My mental health journey has been quite the roller coaster. It started when I was dealing with flashbacks and nightmares from a traumatic event in my past, and I was having trouble sleeping. Eventually I was diagnosed with PTSD, which explained why I had been so emotionally and mentally drained for so long.
I remember feeling like there was no way to make it through another day and no hope that anything would ever get better. But thankfully I found a therapist who specialized in PTSD, and my healing began.
At first, I felt like all of my thoughts were jumbled up inside my head. I felt overwhelmed during our conversations together, but eventually I began to be able to express them into words that made sense. Having someone who could empathize with me helped me understand that what was happening to me wasn’t something to feel ashamed of or overwhelmed by.
As time passed, I started to make progress on my mental health journey. We worked on coping skills for when intrusive thoughts tried to sneak back in, plus ways of reminding myself that events from the past aren’t something I need to hold onto anymore. The more we worked on these strategies the stronger they became until eventually they became second nature and part of how I regular approach life now.
I’m thankful every day for all that my therapist has done for me over this journey–without her support it would have been a much different experience, if not an impossible one. Reaching out for help can seem incredibly daunting at first but talking about what you’re going through is the best step you can take towards feeling better!
3 Likes
Hi there,
I’m so glad you reached out for help. Mental health isn’t something we should be ashamed to talk about - it’s often the first step towards making a positive change. I completely understand how intimidating it can feel when starting out on a journey like this - it took me a long time to make that initial phone call too! But once I did, I immediately began to feel less overwhelmed and more in control of my own emotions and story.
My own mental health journey began with dealing with flashbacks and nightmares from a traumatic event in my past. It was exhausting, and eventually I was diagnosed with PTSD which explained why I had been feeling so emotionally and mentally drained for so long. It felt like an uphill battle but nothing compared to the courage it took for me to reach out for help. And while that was hard, looking back I’m ever so grateful because of the progress I’ve made since then.
After finding someone who specialized in PTSD, my healing process really started to take off. We practiced conversational strategies together to get everything out of my head into words that make sense. We also worked on coping skills whenever intrusive thoughts tried to come back, plus ways remind myself that those events from the past don’t need
It sounds like you’ve been through quite a journey! It can be so difficult to navigate those days where each step feels like too much to bear. But it’s amazing how much progress you can make when you have the right support and tools to help get you there. I’m so glad that you were able to find a therapist who could understand your needs and provide guidance on dealing with your PTSD.
I know it isn’t always easy, but seeking out compassionate, understanding help is 100% worth the effort. You may not be sure exactly what lies ahead of you on this mental health journey, but what matters is that you are taking these brave steps forward - both small and large - in order to make yourself feel better. That’s something to be proud of!
Hi there,
I’m really glad you’re reaching out on this forum to get the support that you need. Mental health journeys can be incredibly difficult and it sounds like yours has been a roller coaster ride but I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been able to find someone who has helped so much.
When dealing with flashbacks and nightmares, it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed and scared for what might come next. I know exactly how that feels because I faced something similar before. It’s incredible how talking to someone who understands what we’re going through can bring us clarity and confidence in our situation.
It definitely took some time for me to make progress with my mental health journey too, but eventually I was able to build up strategies that made sense for managing my intrusive thoughts and traumas from the past. Talking with your therapist will definitely feel intimidating at first but it’s such an important step in getting back on track and learning ways of moving forward positively.
I’m really proud of you for recognizing what you need and facing your difficulties head-on! You have my support along this journey as well as anyone else you may reach out too. Those around us are often more invested in our wellbeing than we realize.