I share on this site about how I went from without any study skills and a failing GPA to eventually earn respectable grades and able to write these articles. I left out that during highschool, freshman year, and most of my sophomore year I was facing crippling personal issues. For anyone else in the same boat, you can empathize that some issues can grapple every aspect of life and suffocate it. I know. I was there. It’s okay though, the first step is admitting having a problem.
After 3 years of on-and-off-again therapy through my university’s counseling service I have been able to finally experience life like all of those running through the sunshine anti-depressant medication commercials. I never had to take any drugs, though I imagine they work just fine if used properly.
Being able to talk about problems with someone who is trained and professionally interested in what you have to say is important. Friends can be there to lend a hand, and can ultimately end up making matters worse. When talking to a friend about a skeleton in the closet that is giving issues, you are trusting them to remain secret, as well as passing on the burden of the information and the secret to them. Friends are better for reasonable personal challenges instead of dragons under the bed. The dragon can be slain, it just needs a better approach.
The listening and helping skills of a friend can rarely compare to that of a therapist that you ‘click’ with. Therapists listen and help people help themselves all the time! They will get to know you, perhaps in ways better than a friend, with repeat sessions. The third therapist I had was the one that I finally ‘clicked’ with, and my life has changed significantly after working with him.
Next to traveling, going to therapy has been one of the most important things I have ever done. It is why I am able to talk, think, and act the way I do. Without it I would be in a very different situation than I am now. I would have missed out on all of the great relationships I have!
Many people are wiling to go to a doctor, and admit when they do – yet stop short of admitting they go to a therapist. In my opinion they are both essential. Mental health and being able to understand your own feelings and tendencies is a fundamental quality of a happy, successful life. It improves your own life and relationships with others.
While I lacked study skills in the beginning of my university career, the real challenge to overcome was myself. Many universities offer free counseling to students. If you are in highschool there are likely options in your area. It is okay to admit having a problem and going to therapy. As a friend of mine put it: “Everyone could use a little therapy.”
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