A lot of the time what's preventing you from getting the help you need, is your own damn self. I know that was the case on my mental health journey.
While I was in college, I was in denial that I had some real problems going on. I was concerned in how it would look, being a college athlete, having to go to therapy. Instead, I bottled my emotions up. I would just kind of take everything and just drag it around with me. The only time they would come out was when I would get drunk, the only time I was unable to hold these demons in as a result of my lack of inhibition. It was a tale as old as time, I would get to this point, call one of my closest friends, and cry about how I was truly feeling. I would wake up in the morning, unaware of the call I made or anything I said. Getting the whole story was an even bigger nightmare, because I had to face the truth about my feelings. Sometimes the things I said shocked me, but I would just deny that I felt that way or tried to make a joke and laugh it off. But what good did that really do? I was simply rebottling these feelings up for the next time that I drank just a bit too much.
Looking back, it is easy to see that I needed professional help. I had my friend telling me I should look into it. But in all honesty, I knew I did. I was just getting in my own way. Whenever you have feelings that are becoming hard to manage, looking into professional help is a good option. Your reasoning to go doesn't have to be as drastic as having thoughts of self-harm or having a dear friend pass away. Being overwhelmed by a break-up, or stressed about a recent move are just as valid reasons to seek out help. At the end of the day, therapy is a tool for you to better equip yourselves with the stresses we encounter on a daily basis.
Some issues are much more pressing than others. If you have serious thoughts of self-harm, you should seek professional help immediately. Even if it is just in passing, these are toxic thoughts that slowly deteriorate your psyche and wear you down. Talking to someone about these feelings is vital in helping you heal and rebuild yourself back up. Additionally, if you have had a loss in your family or friend group, therapy is a great option to help you deal with the grief and various other emotions you may be feeling. Same goes for any type of physical and emotional abuse, therapy can be a great tool to help sort out the trauma you have amassed through the ordeal and let you know that you are not the summation of your experiences.
It is important to note that you are the only person that can make the commitment to get the help you need. I was in denial that I needed any sort of professional help until I had one really bad night. Deep down, I knew I was struggling in a bad way, but I wasn't allowing myself the chance to try and heal. Hearing how I felt made me realize how serious my problems were. I needed to make a change. So I made the commitment to myself to finally heal the things that had been hurting me for so long.
Once you allow yourself the chance to heal, there are plenty of services out there that offer therapy at a reduced cost to patients. BetterHelp has grown in popularity since the pandemic, offering virtual therapy with real therapists at a relatively low cost. For college students, typically most colleges offer on-campus therapy for little to no cost. If you would prefer to do in-person therapy, you can also look for local therapy clinics in your community with a simple Google search. There are a lot more out there than you think. Some clinics even offer scholarships or funding to help you afford the care you need.
It took me four years of struggling for me to see an actual psychologist...well a sports psychologist (that perfect college athlete image is something that I struggled with, give me a break). I finally found some solace in getting at least some of my emotions out. It was so freeing. I felt lighter, like I didn't have as much piled on top of me. But the thing I found most important was that I finally valued myself enough to get the help I needed. I no longer wanted to just deal with the thoughts and feelings I had inside of me.
I encourage you to take action today. Don't invalidate yourself by just saying you're fine and that things will get better eventually. You have the power to work on making them better NOW with the help of therapy. Let 2024 be the year you take care of yourself. You deserve it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this week's Monday Mentals. Mental Health Awareness Month is coming to a close, but I will be doing one more blog next week spotlighting the organization we are donating 15% of our label merch sales to, Active Minds. Until then, make sure you follow us on Instagram (@brokenrecordmusicclub), where you'll see all the cool things our artists are working on.
Comments