New Year, New Realizations

So I’ve spent most of my adult life feeling like there has been something wrong with me due to depression and anxiety.
I’ve been to countless doctors who, based on the symptoms that I have described to them, have labeled me with having agitated depression and anxiety disorder.
I’ve seen a dozen therapists and have been prescribed a plethora of prescription pills throughout my adult life.

None of this has ever really changed how I feel.

A few years ago I started thinking that maybe I was just experiencing…
Life
Maybe there isn’t actually something “wrong” with me other than being overly self-aware and extremely sensitive to…
Living

Life is filled with darkness as well as light. The key is always balance.
Something I did want to work on was my tendency to dwell on the negative aspects of my existence.

So, a few months ago I started my own Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journey to manage my negative thought patterns.
Some days have been good, some have been bad.
But that’s just life right?
We all have good days and we all have bad days.

Yesterday, my friend Hive account@clayboyn sent me an excellent blog by @abigail-dantes about Existential Psychotherapy.

And well, it kinda changed my life.

Hive account@abigail-dantes’ blog pointed out something quite profound to me:

Most fields of Psychology view anxiety as a mental health disorder, but Existential Psychology views it as just a natural part of our existence.
This natural state of anxiety can either be integrated and embraced or met with overwhelming fear.

I finally feel like I have a better understanding of myself and that there is an explanation and confirmation that there isn’t necessarily something “wrong” with me.

Existential Psychotherapy

Existential Psychotherapy is based upon 4 primary existential situations that we must face as humans:

• The responsibility of freedom
• Isolation
• Meaninglessness
• Death

These 4 existential situations arise from our existence itself which we did not choose, the choices that we need to constantly make to continue our existence, not knowing why we are here or what happens when it ends, but understanding that it will inevitably end.

These situations are inherent to our existence and the therapy helps to deal with any conflicts, distress, and anxiety that arise from dealing with them.
The anxiety is seen as a natural process of experiencing life rather than a mental disorder.

How Existential Therapy can help

Existential therapy does not dwell on an individual’s past.
Instead it uses retrospection to help understand the outcome of past choices and beliefs as a way to gain more insight and freedom and focuses on exploring the choices for the future.
It also focuses on helping people let go of the idea that they were put here on Earth for a specific purpose, allowing the freedom to exist in the moment and to view life as a journey.

The therapy can help to give a sense of control and direction to ones life by focusing on facing fears and issues head on and taking ownership and responsibility for choices that caused those fears and issues.
The goal is to achieve awareness without being overwhelmed, ultimately creating a healthy balance which helps to make positive choices and decisions.

Thanks to Hive account@clayboyn and Hive account@abigail-dantes for introducing me to something that means so much to me.