Josh Bowman talks about what led him to eventually start seeing a therapist.
Note: I have just started seeing a therapist. I think it’s going well…I don’t really know how to evaluate success at this point in the process.
- I have had depression for a while. It comes and goes, but it sure would help to get to the root of it.
- I have had anxiety too. Even writing this post makes me anxious. So does being late for things. Also social situations. Working out helps to deal with this, but it’s not a 100% solution.
- I stopped drinking a few months ago, and all this emotional stuff came up. It makes me think that I was self-medicating. I miss drinking, it’s awesome…but my therapist thinks it’s probably best (and I agree) not to drink for a while until I sort some of my shit out.
- I’m not good with confrontation. I’d like to get better at it. And if you don’t like it….well…that’s fine. I mean, you have a different opinion so…I’m sorry.
- I’m not great at saying “no” definitively to projects or tasks. Again, I’d like to get better at that. NO! Ah that felt good.
- I want to sort out my issues with my family with somebody outside and neutral. It helps to see my issues framed by an outsider. Like that Camus book (not really).
- I think I lost a lot of the confidence and joie de vivre that I used to have when I was younger. Sometimes I listen to “Like a Rock” by Bob Seger, and I’m like “yeah. Yeah Bob. Yeah.”
- A lot of other people get solid jokes out of revelations they had with their therapists, and I figured…hey, maybe I’ll at least get some material out of my emotional inadequacies.
- Therapy is sometimes maligned, but I think a lot of mental health issues are misunderstood or misread. There could be physiological or other reasons for depression that you just can’t work through with a six pack, you know?
- Uh…cause it’s worth it.
I have not yet found therapy helpful.
Great stuff. It took me a while to finally decide to seek help and I am very thankful I did. I can’t express enough how healing it can be and I hope all people deal with their issues appropriately.
I appreciate your sharing. It reminds me of important things about myself and about being human. I find that it can be hard to go to counseling– and I’m a counselor myself. I recently relocated and wanted to meet with a counselor. The hardest part was making the first appointment. Funny. I always encourage clients to call– or people to call me– but I’m nervous about doing it too.
Maybe you sharing the above reasons for going to counseling will help others make the call too.
Good to hear. I hope you stick with it (and update us on your progress occasionally).
Glad you are getting help. It is a long road and progress is incremental but keep at it even when it seems you and your therapist hit a wall.