Surviving Mental Health Issues: Am I Unique or a Freak?

Years ago, when I experienced debilitating bouts of anxiety, I would easily lose my perspective and feel like an outcast — a freak. I momentarily transformed into a negative abstract of myself that possessed undignified emotional and behavioral idiosyncrasies. But, over time when I regained perspective, I appreciated my odd peculiarities as not only “unique” but as vital assets that helped me achieve some success in my life. Perspective: Use it or lose it. Got it. Seems easy. Not. The hard part was weathering the often betraying nature of this positive, elusive outlook. Whenever life flipped the coin on me, it didn’t always land on the “unique” side and the chances of me slipping into the dark view of myself as a flawed person returned within seconds. Same coin, two very different sides. In decreasing the time between the lost perspective and the reacquisition of it was crucial to managing symptoms and getting well. Finding the gray area was all that mattered. It was the best I could hope for day in and day out. Thankfully, over time I became pretty good at it. However, even today, as a psychotherapist, I still endure rare wisps of self-doubt that creep into my head every now and then. For example, most of the time I feel like a skilled clinician capable of helping patients heal and stop their negative behavior patterns. Other times, I feel like I can’t stop a nosebleed. As a published author, I see myself as a good writer and other times I feel like I can...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Celebrities Creativity Motivation and Inspiration Personal Personality Psychology Psychotherapy Creative Genius Depression Generalized Anxiety Disorder Improving Self Esteem Mental Health Mental Illness Perspe Source Type: blogs