Your Mental Health Journey

Tonight I have my first appointment with a new therapist. It's exciting and nerve-wracking. I know it will be good for me but I don't want to go. So I have been reminding myself constantly about my mental health journey. I don't want to flake out on that. I am doing everything else that I can do to propel my brain into happiness, why should therapy get side eye from me?

This all got me thinking further about my mental health journey and how scary and frustrating it can be at times. I'm not shocked that people would rather ignore their mental health issues instead of facing them head on. It's not easy and a lot of it is a big bummer. It would be so much easier to just give up.

But I don't. I keep fighting and reminding myself why I started this journey in the first place. Everything will work out and be okay. I will go to my therapy appointment and most likely feel a lot better afterwards.

If you are struggling with your own mental health journey, I feel you. Be brave, fight hard, and keep these things in mind:

1. You Have To Be Committed

Maybe you committed yourself fully to your mental health journey when you first discovered through self-discovery that you needed help. That's great! It's important to accept the fact that you need help. Many don't make it that far. Asking and searching for help is tough, but your commitment to your journey will help to enable you to actively seek out help.

2. Find Your Mental Health Provider

Speaking of tough, searching for and picking the right mental health provider can feel like the toughest thing you have ever done. I know that it took me WEEKS to find the therapist that I am seeing tonight. And what if I don't vibe with my new therapist? Then I have to start all over again. That's another place where commitment comes into play. But eventually you (and me) will find the right provider. Then, the door swings wide open.

3. You Are The Crucial Contributor

Without you there is no therapy session. Your therapist would just be asking a couch questions. Also, therapy will not be productive if you are there and are not totally engaged in participating in the process of healing. The therapy process really relies on the relationship you form with your therapist. So it is crucial that you come to therapy open-minded and really take the lead during your sessions.

4. It's Not Magic

Don't think that you will solve all of your problems in one therapy session. If you go in with that attitude, you will leave very disappointed. It usually takes more than one session to address all of your distressing issues, and like I mentioned earlier, your success in therapy truly depends on what you bring to it. You need to feel comfortable pouring your heart out to your therapist so that you can have the intimate conversations necessary to make each therapy session really count.

5. It's Not Easy

As you can see, all of this takes a lot of time, patience and probably money. It's easy to get frustrated very quickly. But it's all a part of the journey. The process may be hard, but it allows you to explore the areas of your life that are hindering your mental health. I promise you that it becomes much more rewarding the further you go in your journey. Eventually, you will be able to address these concerns with the support of someone you trust in a space that feels safe. You will be able to work out your thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a constructive, holistic way.

So just remember, there is no magical quick-fix. Your journey will be long. It will take a lot of patience, time and commitment. But you can do it. I can do it. We are worth the struggle. Otherwise we will continue to struggle.