you're worth it.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Sort of rambling, but I just wanted to put this thought out there! I'll try and make the next few posts upbeat, rather than super long and (hopefully-not-too) boring. Thank you so much for reading, and let me know if there's anything you'd like me to talk about!
You're all the greatest, and I wish you all of the happiness in the world. See you next time!
xo, Taylor
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