Sometimes We Forget

So…When we are struggling with our mental health, it is easy to forget to celebrate the victories we have achieved. Depression, anxiety, and trauma can act like blinders, narrowing our focus until all we can see is pain and exhaustion. The difficult feelings become so overwhelming that it seems impossible to recognize how far we have come. Some days feel so dark that there appears to be no joy and no way beyond the hurt.

Today feels a little lighter.

A friend recently reminded me that I have come a long way in this journey. Since January, I have been to EmPATH, Depression Recovery PHP, Depression Recovery Residential, and Trauma PHP. Along the way, I have learned DBT skills, explored CBT concepts, and begun the difficult work of facing the traumas in my life. None of it has been easy. There have been setbacks, painful moments, and days when I wondered if I was making any progress at all.

But I am not the same person who walked into EmPATH on January 26th in crisis.

My journey is far from over, and I know there will be more challenges ahead. There will be difficult feelings and setbacks because recovery is rarely a straight line. But today I can see something that is easy to miss when I am hurting: there has been progress. I have developed skills I can rely on, and I have been blessed with a strong and caring support network. To all of the people who have walked beside me, encouraged me, and supported me, thank you.

Today, at least for a little while, I can see hope. I can see that there is a way forward, and I believe I am headed in the right direction.

If you are on your own mental health journey, I hope you will take a moment to celebrate your victories too. They do not have to be dramatic. Sometimes simply getting out of bed, asking for help, using a skill, or making it through a hard day is worth celebrating. Progress may be slow, and it may come with setbacks, but progress is still progress.

And that is something worth celebrating.

More Later…