Being someone who constantly battled mental health issues from an early age was surely something that bothered me, and as I grew up, even more so. I had met with several therapists in the past, who had prescribed an array of different therapies. However, talking to a therapist was not my strong suit. More often than not, I was overcome with anxiety, and talking to a therapist become harder as I grew up.
I hadn’t seen any therapist since high school. My college years were spent in a supportive social circle who could keep me in check about my feeling, and all my highs and my lows. But as soon as college ended, I was thrust out into the real world, not knowing what I would do. The adult life hit me hard. I had to find a job, learn to pay my bills and do all of the things that I surely wasn’t prepared for. This sent my mental health into more of a spiral than I would like to admit.
Three months ago is when I decided that I had enough. I had spent more than one and a half year unemployed, working on random freelance jobs here and there to barely support myself. The road was tough, but I knew I was in a rut, and I had to get out of it. I lived in a different city as compared to my college friends, my family lived further away and I had really no support system in the city. I knew I had to get professional help if I wanted to find a way out, but as someone with no job and who has a hard time speaking in front of people, traditional therapy was not an option.
I decided to look online after hearing about text-based therapy apps and stumbled upon Talkspace. Text-based talking was always easier to me than meeting someone face to face, which is why I thought this would be a good starting point. After downloading the app and completing the preliminary rounds of registration, I was put in touch with a licensed therapist who then began to communicate with me via chat.
I took a bit to open up to her, but I feel like this is the way I can get out of the slump that I am in. I still have a long way to go, and a lot to work on, but at least I now have a rational point of view that I can rely on.
And I have a few interviews lined up next week, and I hope those go well!
