I wrote in a post before about me suffering with mental illness, I'm sick of there being this massive stigma around it and I just want to keep raising awareness about it, showing people they are not alone and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I wanted to share my therapy letter with you because my psychologist thinks it's very powerful and reassuring, so here it is.
When
I first started therapy I already knew
what to expect as I’d had CBT before, but I’m going to be honest and say that
it didn’t work for me. I guess it was just the wrong time and the wrong person.
I think it’s so important that whoever you see you jell with, so you feel that
you can really open up to them and allow them to help you. And also it has to
be the right time for you, you have to really want it and be really motivated
to go for it and work hard. Come into therapy with an open mind, if you come in
being negative thinking this will never work, then chances are it won’t.
Like
I said I had CBT last year, but it didn’t work, I wasn’t in the right frame of
mind or motivated enough to really take it in, and put in the amount of effort needed.
Also I really didn’t jell with my therapist at the time.
Things
in my life got so bad I just didn’t see any point in it anymore. I didn’t even want
to get out of bed, couldn’t even walk out of the front door without panicing. I
was just stuck with the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, I lost interest
in everything, stopped looking after myself, sounds gross but even stopped
showering at my lowest point, stopped talking to people, stopped eating. I really
just didn’t care about anything at all. I was just stuck in this bubble, watching
everyone around me growing up and living their life. Eventually I thought, I can
carry on with this horrible downward spiral or I can do something about it
while I still can. So I did, I decided to come back to therapy and give it
another go, but this time I was ready for things to change, I was motivated and
was ready for the challenges I needed to face. Therapy has helped me so much,
it’s helped me to start thinking more positive and see a light at the end of
the tunnel, to see that things are possible if you put your mind to it and gain
more confidence in myself. I’m nowhere near fully recovered, it’s a long
draining process, and I still get relapses, but I will continue to keep
fighting every step of the way!
From
the very first session with Amy, I jelled with her and felt so comfortable opening
up to her. She was so lovely and always listened to me and tried her very best
to help me. She’s given me so many techniques and things to help me cope with
my anxiety, depression and eating.
CBT
can work for you too, but as I said, you have to be very committed, if you give
up at the first hurdle you will never get better, come in with an open mind,
ready to face the challenges you have ahead on the way to recovery.
If you are suffering with mental illness then please tell someone and get help. Just know that it won't be like this forever, you are worth it and it will get better.
Love,
Lo
x
