Therapy has really helped me - I had a few tough experiences when I was a child and I never really understood the effects of them or how to deal with those effects. My first round of therapy just gave me an understanding of the impact of earlier trauma, but really didn't give me any way of coping better. My current therapist is much better at actually helping - he has kind of a 'program' involving meditation, mindfulness, self-compassion etc that has really helped me develop the notion that there are so many things that I can do to take care of myself. I've also taken up yoga and ramped up my exercise, which has also helped. I do better at taking care of myself now, feel less depressed, and am better at keeping my head together and not zoning out as much as I used to.

I still feel like I have a lot of work to do, but my dark days are less frequent and less dark now. I have faith both that he is willing and able to help me, and that I have a whole set of things I can do to help myself.

To me the biggest difference between my therapist and my friends is that my therapist is actually helpful! I have great, supportive friends, but I need someone with skills and knowledge that can actually help me. I would be kind of reluctant to drag my friends through the kinds of feelings I have when I am gripped by post-traumatic distress, so being able to share that with my therapist and have him show me ways out of that kind of thinking feels like such a gift. I am really grateful for him and his style of therapy.