Anonymous
Photography by Satya Yalamanchi
If you’re reading this, therapy isn’t just for the low points.
A few years ago, I resisted the idea of going to therapy. I thought it wasn’t necessary because I wasn’t feeling “that bad” and didn’t have a diagnosable mental illness. In a way, I even felt like I would somehow be taking away a resource from someone else if I were to attend therapy myself.
Fast forward to feeling isolated and alone from the loss of a few family members and friends; I finally reached a low enough point that I decided it was time to get help. In short, therapy and counseling was lifesaving for me. It not only got me through one of the most difficult points in my life, but it also gave me the tools to cope even better moving forward.
What I have learned from going to counseling is invaluable. I’m better able to handle stressors in my life from school work to small friend-dramas. Things that used to feel like mountains now feel more like manageable molehills. It’s difficult to put into words, but therapy can give you the skills to better cope with and manage all of life’s challenges.
You can learn small practices that train your brain over time to work through emotions better, clean out the cobwebs, and make life easier overall. To this day, I am deeply impressed with how our mindset shapes our entire lived experience.
What I mean to say is, if you’re reading this, don’t wait until you think you’ve hit rock bottom to go to therapy. Therapy is for everyone, and it can help you turn your life into an even sunnier and more manageable journey. Even just once every month or two can help you check in with yourself and process what you didn’t even know you needed to process.
Maintenance therapy is underrated. If you have the resources to attend, I highly recommend you try it out. Don’t wait until you’ve broken to try to heal. Mend yourself while you’re still whole.
Improving your mental health is always a worthwhile endeavor.
Anonymous., Duke University
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