My Experience with Therapy

I was diagnosed with clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder a couple years ago and therapy has really helped me through it. For a frame of reference, I had severe agoraphobia which means I would get panic attacks anytime I would have to go any further than five minutes away from my house.

I first started therapy when my anxiety and depression were mild, I didn’t have the agoraphobia yet. I had chosen a therapist out of the list my doctor gave me, and I started going once a week. It did not go well. Looking back on it she was not a good fit for me at all. I was trying to force it to work but that made my anxiety grow worse and worse which led to the agoraphobia.

After that, it took me a while to try therapy again. I am so glad that I tried again because it has helped me immensely. I was able to find a therapist that I trusted and could really open up to. That is the most important thing I took away from this experience: you might not find the right therapist on the first try. You need to make sure that they are a person you feel comfortable with.

Therapy is something that has helped me so much. I really recommend it to anyone who is having trouble with depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness. Don’t get discouraged if the first one you try isn’t a right fit. It might take a couple tries to find the therapist that is right for you but I believe it is worth it.

Have you ever had a therapist that didn’t work out for you? Was it your first one? What advice do you have when it comes to finding a therapist that suits you best, even if it’s not on the first try?