Every week for the past 7 months, I have attended one to one cognitive behaviour therapy sessions with my counsellor Anita Jaffe. I have found these sessions incredibly helpful as they have enabled me to cope with daily life. I feel that I have become more knowledgeable about my thoughts and feelings, and how that affects the way I perceive things, therefore affecting the way I act and behave. Anita has also taught me many coping techniques to help me manage my problems effectively.
I am very grateful that I have been able to go to these sessions, however I know that the majority of teenagers aren't so fortunate. After doing some research I have found out that there isn't much out there for teenagers and this has inspired me to start a blog. I also hope to start up a stress prevention club for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18, and I will write on here about my experiences and about how the sessions progress.
So far, during my adolescent years I have struggled with many problems that have affected my everyday life and I know that I am not alone. One of the most recent obstacles I have had to face is panic attacks. They completely took over my life; from avoiding particular social events, to which subjects I chose to take at A-level. I just couldn't face quiet rooms. I know this may seem petty to some, but to me it was a big deal. I really felt that I would never get better, and that I would never be able to do normal things again. To my complete surprise, slowly but surely, I am getting better. I am learning to face my fears even though I thought it was impossible, and I am understanding that self-will is key to recovery. Therefore I hope this blog will be a beneficial source for others and that they will find my experiences helpful too. I also believe that because I am a teenager, other adolescents will listen to me because I know exactly how they are feeling as I am going through it too!
Wow, congratulations. I hate feeling my actual feelings. How do you do it? I tend to ignore my feelings. We have similar posts, haha. I go to therapy, (regular shrink to patient talk) and I post sometimes about sessions and my experience. Anyway, how do you not ignore your feelings, and how do you accept them?
ReplyDeletePanic attacks like sudden shocking news, stress and not feeling well after that stress attack? Wow, we're similar in stress-therapy type things, except you're 10 steps ahead of me. I still ignore my feelings, I have no idea how you can open up to people and accept what you feel instead of hiding with anger.
That's just awesome, "Understand what you're going through" that made me feel comfortable... but weird since I hate opening up - how do you let your feelings out ?
ReplyDeleteIt's Mike from the Google Forum, we just spoke about how to get followers.
I hate opening up too, for fear of getting hurt and people using it against me. But I believe that facing your feelings and thinking about them more rationally is the only way to start feeling better. Often when I'm going through something really tough, it seems like there will be no end to it. But if you take a step back and really think about the problem and think about your thoughts, its often those thoughts that are making the problem worse... if that makes any sense?! You build it up to be a massive obstacle in your head, and you cant see a way around it. But by believing in yourself and by thinking about other things that you have overcome in the past, hopefully you will find a way through.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to face your feelings, but remember that it always gets worse before it gets better!
Wow! Good for you! : ) How do you open up so much and to so many - it the thing I can never do.
ReplyDeleteThanks and well done
xx
Quote: "It always gets worse before it gets better"
ReplyDeleteAmazing line. Agree with it. You might be right, now it'll take the rest of 2000 years to open up 6 words of basic feeling to my therapist. By 2000 I mean a long time, the simplist questions about how I feel are even hard for me, but I agree with your quote. Hopefully soon it'll ware off. Gets worse before it gets better, so.
Quote @Katherine. There are different types of opening up, remember that. What I do, or what Christabel are so different, but yet so similar. I blog daily about my day which sometimes I post what I feel, but will NEVER post the story behind why I feel like that, or why this feeling is that, why I'm hiding behind anger, whereas Christabel is amazing and wants to help others out. Mine is like a public life journal daily bases, and hers are advice.
ReplyDeleteMine: http://myrandomcolloquies.blogspot.com/