Therapy Series: Introduction
Therapy. It’s a loaded word. To someone who suffers from mental illness, no one word sums up all the fears and hopes of sufferers like the word “therapy.” In one word is contained all our fears of exposure and ridicule (”if I go to therapy then everyone will know that I’m crazy!”) alongside our deepest-held and most cherished hopes for recovery and a normal life.
If you suffer from a mental illness, at some point in your life you will end up in some sort of therapy, whether it is a few “stress-buster” sessions with a relaxation coach, or full-blown institutionalization at a mental hospital. For most of us, going to therapy for the first time was, or will be, the most difficult and terrifying thing that we have ever attempted. Beginning therapy is the first step to recovery, and if you suffer from mental illness, it will be when you finally decide to face your illness. This week, I will be writing a series of articles that will attempt to help you begin, and get through, therapy. Therapy saved my life, and I hope I can help it save yours.
My first therapy session was on a frigid winter night in February, 2002. I had made arrangements through my company’s Employee Assistance Program to speak with a therapist about my depression.
I got to the appointment early, and sat in my car trying to get up the nerve to go into the building. You had to be buzzed in, so I was trying to think of an excuse to use on the guards. Finally, the time came for my appointment, so I took a deep breath, forced myself to get out of my car, and went in.
I don’t have many memories of my actual first session, other than I spent quite a bit of time crying, a lot of time staring out my therapist’s window, and a lot of time talking. However, I do remember that when I left her office, I felt an incredible sense of release. It was like an enormous weight had been lifted off me. I knew I had a long way to go, but I felt like I was on the first stages of a path to somewhere better.
Over the next 4 years, I saw 2 more therapists, (one very briefly) and received treatment for depression, anxiety, amnesia and post-traumatic stress disorder. I learned recovery and management techniques, cried a gallon of tears, laughed, and screamed with rage. I did homework, wrote songs, drew pictures, and, on one memorable occasion, told jokes.
About Therapy
There are three main types of therapy: 1) “talk” therapy (the famous couch and pipe-smoking doctor), 2) “medical” therapy (medications and/or surgical treatments such as electro-convulsive shock therapy), and 3) “combined” therapy, which is a combination of talk therapy and medical therapy.
For this series, I am going to talk mainly about “talk” therapy. In future articles I will discuss medication and “surgical” therapy.
Let’s Talk - Talk Therapy Explained
Talk therapy has been described as a “directed conversation.” There are many different styles of talk therapy, ranging from traditional psychological therapy to alternative therapies such as faith-based therapy, primal scream, or art therapy. It’s like ice cream. There are hundreds of flavors, and you get to pick your favourite.
The one thing that “talk therapists” have in common is that that all rely on a theory or methodology to help you discuss your problems and hopefully begin your journey to recovery. Talk therapy can be challenging, painful, and frustrating, but it can also help you achieve great insights into your illness and into your own mind.
The most gifted talk therapists are like artists or great dancers. I was fortunate enough to have had two such therapists. They use their tools and intuition to work with you to create the work of art called “recovery.” With such a therapist, you will feel yourself being guided without being forced, and your therapy will feel like a natural process. They help you “grow” into your recovery.
Therapy Series
The series is divided into 5 parts:
In Part 1: Choosing A Therapist, I talk about how to choose which type of therapy (and therapist) is best for you, and how to locate a therapist in your neighborhood. I also provide a handy checklist that you can use to evaluate therapists.
In Part 2: Your First Therapy Appointment, I describe how to prepare for that vital first therapy session, and what to expect when you get there.
In Part 3: What do Do After Each Therapy Session, I talk about what to do after each therapy session, covering topics from relaxation to homework.
In Part 4: “Leaving Your Therapist, I discuss how therapy relationships end both positively and negatively, and I share some of my own insights about how to know when a therapy relationship is coming to an end. I also talk about maintaining the therapy relationship after the end of therapy, and I give some tips on how to survive when a therapy relationship goes bad.
Finally, in Part 5: Thoughts on Therapy, I share some of my own thoughts on therapy; dealing with issues such as returning to therapy, faith-based healing, multiple therapists, and a few other topics.
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