Navigating the Next Chapter in My Mental Health Journey: A Reflection
Three months ago, I set sail on a voyage through the tainted picture of my inner world. This required picking my brain and unearthing unresolved trauma and suffering. Three months ago, I engaged in Structured Clinical Management (SCM), a combination of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT). This journey has been incredibly challenging but an even bigger revelation of my life. It is now time to end this chapter and start a new one with new beginnings.
SCM involves understanding and addressing my impulses as I aim to create a life that is embodied by stability and mindful decisions. These sessions became the catalyst for my recent growth as I finally had the space to identify the goals and values that matter most to me. I have picked up the ability to navigate my daily routine with intent and willingness as I aspire to increase the stability of my ever-fluctuating mood.
The journey began with the topic of emotions and emotional management. During these sessions, I developed a broad list of skills to help keep myself safe, understand emotions, and become more compassionate towards myself and others.
As I continued to explore my mental health, I started to unravel the threads of past and present relationships and what attachment styles are. I have learned skills that have helped me to navigate communication with clarity and empathy not just towards myself, but towards the emotions of others. I believe that I have gained self-awareness and I am incredibly proud of myself for that. I have worked on apologising to people and building bridges that I have burned in the past. Even though I have experienced trauma, I took it out on the wrong people and only I can hold my hands up and fix those bonds.
Myself and my therapist, Chelsea, put the topic of impulsivity under the microscope. I delved into the science behind impulses through the use of the chain analysis skill. I would like to extend my thanks to Chelsea for helping to get my life back on track, Since working with her I have had zero incidents of self-harm and I have returned to her. I credit both myself and her for creating an amazing bond that helped me to finally fix my life. I have emerged from this experience with so much confidence and a new ability that has been missing for years, I finally feel able to manage my emotions. I no longer ignore those emotions. I honour and listen to my inner voice and allow my emotions to be validated.
As one chapter closes, another one opens. I have cultivated new skills that have helped to lay down the first bricks of a new life. Good days and bad days will come, but I am no longer scared of the bad days. I am ready to take it head-on. I have learned that curiosity is an incredible feeling and that it is not a negative experience anymore.
I have learned to set healthy boundaries and now I only have people in my life that align with my goals and values. These healthy experiences make me excited to use the wisdom I have gained from these sessions toward a more authentic life.
As I start the next chapter of my life, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Medium community for being pivotal to my recent surge in self-confidence. I feel incredibly proud of everybody on this site for showing the world their incredible talents and for making me a better person. So this is to you, the reader. Thank you for joining me on my journey and providing endless inspiration. Goodbye for now.