therapy
Focused on the relationship between doctor and patient. Therapy is the process of self-discovery.
Journey
I have come to believe recovery is a journey of self-discovery. For my path of recovery, that includes God, and the VA medical centers and hospitals. Your path might be the same, but it likely isn’t. If it isn’t the same that's okay. After all, we are different people, with different experiences. Different people with different values. I have also come to believe that recovery is not a straight line. Recovery is more like a rollercoaster, with high points, low points, slow points and fast points. Today's story is about how to live life, on life's terms. It is much harder then it sounds, at least for me it is. Maybe you heard of this before it comes from the Action Commitment Therapy (ACT) model of recovery.
By Eugene Shattuck6 years ago in Psyche
Interviews with a Big Black Broad: Session #4
Interviewer: How did your collegiate aspirations relate to your experience with BDD? BBB: Before I begin, I should to warn you that this may be the most bizarre coming of age story you've ever heard. I chose a difficult major in college for two reasons: It was revered as prestigious and lucrative, and I was told that once I graduated from all those years of rigorous study, I would have little to no time for a social life while I practiced my trade. I wanted a career that would keep me so busy that I had no time to dwell on my awful appearance. I also wanted a preoccupation that would provide an understandable reason for why I had no time for romantic relationships—why I would never have children. My plan was to strictly focus on my studies, after which, I'd rely on my friends to satisfy whatever social needs I had. I loved to laugh and discuss politics, philosophy and art. So, I targeted those who majored in these subjects to help me indulge my interests when I wasn't studying my more conservative curriculum. Perhaps every now and then, I would enjoy a casual tryst or two if I was feeling up to it. I'd be a workaholic socialite from now on, I thought. Without time to focus on myself—to obsess over my ugliness, I could avoid what I referred to as "The cloud," which were my severely depressed episodes. My new distractions worked to steady my moods and lessen my obsessions. My grades were almost perfect. I'd even managed to acquire a small but well-coveted grant from the university strictly based on my academic merit. There are ugly people all over the world who are very prosperous, I thought. I studied the careers of very successful, powerful men who were also practicing the trade within the field I was studying. Most of them were single, with few or no children, and no one seemed to criticize their life choices. They weren't stigmatized for not living a conventional life. They were celebrated as playboys in fact. This was one of several observations that solidified my decision to become a playgirl. I could be satisfied with just a great career and friends. No husband. No children. I couldn't really conceive of living what all the other girls had coveted since holding their first doll baby: A "normal" life.
By Anarda Nashai6 years ago in Psyche
Therapy
I work in the mental health field as a Behavioral Health Technician (BHT). Full discloser, I am not a therapist and I am not a licensed counselor. However, I do eventually want to go back to go and start my own practice. Part of my role as a BHT includes assisting clients with understanding their treatment and helping them reach their treatment goals. Our ultimate goal is to see every client become successful, in their terms. In other words, one clients’ success could mean just the average day for another. If there is some improvement, even a little it can be a success story to share.
By Marissa Hall6 years ago in Psyche
A Broken System
My stomach hurt. I couldn’t force myself to participate in the stupid activity. We were suppose to make a collage that represents our recovery. I flipped through the same magazine several times. My hands were visibly shaking. I was sweating to much. Anything I did would be wrong. I was embarrassed to cut anything out of the magazine and glue it on the paper. It would be stupid. People will laugh. Maybe not out loud, but they would.
By Nicole Larsen6 years ago in Psyche
The Art of Healing, Part 2
Part Two You’re 19 years old and you’re dying. You’ve been carrying the weight of this trauma on your back alone for years and it has caused you to sink into the ground, to dig your own grave, to shut down. You’re 19 years old and your body is failing you. Idiopathic disorders plague you, both in mind and body. You’re 19 years old and you are crumbling to pieces, collapsing, and losing yourself inside yourself. You’re 19 years old and you’re dying.
By becca bean6 years ago in Psyche
The Art of Healing
Part One You’re 18 years old and you’re holding onto a big secret. But it’s not just you holding onto this secret—it’s your body, too. You’ve been carrying the weight of it practically all of your life, only you just recently remembered that you’ve been clutching this secret in your shaky hands for years. Your body, however, never forgot. I mean, how could it forget? Your body has been experiencing the gravity of this secret since the very day it was given to you to keep. And ever since that day you have been slowly collapsing in on yourself. So, you’re 18 years old and you’re holding onto a big secret...
By becca bean6 years ago in Psyche
What You Need to Consider Before Starting Therapy
Something very few of us consider is that our mental health, our personal mental health, is an ongoing work in progress. Life is not static, and there are many experiences or issues that can lead us to feelings of anxiety and depression, or the sudden need for better coping skills. Whether this is due to work stress, family members, or intimate relationships, the simple fact is that you may find yourself considering starting therapy. Before starting therapy, though, you have to find someone to provide it, and the options amongst potential therapists are vast.
By Claudia Jerro6 years ago in Psyche
Depression in the Elderly
To begin with, having a pet is a big responsibility—they need to cared for. In the elderly population that is suffering from some type of depression, it's beneficial for them to own a pet for various reasons. One of the main reasons is to not to feel lonely and gives them the joy of a furry companion. Moreover, owning a pet may improve mental health and physical state in the elderly, preventing depression by having a pet for companionship, security, and a reason to pursue physical activity.
By Olivia Mazzotta6 years ago in Psyche
What It's Really Like in a Mental Hospital
The media like to portray psychiatric as dark places where only the truly insane dwell. Watch a movie where a character is in a psych hospital and you will most likely see them being given electric shock treatment, restrained, and drugged up to the eyeballs. I spent a week in one of these hospitals when I was struggling with depression and tried to commit suicide. I would like to set the record straight about what really happens when you are admitted to the psych ward.
By Jessica Purvis6 years ago in Psyche
Hypnotherapy
Growing up was never going to be easy. You see the films, books, and magazine articles on childhood and teenage struggles. Never do you imagine it’s going to be that bad on you. I thought my parents' relationship with one another was normal and my family dynamic was legit. Trouble was always imminent in my family, but I never thought anything of it, I just considered it the norm. These got worse and worse. Constant fights, abuse, alcohol rages, and suicide threats. I began doing the same at 12 turning to cigarettes, alcohol, and sex. I considered it the way forward and to deal with life in general. I had to be a grown-up to control my situation in my family. Suicide attempts became a regular thing for me as did self-harm and alcohol and drug abuse. As I grew up it got worse. Physiological damage was taking its toll and I was at my lowest ever. Then, at the grand age of 15, I started dating am 18-year-old which turned into a five-year abusive relationship. Alcohol and drugs were now my demons and were my only escape. I regularly turned to alcohol as an escape. Leading to arrests, interventions, and hospital emergencies. Then I met a guy who turned it all upside down, I was struck down wholeheartedly with love. He made me better, my anxiety was still out of control and I was a mess but he somehow put a band-aid on my whole life in a messed up way. I was happy, the happiest I'd been since way beyond my teens. I felt loved, wanted, and needed. But nothing could stop my demons and paranoia from creeping up on me. I fucked it up. One year and five months later, I fucked up big time and he couldn’t deal with my damage. My insecurity, my anxiety, my paranoia, and constant no trust. So this was the biggest wake up of all. I turned to hypnotherapy and it was everything and more. I delved deep into my self, I nurtured my unconscious soul. I listened, I resolved, I dug into memories so painful and hurtful, I put them to bed. I talked to little 12-year-old me with a fucked up family. I realized my issues. I have strong trust issues, a 22-year-old would after her father's affairs, hidden secrets, and constant verbal and physical abuse. I’m not where I want to be in life but I’m getting there. I finally have a doctor who listens and has helped. I’ve had a psychiatric assessment, I’ve been put on the right medication and I have the right support professionally. It may take a long time but you will get there. You just have to hold on and hope.
By Livvy Foxhall6 years ago in Psyche
I Went to Therapy the Other Day
I saw a therapist for the first time in over a month a few days ago. I had never seen her before and she did not know anything about me when I walked through the door of her office. I am pretty used to starting over with therapists at this point in my life so I knew that I would have to tell a story that I don't know how to tell. I knew I would have to recount which significant things in my life shaped me into the person sitting in the cushioned chair across from her own with her leg shaking 100 miles per hour with anticipation of spilling words out she hasn't yet fully come to terms with.
By Nikki Rendell6 years ago in Psyche
5 Ways That Therapy Can Help You
Many people think that only those with a mental illness can benefit from therapy. Or that only "crazy" people undergo counseling; but that just isn't true. Anyone, regardless of whether they have mental health problems, can get something out of therapy. Here's why:
By Jessica Purvis6 years ago in Psyche