My journey with therapy for PTSD certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been an easy one, but I’m grateful that I’ve found a path towards healing. It all started when I started to recognize the signs of PTSD in my life and finally made the decision to seek out help.
At first, making that appointment was really hard, and I was filled with feelings of shame and doubt. But once I got there, it felt like an amazing relief. Knowing that someone else could see my difficulties—and believing that those difficulties weren’t shameful—was a really freeing feeling. And so began my journey with therapy for PTSD.
I had to work through a lot during treatment. How much of what happened was actually “my fault?” Could I ever truly be safe again? Working on these things took time—but over the course of several weeks and months, I could start to see progress being made in facing these issues head-on.
Nothing can replace the support of a loving family or friends during difficult times––whatever those times may be––so having the extra support from those around me was also essential on this journey. Having people around who believed in my ability to heal provided invaluable motivation for me during periods of burnout or resignation from treatment––motivation which wouldn’t have been possible without them!
It hasn’t been easy but looking back on where I am now (in comparison to where I started) has been very rewarding and empowering for me. There’s still a long way to go but its all part of my healing–to take steps forward even when they feel small & insignificant at times.