Come out from the Dark

From what I’ve seen in my 20 years (and 11 months) of life, avoiding such topics has only worsened mental health conditions for society, creating a false idea that anything that falls under this category, like seeking therapy, is embarrassing and ought to be kept far away from casual conversations.

But it’s a false idea, and I can say this because I’ve experienced firsthand the pain and shame this fallacy piles on top of the already-existing issue.

One in five Americans today battle mental illness, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. If you’re one of these 43.8 million people, you are far from alone.

There’s not a social stigma around physical illness because we talk about it in our homes and classrooms; mental health should be no different.

In Galatians 4:2 we’re called to bear each other’s burdens, but how can we do that if we’re all too fearful to let our guards down?

This has been on my heart for awhile, but after re-downloading Instagram and putting my bio as “proving (to myself) that social media can be used for good,” I decided to start being more intentional with those types of outlets that give me a voice.

I recently posted with a little paragraph about therapy. The post received many sincere responses, so I figured I’d use an even larger outlet to expand, because we can sit around and talk about wanting the world to be more real, or we can live it out. Action initiates change.

Therapy can be an awesome, beneficial experience, although six months ago I wouldn’t have said that.

Therapy can also be a terrifying, dreadful thing. It often takes time to find a therapist who fits all your criteria, and it’s discouraging, stepping out of your comfort zone and having a terrible time doing so.

I’ve seen six therapists, because I bailed on the first five. I think many of us have this preconceived idea of what therapy should look like, so we set our expectations too high and grow bitter at the idea of someone trying to fix us.

A few weeks ago, I experienced a cool God thing that I’ll spare you the time of explaining, but He basically handed me a therapist who is perfect for me, even though I was starting to give up on therapy altogether. I didn’t think it was for me. He answered the prayer I forgot to pray.

My perspective is changed, my bitterness fading.

Making the decision to do what you need to do (if you need to do it … and I think most of us could benefit from a stranger whose job is to listen to our problems) is a brave thing.

And it’s so worth it.

The last time I wrote about mental health in an article, I quoted my therapist at the time, but I told my high school newspaper adviser and classmates that she was a family friend.

I didn’t yet understand that there’s no shame in vulnerability. I was under the cultural spell that wants us to believe we are outcasts.

But this time, I’m telling the world that I’m quoting my therapist.

“The concept of vulnerability in general, looking at your stuff and the reasons you do the things you do, people don’t like the idea of doing that because the coping mechanisms they’re working with are really important to them,” said Margaret Fay, licensed professional counselor at Crossroads Counseling.