I talked to a therapist. it wasn’t easy, but it felt great.

I talked to a therapist today and it wasn’t easy. As the founder of a mental health nonprofit, I am constantly promoting that others seek help for their mental health without fear of stigma or judgement, and yet it took more courage than I am proud to admit to heed my own advice. When I felt my mental health slipping and new symptoms arising, especially amid the third trimester of my pregnancy, I knew it was time to seek help, but I also felt afraid, as many understandably people do. I was afraid that seeking help meant I was regressing from the progress I had made. I was afraid that admitting I need help meant I was no longer strong or “normal.” Fortunately, I pushed myself past these irrational worries and I made the decision to seek treatment.

I talked to a therapist today and it felt great...

---

I talked to a therapist today and it felt great. The therapist had me talk through what I am currently feeling and the recent events that have heightened my emotional deregulation. She also helped me connect some past tendencies of my diagnosis of borderline personality disorder with the symptoms that I am showing now. She validated my feeling and complimented the insight I have to my own mental health.

I talked to a therapist today and I can’t wait to continue. Therapy is not a one-and-done experience. I know that from my past experiences with therapy and this experience is no different. I feel better having sought the help I needed, not because all of my problems are solved, but because I know I have taken a courageous and advantageous step towards bettering myself and I look forward to the continuation of this journey.
​
Despite my decades of experience with all kinds of mental health treatments, I learned something new today. I learned that returning to mental health treatment is like continuing your training to win at more challenging competitions than you are currently training to do. Metaphorically speaking, I have already trained for a 100 meter race and I that training has helped me win or place highly in the 100 meter races I have competed in so far. But training for a 100 meter race is not necessarily sufficient enough to help me win a 500 meter race. A 500 meter race won’t be impossible to face, but with some extra training I can not only race with ease, but potentially win those longer races as well.