The Therapy Taboo

As a society, we are encouraged to approach life with a positive attitude. Those of us who are pessimists or quick to anger find it much harder to make friends than those of us who are most often happy.  

This idea that natural emotions can be good or bad have caused many of us to feel embarrassed or even guilty about not being happy. I have noticed among my friends and myself that this thought process results in a refusal to seek mental health help.

It took me about two and a half years of stubborn denial before I agreed to go to therapy. I was embarrassed and scared, convinced I would begin losing friends if anyone found out that I had PTSD.

I was wrong.

Therapy allowed me to process memories I had previously kept concealed.  Because of this, I was quickly finding myself happier than I had been in years. Since completing therapy, I have worked to persuade those who need it to give it a try.

Most universities, UK included, provide its students with free, professional help.  You can make an appointment by calling or walking into Frazee Hall. There is a preliminary session where you vent your built-up problems to a person with a clipboard.

From here, you are paired with either a graduate student or a licensed therapist. I chose to be paired with a grad student because I felt like she would be able to help sort through what was normal college stress and what were truly issues.

I was given homework. Sometimes I was asked to write with as much detail as I could remember. Other times I was assigned mental health exercises to practice throughout the week.

In six months, I went from having anxiety attacks several times a week to juggling school, work, volunteering and clubs without getting stressed. Our generation does a great job in spreading awareness for mental health. We do our best to let those around us know they should not feel ashamed for going to therapy. However, we have a hard time admitting to ourselves when we need help.

Here is a gentle reminder that therapy is not as scary as it seems.  If you are having trouble, maybe it could help you too.