I just wanted to share a story about how your story has effected people. I work as a child psychologist currently in school for a masters in Counseling and Psychology. I mostly work with kids who are 13 to 18. In my school, a good deal of people have no experience with depression, and often come from a well to do background and have not had struggles with depression. When the subject of depression is brought up with my fellow students, they will often assume that it is something that needs fixing, or not fully grasping why people can't just "pull themselves out." I myself have never gone through depression, but had several close friends go through and often still battle with depression. Luckily, I had one of my friends explain it to me in a way that made sense, and I just sat with them for a day and was pissed and sad at things with them. It suddenly just made sense, how one can be therapeutic by simply admitting that they don't get it, and by allowing someone to just be depressed at things, and be there with them. It's hard to describe what depression is like for people having not experienced it (myself included.) I decided to post your blog entries about depression in the school, and did a whole presentation on the. The professor said that this is the best way that he has ever seen someone talk about depression to someone who has never experienced it, and has now incorporated it into his class!
But it doesn't end there. I had a client who was suffering from depression (whose story will be changed slightly here to protect their identity and maintain confidentiality). He/she was suffering from depression, and was annoyed because they said that they knew that I couldn't "fix it" and that I didn't understand "how it was" and that "no one understands it who hasn't been through it." I told them that they were right, that I didn't understand, and asked if they could teach me how it was. They told me that there was no way, and that this is something "no one can get." He/she was contemplating suicide, and truly believed no one could relate to her/him. I printed out your blog a second time, and gave it to her/him the next session. They read it, teared up while reading it, and hugged me after, saying that whoever wrote this gets it, and that he/she felt that if someone could make it, then so could she. I silently told myself if I ever met you, that I would let you know what a great thing this has been for someone you don't know. They processed through it, and terminated sessions with hope.
I don't know. Maybe this is a stupid story, but I really wanted you to know this. You have helped lots of future practicing counselors better understand depression, and gave a small kid hope.
TLDR: Allie, your awesome and have helped people with your blog. Good job. Have a cookie.
busterbrother412 karma
Allie!
I just wanted to share a story about how your story has effected people. I work as a child psychologist currently in school for a masters in Counseling and Psychology. I mostly work with kids who are 13 to 18. In my school, a good deal of people have no experience with depression, and often come from a well to do background and have not had struggles with depression. When the subject of depression is brought up with my fellow students, they will often assume that it is something that needs fixing, or not fully grasping why people can't just "pull themselves out." I myself have never gone through depression, but had several close friends go through and often still battle with depression. Luckily, I had one of my friends explain it to me in a way that made sense, and I just sat with them for a day and was pissed and sad at things with them. It suddenly just made sense, how one can be therapeutic by simply admitting that they don't get it, and by allowing someone to just be depressed at things, and be there with them. It's hard to describe what depression is like for people having not experienced it (myself included.) I decided to post your blog entries about depression in the school, and did a whole presentation on the. The professor said that this is the best way that he has ever seen someone talk about depression to someone who has never experienced it, and has now incorporated it into his class!
But it doesn't end there. I had a client who was suffering from depression (whose story will be changed slightly here to protect their identity and maintain confidentiality). He/she was suffering from depression, and was annoyed because they said that they knew that I couldn't "fix it" and that I didn't understand "how it was" and that "no one understands it who hasn't been through it." I told them that they were right, that I didn't understand, and asked if they could teach me how it was. They told me that there was no way, and that this is something "no one can get." He/she was contemplating suicide, and truly believed no one could relate to her/him. I printed out your blog a second time, and gave it to her/him the next session. They read it, teared up while reading it, and hugged me after, saying that whoever wrote this gets it, and that he/she felt that if someone could make it, then so could she. I silently told myself if I ever met you, that I would let you know what a great thing this has been for someone you don't know. They processed through it, and terminated sessions with hope.
I don't know. Maybe this is a stupid story, but I really wanted you to know this. You have helped lots of future practicing counselors better understand depression, and gave a small kid hope.
TLDR: Allie, your awesome and have helped people with your blog. Good job. Have a cookie.
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