Worry that never ceases. Overwhelm that only grows. A sense of impending doom that steals sleep and limits life. That was me.
That was where my story started. But it was just that – a beginning.
Today I can look back at my transformation. Today I can appreciate my journey toward confidence and resilience, a journey that began with therapy.
I have been an anxious person for as long as I can remember. My father thought it was endearing, a facet of my personality that made me who I am.
I was the child who insisted people wore lifejackets near the dock for fear they’d fall in. I worried that our boat travelled too fast along the water. Surely, this can’t be safe.
The Grip of Anxiety: How It Affected My Sleep and Life
What my father did not understand was my anxiety’s persistence, the grip it had on me. It followed me like a shadow through adolescence and into my adulthood. At 13, it became debilitating, and it made sleep its primary victim. My anxiety made it near-impossible to fall asleep.
I would rewatch every minute of my day, with the moments I’d said or done something wrong in sharp focus. I would experience several nocturnal awakenings each night, worried about the things I’d most certainly say or do wrong the next day. It was a vicious cycle that served no one, and over time, it escalated to the point of losing my appetite and struggling to keep food down.
I was not flourishing. I was not living. I was trapped.
The Turning Point: Going to Therapy
Everything changed when I went to therapy. I felt that deep sense of comfort that comes from feeling heard, seen, and understood. Despite how anxious I felt, I did not have to hide.
The relief was profound, and for the first time in my life, I could acknowledge and reflect on my most painful and most fulfilling experiences. As I unpacked my past, I implemented lasting life changes that have and will continue to uplift my future.
The process was challenging at times, but I am no longer held back by anxiety. I have nurtured a positive relationship with myself and accept who I am: an imperfect empath who finds meaning through connection.
From Lived Experience to Helping Others: The Power of Trust in Relationships
My story has given me lived experience of what it’s like on the other side. I appreciate the bravery and vulnerability needed to reveal intimate thoughts, feelings, and experiences, many of which may have been kept under lock and key for years.
I genuinely love my work and find great honour in partaking in other peoples’ stories, particularly through chapters of need and personal growth.
Now, with my clinical training, I gravitate naturally toward building relationships founded on trust.
