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30 Of The Most Brilliant Things People Realized In Therapy That They Felt Everyone Should Know About
Going to therapy can be a wonderful step in taking care of your mental health and learning healthy coping mechanisms. Sometimes, all we need is an unbiased, outside perspective to help us work through trauma, sort out our fears and uncertainties and remind us that we are enough just the way we are. I often leave a therapy session feeling 10 pounds lighter than I did an hour prior, as I’ve been reminded that I don’t have to let stress be a massive burden on my shoulders.
But the thing about therapy is that we don’t all have the time, money or resources available to go. It can be incredibly expensive if not covered by insurance, difficult to squeeze into your schedule, and finding a therapist who you mesh with can be a long and arduous process. That’s why it’s so great when people pass along the wisdom and life lessons they’ve gleaned from their therapists!
Down below, we’ve got a list of some of the best knowledge Reddit users have heard from therapy, as well as an interview we were lucky enough to receive from Randy Withers, LCMHC. This article may not be as effective as a weekly one-on-one session while laying on a chaise longue, but there are still plenty of insightful words that can give you a fresh perspective. Be sure to upvote the advice you would have paid money for, and let us know in the comments if you’ve ever learned any golden nuggets of wisdom from therapy. Then if you’d like to have even more free therapy, check out this Bored Panda article next!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The fact that you are high functioning doesn't mean that your illness is easier for you to deal with, it means it's easier for others to deal with.
To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to Randy Withers, LCMHC. Randy is a Board-Certified and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in private practice in North Carolina. He is also the Managing Editor of Blunt Therapy, a blog about mental health. Randy was kind enough to shine some light on the topic of therapy, and noted that although it can be an incredibly useful tool, "Therapy is not, in fact, for everyone."
"People with certain types of developmental disorders, certain types of psychotic disorders, and people with Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality Disorders are often not appropriate for therapy," Randy explained. "People who are forced to go to therapy don't tend to get good results from it, either. Having said that, it is fair to say that the vast majority of adolescents and adults can benefit tremendously from therapy, if for no other reason than people tend to benefit from the strong sense of social connection that therapy provides."
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#2
When my sweetheart of 43 years was diagnosed with stage IV cancer I gave up everything to care for her. Overwhelmed with grief and exhaustion, I found myself having suicidal thoughts. I sought counseling.
One evening I had a thought that felt like a solenoid firing in my brain:
"Just because the love of my life could be dying, that doesn't mean I have to stop living."
I started building in mini-vacations every day. Play music. Ride a motorcycle. Fly a drone. Tell a joke.
We both survived.
#3
“You do not have to attend every argument you are invited to.” Best advice ever 💜
Randy also opened up with Bored Panda about some of his own experiences with therapy. "I have struggled with depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress for most of my adult life. I have seen several different therapists, and most have have been quite helpful. For me, a good therapist provides much-needed insight, education, and support," he noted.
"I like to process life issues with my current therapist, Kim. I appreciate getting a neutral but informed point of view about whatever it is that I'm processing with her. Some therapists have literally saved my life. It's one of the reasons I got into this field."
#4
Sometimes, when we procrastinate, it's because we need to feel control, even when the only thing we can control is choosing not to do something - even when it contributes to making our situation worse. Took me years to come to terms with that one.
#5
When I start the negative self talk, I was told to pretend I am talking to my wonderful and sweet 5yo little boy. I could never say the s**t I say to myself to my son. The therapist told me to envision someone telling my boy what I say to myself and how would I react. It was eye opening as to how we are our own worst boogeyman.
Laura Ketteridge 2 years ago
I heard a variation on this. Imagine Donald Trump is saying all the negative things. It's so much easier to tell him where to go!
One thing I noticed from reading the responses on this Reddit post was that many people mentioned how a therapist can say something incredibly insightful that suddenly seems like it should have been obvious all along. So we asked Randy if he could explain this experience a bit. "This can happen for a number of reasons, but what I tend to see is that people tend to have assumptions that guide their thinking. Many of us never bother to challenge these assumptions and are awestruck when we realize how our thinking contributes to our anxiety and depression," he explained.
"I've noticed that for many of my male clients, they are so busy trying to please their wives or girlfriends that they are shocked to discover that their feelings and needs actually matter, too," Randy noted. "It is amazing to me how many men never realize such a basic truth. People also tell things to therapists that they have literally never told anyone else. Secrets are toxic, and simply relieving oneself of that burden is by itself an impactful experience for most of my clients."
"Our minds can be dangerous weapons, especially if we don't know how to use them," he added. "Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. Most of us don't realize just how much suffering our thoughts cause us."
#6
that my past trauma and upbringing aren't excuses for my bad behavior, and i have to be the one to break the cycle
Alicia M 2 years ago
I think it's crazy all the problems people have that are really from childhood trauma. I've been on a sort of emotional self journey. Lots to unpack there. Just because you come from a crazy family does not mean you have to carry on that tradition. I hope to be the one to break the cycle in my family. I'm pretty much doing the exact opposite of how I was raised. I don't want my kids to ever feel the way I did.
#7
The brain isn't designed to keep us happy. It's designed to keep us alive.
We also asked Randy if there were any particularly insightful things he's been told by therapists that stuck with him. "Years ago, a therapist told me resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. That stuck with me," he shared. "Many adolescents need to hear that their parents' divorce was not their fault. So do survivors of domestic violence, abuse, and sexual assault. For whatever reason, victims of these types of crimes tend to feel an enormous amount of guilt and shame."
"But in general, the one thing I think everyone needs to hear is 'You matter. A lot.'," Randy added.
#8
People's actions towards you are a reflection of themselves, not you.
#9
Your internal monologue isn’t always reliable, especially when you are anxious or depressed.
Randy also wanted to remind readers that therapy is not an immediate cure for any of our issues or struggles. "Therapy requires a lot of work outside the session to be impactful," he told Bored Panda. "Talking to a therapist without making behavioral and lifestyle changes is like talking to a personal trainer and then not going to the gym. It's never a waste of time, but you'll get so much more out of it if you do the work."
If you'd like to hear more wise words from Randy, be sure to visit Blunt Therapy's website right here.
#10
Give yourself permission to grieve.
Not just for the loss of loved ones, but for anything that makes you feel sad.
#11
The five-minute rule. Try something you usually enjoy but don't currently have the motivation to do for five minutes. Set a timer; if you're not enjoying it after five minutes, it's okay to stop. A five-minute challenge seems way more doable when you're unwell than longer ones.
#12
When you place unexpressed expectations on someone, YOU are the one setting yourself up to be let down.
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
I heard a great variation of this: Unexpressed expectations are just resentments under construction.
Personally, I've always had wonderful experiences in therapy, but I understand that it's not possible for everyone. So today, we'll settle for "trickle-down therapy" online. Be sure to upvote all of the responses that resonate with you, and feel free to share more insightful words you've gleaned from therapy in the comments below. Let's prioritize our mental health, pandas! Then, if you want to check out another Bored Panda article featuring advice from therapists that might give you a fresh perspective, we recommend reading this piece next.
#13
No one sees the version of you that you see of yourself.
#14
Friends will come and go. Family, in different ways, can and will do the same.
You're the only constant youre going to have in your life.
Be a friend to yourself. You wouldnt say any of the negative things to your friends that you say to yourself.
Learn to pick yourself up when you're down, but also allow yourself to be human.
It's difficult, but it's one of the most important things I've learned in my life as someone who suffers from Major Depression Disorder, and who beat himself up way more than I should have.
Pizzagirl 91 2 years ago
It's much harder to be forgiving with yourself than with other people. Most people don't remember your mistakes, why should your hold onto them?
#15
My psychologist told me that learning new skills and knowledge, or establishing a new habit, creates a new neural pathway in your brain. It's like hacking your way through a jungle; it takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to reach your destination (or achieve your goal). However, every time you do the thing, you reinforce that same neural pathway in your brain. As it is reinforced it becomes easier to fire up those neurons again, and thus, it becomes easier to do the thing. The jungle is still dense, but it is a little easier to follow the same path that you created yesterday, and every time you take that path it becomes a little more clear. Eventually the behaviour may become so automatic that it requires no effort at all to follow that path.
With respect to breaking a habit, or overcoming addiction: it takes serious effort to stray from your path, once it is established. Taking a new path means hacking through thick jungle again, but this time it requires even more effort because you know you could just follow the old, established path.
This analogy has helped me quit smoking, study for exams, and establish a walking routine when I was too depressed to move. If all you get out of doing the hard thing is the benefit of having done the hard thing one time, it hardly seems worth the effort. It's tempting to put it off until later. But if every successful attempt to do the hard thing makes that path easier to follow, it really is worth starting now. The reward is not just the infinitesimally small health benefits of 10 more minutes without smoking; the reward is actually proportional to the effort put in, because that is how much progress you have made towards your goal. Taking the easy path started to seem like a really dumb idea. Stubbornness kicked in and I started achieving goals.
#17
That my mental illness isn’t my fault, but it is my responsibility.
#18
I was feeling a lot of pressure and guilt from my mom because she wanted me to do something for her that I really didn't want to do. One of my therapists (who heard a lot about my relationship with my mom) made a simple statement that really helped:
"If your mom wants you to do things for her, maybe she should be nicer to you."
It sounds so obvious, but because of mom's continuously using guilt to raise me and my siblings to feel shame, I had a hard time saying no.
This little idea really turned things around for me, not just between me and my mom, but also for other people in my life who like to treat me badly and keep expecting me to come back for more.
Samantha Williamson 2 years ago
One of the most profound things my therapist ever said to me with regard to my mother's "crazy, guilty tripping, throwing things I had told her in confidence back in my face, cruelty, etc" was most enlightening, especially since I had children by then. She said: What would a good mother (or parent) do/have done? That changed how I viewed how she'd treated me differently, knowing I'd not ever do that to my own children.
#19
“You can watch people on their rollercoaster, you don’t have to ride it with them”
Works for all kinds of people/relationships in your life making things dramatic. This was said to me by a therapist almost 10 years ago and I still think about it all the time. It really helps put things in perspective.
Ashli Rusaw 2 years ago
I've always heard a different one but it has the same vibe. "Not my circus, not my monkeys."
#20
*”Neither the past, present or future can be changed through my overthinking.”*
#21
I don’t have to try to attack every negative feeling. Sometimes it’s okay to just be like “oh, hey sadness, I see ya” or “oh, alright panic, run your course while I finish doing what I’m doing.”
Acceptance therapy was the most powerful thing I ever did.
CBT, self-talk... it made me worse. Learning to just acknowledge the emotion and move on with my life was life-changing.
Pizzagirl 91 2 years ago
It's important to accept your feelings, while also realising that they don't control you. You can feel anger without acting on it. You can be happy, while also supporting a grieving friend. You can be sad, and cry, but don't have to suffocate in sadness. It's a balancing act, like so much else in life...
#22
I have had a long time issue (10+ years) of what I now know is negative intrusive thoughts. I thought I was a monster for getting these thoughts to hurt myself and other people all the time. I suppressed them for a long time and accepted the fact the I was a bad person who was eventually going to do something awful one day. I never asked for help due to the fear of being discovered as a freak and in my head it was better to live with being a freak than ask anyone and risk being found out. I later tried to commit s**cide and even after that I couldn't tell a therapist how I was feeling and the full story of why I tried to commit s**cide. Skip forward a couple of years and while my depression had gotten a bit better, the thoughts were as bad as ever. I got into an argument with my parents and in a heated moment I told them how I get the urge to hurt myself and other people on a day to day basis. After a long talk I found a different therapist and went on a different anti depressant which helps treat OCD. It turned out that these thoughts aren't abnormal and don't make me a freak, I just got them more than most people and they could be managed. My therapist gave me the best advice I still try to follow on a day to day basis. Be more generous to yourself. I spent so much of my life thinking I was a monster and a freak that had no chance of being normal, that I never let myself feel good because I didn't deserve it. I am learning to be kind to myself and allow myself to enjoy my successes and to not beat myself up over my failures. It's harder than it sound to not hate yourself when you have for so long, but I just have to remind myself that I need to treat myself with as much value and respect I give to other people at a minimum. Hopefully my story can help someone else who needs it.
Andrea Careless 2 years ago (edited)
A loved one has OCD, and for a long time he had lots of dark, destructive and anxious thoughts that played over and over in his mind, and tortured him. He too thought he was am awful person. His therapist told him that we all have dark, etc. thoughts, but the “door” in our brain is mostly closed. The door in someone with OCD is wide open. That helped him a lot, along with learning ways to deal with the thoughts. He’s way better now.
#23
Sometimes the healthiest thing is to walk away
Celtic Pirate Queen 1 year ago
I turned and walked out on a supervisor once. He caught up with me and basically asked WTF? I told him straight up, "you just keep repeating the problem and blaming me for it instead of offering a solution. I don't need all that negativity". Most people would have been fired, but I was an outside contractor and he didn't have the authority to do that. Just him up right quick, though.
#24
I was going on about something an ex had done that hurt me. I backpedaled a bit and said something like "I want to give them the benefit of the doubt." My therapist said, "Hey. I'm going to stop you there. I've noticed that you give EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt. Except for yourself. You have to be kind to yourself, you know?" Blew my freaking mind. Started bawling my eyes out, really freed me in a way.
#25
We seek what is familiar to us, even if it’s really unhealthy. There is a comfort in familiarity because it’s what we know / learned how to deal with.
#26
That you can’t control how people act towards you, but you can control how you react to them.
It’s something I use with my 9 and 6 year old to help them and it’s so effective.
#27
I was talking to my therapist about how I absorb the moods of my husband and children. It was near impossible for me to be happy if even one of them was in a bad mood. My therapist told me that they do not have to be okay for me to be okay. This was life-changing to me, one of those moments when time slows down because you can finally see through the fog. My husband can be in a bad mood because of work, and I can be okay. My pre-teen son can be a moody kid, and I can be okay. Recognizing this has already started to transform my relationships.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Being okay when loved ones are not is an advantage when you are trying to help them be okay.
#28
My needs and wants are valid and worth voicing
#29
That I needed to forgive myself for past childhood trauma.
It sounds stupid but we Cary that s**t for the rest of our lives.
#30
That we're all f****d up in some way, and it's not worth beating yourself up thinking you're some kind of monster. Acceptance of this was huge to me.
What do you think ?
Eline 2 years ago
Hey, hello pandas. I know sometimes it's hard, and I know I can't say "I understand" because we're all differents, and our pain too. I'm sorry if you're struggling right now. Or for days, month...years. I hope you'll get better, you're still here and that's amazing. It's okay to lash out, to cry....but don't be too hard on yourself. If you want and can, don't hesitate to ask people for help. i hope you'll find the light in this darkness. Don't give up, courage. I give big hugs to everyone here who need and want it. Take care, wonderful pandas !
WoodenLion 2 years ago
i used to do anything for almost anyone and would not allow anyone to do anything for me. i was asked about the feeling it gave me to do for others. i was then told to imagine how many people i have deprived of that feeling over the years. makes me cry.
KimB 2 years ago
In medicine we're taught that the first rule is "you can't save everyone" all you can do is try your best. You can't give more than your best. If it doesn't work out it's because it wasn't meant to be. That philosophy applies to you. If you've tried your best to help those who cross your path then there's nothing else you could have done.
Load More Replies...
Eh-non-o-mous 2 years ago
I had so much anxiety about everything, but especially my high-level job. My therapist said “your job is just a gig — if you get hit by a bus, someone else will be doing it in a matter of days or weeks, or even months. Life will go on.” This gave me tremendous perspective and relief about my life and allowed me to disconnect from that overwhelming fear.
ThatBiBookLover 2 years ago (edited)
I have high-functioning depression - and no one knows. At school, I’m known as the happy, laughing girl. At home, my built up anger and sadness comes out as attitude. And I’m broken by myself. I’m a bit scared, as it’s been getting worse and I don’t know what I’ll do. I have very few motivating factors to live, which are the only things keeping me alive. Edit: it is very VERY difficult for me to open up, as it is hard for me to open up about my mental struggles.
Joshua Russell 2 years ago
Life gets better after school is over. And in the meantime, try to find someone you can talk to about this stuff face to face, possibly a therapist. It sometimes takes a few tries to find the right one, but when you click with one it really is worth it.
Load More Replies... madamjoiedumort 2 years ago
Wasn't in therapy but I finally understand that the world won't end if you say no to something. Grew up with a people pleasing mom and the desire to never say no was starting to give me an anxiety problem. The sun will shine and the birds will still be singing even if you're not jumping through flaming hoops wrapped in razor wire!!
Sonja 2 years ago
After telling my therapist in the psych ward what happened to make me break he looked at me and said: what you experienced wasn't nothing, it wasn't easy or something others just endure, it's not crazy to break down after what's happened to you and you're not abnormal in any way. In fact, I'd be seriously troubled if I ever met a person who had to endure all this that you just told me and wouldn't need therapy. Very worried indeed. It's perfectly normal to be troubled after such a difficult time and needing help! So let us help you please! And it changed my whole perspective.
️sHeS rEaLLy gOoD️ (They/Them) 2 years ago
I struggle with horrible depression and I take antidepressants but when I was around 17 I would refuse to take them because I “don’t need them, my dumbass brain just needs to function, I’m fine.” but in reality I thought I shouldn’t be taking the pills because I don’t deserve help and I should be able to function without them but my therapist said “it’s not your fault you need the pills, it’s not your fault your brain doesn’t want you to take the pills because you think you don’t deserve them, none of this is your fault. You have to take the pills though. And not 37 of them in one sitting, you need to take 1 every night so your mind doesn’t want you to take 37 of them at once. Needing them is ok. It’s ok to need help. It doesn’t make you weak.” and for some reason that really sat with me for years, I’m not better yet but I’m taking my pills, 1 a day, and trying my dammdest
Alex Travous 2 years ago
Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay it's not the end.
Jeri Lockett 2 years ago
I could read this everyday. Trying to find myself after a long sleep, this is great info
KimB 2 years ago
I have an autoimmune disease you'd never know I am suffering by looking at me...I'm the first to jump up at work and assist with patient care when it's needed always with a smile on my face. I never wait to be asked. My coworkers call me Mighty Mouse. What they don't see is how I cry walking to my car when I leave because my hips and lower spine hurt so badly. I'll never give up. I'll never let you down. I don't know how much longer I can say these things.
Vivian Ashe 2 years ago
If you only try for the things you believe are almost a sure thing, the best you'll ever do is meet expectations, and a lot of the time you'll be disappointed. Reach out for the "long shots" sometimes, too. It opens up the possibility of being pleasantly surprised.
Eline 2 years ago
Hey, hello pandas. I know sometimes it's hard, and I know I can't say "I understand" because we're all differents, and our pain too. I'm sorry if you're struggling right now. Or for days, month...years. I hope you'll get better, you're still here and that's amazing. It's okay to lash out, to cry....but don't be too hard on yourself. If you want and can, don't hesitate to ask people for help. i hope you'll find the light in this darkness. Don't give up, courage. I give big hugs to everyone here who need and want it. Take care, wonderful pandas !
WoodenLion 2 years ago
i used to do anything for almost anyone and would not allow anyone to do anything for me. i was asked about the feeling it gave me to do for others. i was then told to imagine how many people i have deprived of that feeling over the years. makes me cry.
KimB 2 years ago
In medicine we're taught that the first rule is "you can't save everyone" all you can do is try your best. You can't give more than your best. If it doesn't work out it's because it wasn't meant to be. That philosophy applies to you. If you've tried your best to help those who cross your path then there's nothing else you could have done.
Load More Replies... Eh-non-o-mous 2 years ago
I had so much anxiety about everything, but especially my high-level job. My therapist said “your job is just a gig — if you get hit by a bus, someone else will be doing it in a matter of days or weeks, or even months. Life will go on.” This gave me tremendous perspective and relief about my life and allowed me to disconnect from that overwhelming fear.
ThatBiBookLover 2 years ago (edited)
I have high-functioning depression - and no one knows. At school, I’m known as the happy, laughing girl. At home, my built up anger and sadness comes out as attitude. And I’m broken by myself. I’m a bit scared, as it’s been getting worse and I don’t know what I’ll do. I have very few motivating factors to live, which are the only things keeping me alive. Edit: it is very VERY difficult for me to open up, as it is hard for me to open up about my mental struggles.
Joshua Russell 2 years ago
Life gets better after school is over. And in the meantime, try to find someone you can talk to about this stuff face to face, possibly a therapist. It sometimes takes a few tries to find the right one, but when you click with one it really is worth it.
Load More Replies... madamjoiedumort 2 years ago
Wasn't in therapy but I finally understand that the world won't end if you say no to something. Grew up with a people pleasing mom and the desire to never say no was starting to give me an anxiety problem. The sun will shine and the birds will still be singing even if you're not jumping through flaming hoops wrapped in razor wire!!
Sonja 2 years ago
After telling my therapist in the psych ward what happened to make me break he looked at me and said: what you experienced wasn't nothing, it wasn't easy or something others just endure, it's not crazy to break down after what's happened to you and you're not abnormal in any way. In fact, I'd be seriously troubled if I ever met a person who had to endure all this that you just told me and wouldn't need therapy. Very worried indeed. It's perfectly normal to be troubled after such a difficult time and needing help! So let us help you please! And it changed my whole perspective.
️sHeS rEaLLy gOoD️ (They/Them) 2 years ago
I struggle with horrible depression and I take antidepressants but when I was around 17 I would refuse to take them because I “don’t need them, my dumbass brain just needs to function, I’m fine.” but in reality I thought I shouldn’t be taking the pills because I don’t deserve help and I should be able to function without them but my therapist said “it’s not your fault you need the pills, it’s not your fault your brain doesn’t want you to take the pills because you think you don’t deserve them, none of this is your fault. You have to take the pills though. And not 37 of them in one sitting, you need to take 1 every night so your mind doesn’t want you to take 37 of them at once. Needing them is ok. It’s ok to need help. It doesn’t make you weak.” and for some reason that really sat with me for years, I’m not better yet but I’m taking my pills, 1 a day, and trying my dammdest
Alex Travous 2 years ago
Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay it's not the end.
Jeri Lockett 2 years ago
I could read this everyday. Trying to find myself after a long sleep, this is great info
KimB 2 years ago
I have an autoimmune disease you'd never know I am suffering by looking at me...I'm the first to jump up at work and assist with patient care when it's needed always with a smile on my face. I never wait to be asked. My coworkers call me Mighty Mouse. What they don't see is how I cry walking to my car when I leave because my hips and lower spine hurt so badly. I'll never give up. I'll never let you down. I don't know how much longer I can say these things.
Vivian Ashe 2 years ago
If you only try for the things you believe are almost a sure thing, the best you'll ever do is meet expectations, and a lot of the time you'll be disappointed. Reach out for the "long shots" sometimes, too. It opens up the possibility of being pleasantly surprised.
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