I missed posting for the blog challenge yesterday. It was a busy day, and by the time I finally sat down to try and write last night, my eyes just couldn’t stay open, nor could my brain formulate any reasonable thoughts. So, now I will attempt to combine the topics from the last two days into one…
Day 13: In Chapter Ten, I talk about how sometimes survival is about whatever gets you through the day. Share what has “gotten you through the day” or held you together during tough times: faith, family, friends, alcohol, food, TV shows…whatever your glue is, don’t be afraid to get real.
Day 14: In Chapter Eleven, I share some of my experiences in group therapy. Talk about your own experience with therapy…what it has taught you, how it has helped (or not helped) you, how it has helped you see how ENOUGH you are. If you’ve never been to therapy, talk about why. And what you would hope to learn from it if you ever went.
Therapy is most definitely something that has gotten me through some tough times in my life, but I will touch more on that in a moment. First and foremost, the main things that always get me through a bad day are my friends and family. I’m fortunate enough to be blessed with some of the best, and they never hesitate to make me laugh when I’m feeling down. Some people just pick up on it, and they are quick to crack a super cheesy joke or send me funny pictures or videos that they know will bring a smile to my face. I’m so incredibly grateful for all of those people in my life.
In addition to my friends and family, sometimes, I’ll just write to make myself feel better. Maybe, I’ll read or binge-watch one of my favorite TV shows. I almost always find comfort with chocolate or ice cream or tacos. Maybe even some whiskey or wine. It really all just depends on how I’m feeling, to be completely honest. However, there have been moments in the past when none of those things helped at all. I exhausted all of those efforts and realized that I needed to talk to someone who could offer an unbiased opinion on all of the emotional struggles that I was dealing with in my life. When I first decided to go to therapy on my own at 24 (I went as a child, but that was mainly my parents’ doing), it was a gradual decision. I initially spoke to a close family friend about it. She’s like an older sister to me, but she is also a professional counselor. She offered me some good advice, and she even referred me to the counselor that I ended up seeing for nearly 2 years after that.
I’ve stated before my disdain for the stigma against therapy. Taking care of one’s mental health is so incredibly important in life. From my personal experience, I know that I tried to “fix” all of my problems myself, but eventually, it all just became too much for me to handle. Even when I was going to therapy, I felt that there were very few people in my life that I could admit it to because I was afraid of being judged. People don’t look at therapy as a means of bettering yourself and your life, they look at it as something being wrong with you. It’s so twisted, in my opinion. I think therapy is the best decision that anyone can ever make for themselves. Your world doesn’t even need to be falling apart to seek help from someone. You could just be struggling to find your purpose in life or maybe you’re suffering with anxiety problems. The beauty of therapy is that it doesn’t care where you’re at in your life, it’ll embrace you with open arms and help you overcome whatever battles you may be fighting.
Therapy most definitely taught me so much about myself. I was forced to really dig deep and examine my greatest strengths and weaknesses, my biggest hopes and dreams, and especially my greatest fears. I was forced to face emotional traumas of my past that I had swept under the rug for so long. Dealing with my past helped me overcome it. I noticed a change in how I viewed myself and my life. My relationships improved with those closest to me. I slowly gained more confidence in myself again, and I gained the courage to move forward to a life that I previously never would have imagined for myself. Therapy helped me repair the most broken chapter in my life.
And I couldn’t be more grateful for the person that it’s made me today.
La Bella Vita 