Emerging from the Mud: An Opportunity for Recovery and Healing

“Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering

Once you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you may experience a variety of feelings.  It can be a confusing time and I have met with clients who have expressed feeling everything from anger and disappointment to relief and peace upon receiving a diagnosis.  While there is still significant stigma around mental health conditions, the realization of a diagnosis can be helpful in explaining what often includes years of suffering in confusion and silence. A diagnosis can often leave a person with a bleak or hopeless perspective, but with hard work and commitment, anyone can recover from mental health problems.

Both medication and talk therapy can be very effective in helping people recover from serious mental health problems. Most people know that. However, what a lot of people don't seem to know is that a lot of progress is made outside of the therapy hour or the psychiatrist's office.

While a solid relationship between a therapist and client can lead to incredible results, a client's commitment to trying new strategies and hope that they may work are also powerful factors in leading to long-lasting fulfillment and recovery.In the therapy hour, a counselor and client collaborate on strategies and coping skills to maneuver through life's challenges. Often times, skills can be practiced in session with an agreement by the client to practice that new skill outside of the therapy hour.  That's where the real challenge lies.

Sitting in the room with your therapist should feel like a safe, and supportive space.  That often makes it a little easier to try new skills or new ways of looking at situations and problems.  While not always easy, it is incredibly helpful to have your own personal coach (therapist) guide you through your newly learned skills.

The problem is that the therapy hour always ends.  From there you re-enter the world.  You engage with your colleagues, your loved ones and strangers and that can all be very stressful.  The real challenge is putting those newly learned skills to the test when it really counts.  Practicing those strategies in the moment is paramount to returning to a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.

Receiving a mental health diagnosis does not have to be the end. For many clients it can be the beginning to a new journey with opportunities, achievements and triumphs.  It can be the blossoming of the lotus emerging from the mud.  Exercising your newly learned skills and putting them into daily practice can be an extremely rewarding experience.  If you do so, rest assured that recovery is absolutely within your grasp.