I’m just trying to figure it all out."

Going to therapy can be extremely helpful and valuable, but it’s certainly not always easy.

Here are some of the most eye-opening stories:

1.

A woman is sitting in the living room next to a pile of clothes looking distraught

“Coming to terms with illness or disability is such a long process.

It’s a mourning process.

I’ve been chronically ill for 17 years, and sometimes I still feel this way.”

A woman is a bookstore perusing the books

fayeolivia90

3.

“Something I learned in my therapy sessions is that I’m the only one keeping myself from happiness.

“That you’re only in charge of your own behavior.

A young woman is lying on the couch and looking out the window

you could’t take the blame for other people’s actions because they make their own choices.”

whale_tail

5.

“My first ‘real’ relationship was a grooming situation.

A woman is journaling

This is different from other age-gap relationships.It wasn’t.

I wasted four to five years of my youth on it.

juliahoodman

7.

A woman is having a session with her therapist

When they told me that, I cried.

I think more people need to hear that.”

alexandras4b7d617cd

9.

A teenager is looking away from her frustrated-looking mother

“That my dad’s love for me is conditional.

Additionally, he’s weird and jealous of me in a way a parent never should be.

“One difficult truth I was faced with was that I was trying so hard to be perfect.

A woman is standing in front of a window soaking up the sun

NOTHING was ever enough.

I realized I was never truly happy, no matter what I did.

What kind of life was that?

A mother is smiling over her daughter's shoulder

Just one full of disappointment.”

Lasvegas89

11.

“My mother likes me, but she doesnt love me.

A woman is staring out a window

Queen_Love

13.

“My first psychiatric symptoms showed up when I was 6.

They backed off for a bit but eventually settled in by the time I was 11.

The diagnosis has changed a few times as things developed, especially throughout my early 20s.

Therapy is all about confronting the things you feel like keeping the door closed on.”

altenbas

15.

“I learned in therapy that it is okay to set boundaries with your parents.

She treats me like a confidant rather than her child.

I tend to show grace to everyone except myself.

Im my own worst critic, and its self-defeating.”

In a way, my PTSD and depression have actually made me more aware of how I treat people.

Thanks to my therapist and primary care doctor, my mental health awareness is a lot more clear.

I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.