[Mental Wealth] Tale of 2 Therapists: Why Getting Help is Not Enough

This is a story about my two wildly different experiences with therapists and what it taught me about mental health, in general. If you just want the step-by-step guide on getting the “right” help, skip down to the Process section. (:
— Andrew, F the Lines

July 2016—My phone goes off and I bolt outside to answer it. One ring, two, three, four. I’m half-hoping I’ll miss the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Andrew, this is Dr. Lambert.” I’m returning your call about accepting new therapy patients. Did I catch you at a good time?”

What I want to say is…

No, you did not catch me at a good time! I can’t produce any creative work, I have no emotions, and I’m pretty sure life is just a bitter distraction from the void of nothingness we are all being sucked into.

What I actually say is: “Sure, now is fine.”

As it turns out, Dr. Lambert (NHRN) doesn’t have any openings. But she knows someone who does. And a few weeks later, I find myself reluctantly stepping into the office of my first therapist.