When I entered college, my first thought was to start looking into therapy. Since my university, The University of Texas at Austin, offers free mental health services (at least to an extent), I thought it would be the perfect time to look into it. However, I felt nothing but overwhelmed and scared. Talking to some random person for the first time and telling them my whole life story, including all the ugly parts, was nothing but nerve-wracking. However, I held onto my pride, dialed the phone, and booked my first appointment. It wasn’t as scary as I made it out to be. I have been in therapy for roughly two and a half years, and dare I say, it has made me a stronger and better person. Here are the top five things therapy taught me:
- Setting boundaries is scary but necessary at times.
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The idea of saying “no” is pretty nerve-wracking, but at times it’s the only option. People always assume that boundaries are just saying no to going out one night, but it is much more. It sets a dividing line between you and things you don’t feel like doing. Boundaries do nothing more but help protect yourself. Contrary to popular belief, it is in no way selfish, and it is just putting yourself first.
- It is okay to fall back at times.
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Healing is not a one-way road. There are always some twists and turns and maybe setbacks that are all part of the journey. So be easy on yourself when things don’t work out or when you fall back to old tendencies. It doesn’t make you weak; it just makes you human.
- Distracting yourself when you feel down isn’t always bad.
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Watching TV or scrolling through TikTok can be counterproductive most of the time. However, those things could be a good escape from reality on days when your mind is elsewhere. They can help you on your off days to help your head go somewhere not so mentally exhausting. If you need to take a break, do it because you will thank yourself later for it.
- Depending on your life experiences, therapy will take some time.
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Some people assume that therapy and healing will happen fast, but it takes time, just like most worthwhile things in life. You may work out your issues quickly, but you might need extra time and patience to continue pushing through, depending on your life situation.
- Learning the importance of self-love
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Everyone always talks about self-love, but only a few people take the time to do the work themselves. However, therapy is all about self-love. Learning to heal yourself inside and working on it is nothing but the definition of self-love.