Member-only story
Embrace Therapy
“Our identities are built on the stories told about us and that we tell about ourselves and experiences. And healing comes from re-storying our self-narratives and importantly, also, from sharing them: We need our stories to be witnessed in order to heal.”
-Dr. Lydia P. Ogden
The single most important thing I’ve ever done is embrace therapy. It’s not only been a lifesaver in times of crisis, but over the years, I’ve developed a tool kit that is useful in every situation. Do I always use those tools? No. I don’t always remember, and sometimes I choose not to. But I have a robust varied toolkit just the same, and it has saved me over and over, time and again.
Are my problems solved in therapy? Well, that’s an interesting question. No, not really. Breakthroughs sometimes happen during a session, but mostly there’s so much to consider, to ponder after a session. That’s usually when things get really clear and really real.
Furthermore, I suffer from Bipolar I — and I mean I suffer. Mental illness is a chronic lifetime condition that can be managed through therapy, drugs, and constant attention to one’s mental and physical health, but it is incurable. Some may say avoiding triggering people and situations is helpful, and that does work sometimes. But triggering people and triggering events don’t usually announce themselves in advance, they ambush you. When that…
