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I sat at the end of an initial session recently. The person seated across from me had a complex and chronic history of mental health diagnoses, not the least BPD and substance abuse. Following a lengthy intake, I asked if they had any questions of me before we finish for the day. They looked at me straight in the eye, paused, and asked, "Am I going to get better?".
“Everyone has unique experiences and these deserve self validation and kindness. If we avoid our grief, try to move from one uncomfortable feeling to the next, the grief perseveres. Perhaps for even longer.”
Feeling down and out? Your life feels doomed and overwhelming? Depression is a term that’s thrown around a lot in the modern era’s improving culture of mental health awareness. We say we’re depressed when we’re sad. But how do you know if you are just feeling down or if there is something more serious that needs addressing?
Getting in the practice of noticing what you can be thankful for may not be the panacea to psychological disorders nor a singular treatment modality to improve your mood or reduce your stress though it is without doubt a useful skill worth grappling onto your self-care toolbelt.
A long time coming article describing simply how primary and secondary emotions work, how we can come to understand our own unique emotional constellation, and how to change this.