Overcoming My Anxiety And Recovering From A Secret Kept Over 45 years – Laurie

The following is an honest review from a real BetterHelp client.

Like so many others, my anxiety always prevented me from seeking out face-to-face therapy. I could never imagine sitting down with someone and opening up about myself and what I have been through. So I was initially very skeptical when a friend sent me the website for BetterHelp, but having never done therapy before, I thought, “What harm could it do?” 

I knew I needed to talk to someone about the issues I was going through because I was headed downhill quickly. I was so overwhelmed that I could not concentrate. I was just spinning in circles.

When I first came to BetterHelp, I felt lost and out of place. I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere, and everything was overwhelming. I had anxiety, family, stress, work, trauma, and abuse issues. I had just returned home from being away for three months taking care of my parents. When I returned home, I didn't feel like I fit in - it was like my world stood still for three months, but my husband's and son's lives went on, when I went back to work and felt the same way. I didn't feel like I fit in there - a place I worked at for 26 years. My boss treated me differently, and I felt he was punishing me for being away.

To further add to the situation, after I returned home, I told my husband about a secret I had been holding for 45 years, which has changed me forever. I was molested by a brother for a period of four years and never told anyone because of the threats he gave me. Finally, with all the stress I was under, I had a breakdown, and it all came out.

If you or someone you love is dealing with physical or sexual domestic violence, reach out to the Domestic Violence Lifeline by dialing 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Help is available 24/7.

My work with my BetterHelp counselor, Kassi Goodman, has helped me confront these issues and many others that popped up along the way. I have been working with Kassi for about 19 months, and she has been excellent and very helpful in my recovery process. Kassi worked with me using CBT to get me to think differently about my situations. She would provide me with worksheets to complete, give me resources to look at, and suggest books to read. As a result, I have learned to be more patient when reacting to certain situations instead of initially responding critically. 

I am a totally different person now than when I signed up 19 months ago. I have found my voice and can speak up for myself now. I still have anxiety issues, but they are not half as bad as they once were. My confidence level is also better than it ever has been. In fact, I have done things during my counseling that I never thought in a million years I could do. Most of all, I learned to not worry about what others think of me, as I have learned to think more highly of myself.

Takeaway

Therapy can make an enormous difference in your life. Online cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which was mentioned in this review, has been clinically proven to help people who have issues with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Online therapy is also discreet, and many people impart that they can open up in online therapy in a way they may be unable to do in person. Reach out to BetterHelp to get on your way to healing.