Therapy has been my savior. I, quite literally, would not be around if it weren’t for my amazing therapist and psychiatrist.
Battling rapid-cycling bipolar I is no joke. I’ve been so manic that I had no money left after two weeks. I’ve been so depressed that I damn near killed myself. Back and forth, up and down, rinse and repeat.
I am so lucky to have had the same psychiatrist for five years, and the same therapist for three. They’ve passed on plenty of wisdom to me over the years. Below are some of the best therapy quotes I’ve received from them.
CONTENT WARNING: There is discussion about dark subject matter. If you are susceptible to being triggered, then you might want to exit this article.
“You’re not a bad person; you’re just trying to survive.”
I’ve done some messed up shit, and self-loathing because of it? It’s real. But when I repeatedly beat myself up in one session over past transgressions, my therapist dropped this on me. I instantly felt better. It wasn’t an excuse – it was a reframing. And it made me want to do better, do more than just survive.
“Narcissists will never value you, because they’re too busy valuing themselves.”
Raise your hand if you’ve ever dated a narcissist. Just me? Cool. Long story short: I was in a four-year relationship with someone who could never seem to find my worth, but always had to be applauded for every achievement.
When my therapist told me this, something in my brain clicked. And while it took me a few months, I found my worth, packed my bags, and left. Best. Decision. Ever.
“You hold onto the past with all your heart, when there’s a bright future ahead of you.”
My darling psychiatrist told me this when I was talking about letting an old, toxic friend back in. I was trying to justify it, but even I knew my defense was weak. After talking myself in circles, she finally said this gem. It made me realize that my nostalgia was holding me back from reaching my full potential.
“What happened to you was only a page in your book. Don’t let it be the whole book.”
One of the main reasons why I began to go to therapy again in recent years was to work through a very traumatic event that happened to me that was left unprocessed. I blamed myself for what happened to me and let the pain consume my whole being. Separating myself from my trauma was a very difficult thing to do and what my therapist told me was extremely encouraging and has stuck with me since.
“That was very strong of you. You should be proud of yourself for coming out of this alive.”
As I said, I was in a dark place. I was self-harming and had suicidal ideation, while also battling an eating disorder on the side. Finally, I decided to pull myself up out of the darkness and reach out to my therapist. She told me this when she heard that I’d done it myself. Her acknowledgement meant everything.
If you are thinking about beginning therapy (you should — everyone should!), and are looking for covid-safe options, we suggest BetterHelp or Talkspace.
What are the best therapy quotes you’ve ever been told by your therapist? Let us know in the comments!
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