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0 By Alan D.D.
We all shudder at the thought when we’re first confronted with the idea of going to therapy. ‘Am I insane?’ ‘Is he that unstable, and is he crazy?’
I heard those questions from myself and the mouths of others and thought about them. Especially when I was going to therapy during my Senior Year, way back in 2012, after my family and school saw that I’d cut myself.
Going to Therapy – ‘I’m Not Crazy, I’m Not Crazy!’
I cannot be completely sure, my mind was a mess those days, but that’s the only thing I think I thought while my parents were driving me to the first session with a psychologist. A friend of theirs had recommended her, and what else could a 17-year-old guy with a broken mind think about in that situation?
No one in my classroom knew about it, not even the teachers. If they did, they never heard it coming from my mouth, I never spoke about it either. Only two friends of mine were the exception to the rule, and it wasn’t until after a couple of years that my best friend and I spoke freely about it. That was after we were both feeling better, mentally and physically.
The thing is that I wasn’t crazy, I’ve never been. That woman, one of the most friendly human beings I’ve ever met, reassured me of this. Now I know that not even when I cut was I insane or crazy, I’ve never lost my mind. I was only crying for help, the only way I knew.
Why Should You Feel Ashamed of Being Sick?
Going to a professional in mental health is just as common as going to the gym, following a diet, or trying yoga. It’s caring about yourself, about your sickness, about your health. The problem is not what others think about it, or what they may say if you let them know about it, the real problem is you.
Why should you feel bad for wanting to improve your health? Also, why should you hide that you take care of your health? The stigma is out there, yes, but it’s inside us as well, and that’s where the real problem starts and resides: you become the biggest of the bullies.
You’re sick, and you need treatment. That’s why you need a professional. As much as your family sticks with you during this, which didn’t happen in my case, or as much as your friends support you, never underestimate the chance of going to therapy. I never finished my sessions, but they helped me like you have no idea, and they will do the same for you if you give them a chance to.
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