When was the last time you went to see a therapist, a counsellor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a life coach or a personal trainer etc?
Did you feel pumped, refreshed, energized afterwards? How often did you go back to see them again?
Well, these are just questions to set the tone for this post and hopefully get you in serious thinking mode.
We all need a bit help sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with it. But bear in mind when we reach out to professionals and ask for their guidance: Help is not unlimited.
Imagine the next appointment is still 1 or 2 months away:
- What would you do if you find yourself off track or “falling off the wagon”?
- What would be your fall-back plan when no one is there to hold your hands?
- Would you call your friends or family? What if they aren’t readily available for you?
Time to take it in your stride!
There’ll come a time when we turn to ourselves for help. It’s a time to put what we’ve learnt to the test. The knowledge and skills we’ve required all come down to this defining moment. To prove to ourselves that we can get back on our feet on our own. It’s a true testimony to many sessions you’ve attended leading up to this moment of self-reliance!
Remember, we need to do our “homework” to avoid relapsing into the same old vicious circle. It’s our responsibility.
For me, I’ve adopted a useful technique below to help me steer clear of some trouble spots:
- Review how far you’ve become. Ask yourself, do you honestly want to go back to square one and start all over again?
If the answer is a firm No, I know I’ve made a progress, no matter how small it is.
No one can guarantee the road to recovery. How long will it take? As long as it takes! But before you know it, there’ll come a time when you call someone to cancel the next appointment…
Ted Tsai 