High school was an intense rollercoaster, to say the least.
New friends, new city, and no more boys. I started off my freshman year by being friends with the people I carpooled with. They were great, but then came the mysterious "sophomore switch". I changed friend groups once again but didn't necessarily feel like I fit in. Then, junior year, I found my people and, more specifically my person.
Junior year was the year I had always picture high school would be. I had an amazing group of best friends, the one best friend I held most dear, and I was playing my dream role. Everything was falling into place, but something didn't feel right.
My schedule was crazy packed with school, rehearsal, and dance classes all being about an hour from my house, I never found much time to do homework or take care of myself. Not to mention, I was having problems with my best friend. We were becoming more distant and I felt like there was no one in this world that was there for me.
It got to the point where I would cry to myself almost every night. I, then, decided to tell my mom that I was concerned about my mental health and thought maybe I should consider going to see a therapist to talk about my problems. After doing some thorough research and some trial and error, we found a therapist that was perfect for me.
Therapy has at least a little stigma still attached to it. If you decide you need therapy, you have crazy abnormalities in your life or you have gone completely insane. While these things do exist, they are not the main reasons why people choose to go to therapy.
I am a firm believer that everyone deserves to go to therapy. It doesn't have to mean that there is something wrong with you. It just means that you want to know why you feel the things you feel or how you can make yourself mentally and emotionally healthier. It is an opportunity to dump all of the stuff that clouds your brain onto someone else and allow them to help you sort it out. It is the perfect way to relieve stress and walk a little taller as you leave the building.
I know it can be scary walking into the first appointment. Find someone you feel comfortable with to go with you. I went with my mom, but for you, it could be a friend, significant other, or someone from your biology class that you've talked with a few times. Having support will always make the process easier. Also, if you notice a friend of yours might be struggling with something, encourage them to go get help and offer to go with them. Lastly, if someone encourages you to talk to someone, really consider it. You are not diseased or broken if you decide to go to therapy.
You deserve to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Therapy could be one step to becoming that person. Consider it. It doesn't make you crazy.
