At one point in my life a few years back my friends suggested that I should see a therapist because of my past. I had no idea why and to date I have never been diagnosed with a mental illness. They insisted. So I went there.
The therapist asked me why I came. I said “My friends sent me here. But I really do not know why. I am doing fine. I am happy and I am successful in my job. I have great friends. “
She asked me to tell her a bit about my life. My childhood. My parents. My time as a teenager.
So I told her my story.
She started crying. And she said she could not believe I was doing so well and thriving. In her entire career she had never seen that.
That was that.
No matter what. I keep going every day.
Sure, I have been through a lot. Violence, bullying, abuse, problems in school, lost my dad, no money for food, had to bury my baby. But I try to see hope in everything .
Giving up is not an option. There is only one way for me.
The way forward. I am very ambitious and when I have a goal in life, I know I can get there. My past does not define me.
Why am I sharing this here? Because countless (I stopped counting after 100) messages of colleagues and friends (from the student to the prof.) at my local campus have reached me with people sharing these exact same experiences with me.
You are not alone in this.
Let`s work towards a much needed support system for our colleagues and friends.
I am in for the long run.
-by Anna Schueth
