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My Therapy Journey

October 27, 2020 in Lifestyle
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Read Time:4 Minute, 3 Second

Ah, therapy. We hear about it A LOT nowadays which is awesome but on one hand can be quite intimidating, like, where do we even begin?!

If you’re from the UK like me then you essentially have two options when it comes to therapy, you can either speak to you GP and ask them to refer you or you can find a therapist privately and pay for your sessions. Both are great options depending on your financial situation but wait times can be a little lengthy if you go via your GP. At the end of this post I’ll share some of the alternatives to going via your GP so you can hopefully find a therapist within your budget.

I should start my story by saying that I went to therapy for the first time years ago, I’m now 29 and I think my first therapy session was maybe about 8 years ago. I’d had my first real panic attack on a train journey heading to my job at the time and it freaked me out. I didn’t know what it was, I thought I was dying and I just HAD to get off the train. I left the station and called my mum, she took me straight to the doctors and that was where I learnt all about my anxiety disorder and what panic attacks were.

Unfortunately what followed was a series of bad anxiety attacks – these are slightly different to panic attacks in that they’re slow burning and they don’t really dissipate unless you force them to. My worries were predominantly health related, I became a hypochondriac and convinced myself that I had every life-threatening disease on the planet. The truth is, my first visit with a therapist wasn’t great. I went to a couple of sessions and we didn’t click (but this is OK and i’ll tell you why later) but I persisted and in the end I dreaded going each week and cancelled.

I didn’t attend a therapy session after that for years, that was until my first therapy session in my new town a couple of years ago. Don’t get me wrong though, my anxiety hadn’t disappeared in-between sessions, it was still there and in hindsight I should have persisted with sessions elsewhere. In the years that had passed I’d developed coping mechanisms and habits that I’m now working my butt off to kick but hey, I can’t really change that so let’s work with the here and now.

I’d be lying if I said that therapy had been easy. It’s definitely been eye-opening and I’ve learnt so much about who I am as a person and what’s made me the person I am today. What that can also do though is open up a lot more questions and things to think about but I’ve now learnt that it’s an ongoing journey. Life can throw things at you at any time, it can bring up traumas from the past and the simplest thing can remind you of that feeling/situation and put you right back there, that’s why pushing on with therapy is so important. Even if i don’t go weekly anymore I schedule a session every other week or once a month to check in and discuss anything I’ve struggled with in particular.

What I’ve found the most helpful thing from therapy is that it grounds me almost instantly. Being sat in front of someone (whether that be in person or virtually at the moment due to ‘rona) and opening up can help you feel like a weight has been lifted, I guess that old saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ has some truth in it after all!

Therapy also reminds you that you that you care; about yourself, about your loved ones. You’re working on yourself in addition to all the other bajillion things you have on your plate, like work, relationships, home life etc. You’re killing it and that’s something to be proud of. You’re not festering and letting your problems control you, you’re gaining control back. It can be tough to get to that place and trust me, I’ve festered, I’ve done plenty of festering but there always comes a time when I tell myself I’ve gotta get back to therapy.

I appreciate this post has been long so I’m going to continue it another day in a follow up post to talk a little more about techniques and what i’ve learned from my sessions personally to help me with my generalised anxiety disorder.

If you’re considering therapy then in the first instance reach out to your GP or search for NHS services in your area for support. If you’re interested in private counselling then there are a number of places you can look to suit your budget;

Better Help

Counselling Directory

Problem Shared

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A little introduction

My name's Lauren and this blog is my Frankenstein's monster - except a lot prettier! I love all things web design and blogging so have combined everything in one place. I post about everything from graphic and web design to organisation to mental health and wellbeing.

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Hello! New photo of me as it’s been a while and Hello! New photo of me as it’s been a while and I have an annoying fringe now.
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I’ll admit it. I bloody love a planner/diary/notebook. I recently posted about my weekly gratitude journal but for the longest time now I’ve been looking for the perfect daily planner to prioritise everything that’s going on in my week and month. ⁣
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Luckily, @malpaper have created their Daily Goal Setter planner. It’s got everything you need from spaces to jot down notes, set your goals and prioritise your daily tasks.⁣
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Simply copy and paste the link below into your web browser of choice & tell Mal Paper what your #1 goal is. It could be running a marathon, making more time for your self or maybe saving up for something special! ⁣
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⁣ Weekly or Daily Journalling ✨⁣ ⁣ Since l ⁣
Weekly or Daily Journalling ✨⁣
⁣
Since lockdown one I’ve been on a mission to find different ways to manage my mental health and anxiety. One way to channel my thoughts and essentially get them down on paper was to journal.⁣
⁣
I’d seen loads of amazing examples online but a lot were super pricey and for the sake of something I wanted to do once a day or maybe even once a week I wasn’t prepared to spend loads! ⁣
⁣
Luckily, Homesense came to the rescue and I found this absolute gem there at the weekend. It’s a weekly journal so I set aside some time each Sunday night to reflect on my week.⁣
⁣
It asks questions such as; describe this week in 3 words, highlights of the week, something that challenged me, something I’m working towards and 3 things I’m grateful for.⁣
⁣
I find doing this task on a Sunday really helps me declutter my brain and leave the old week behind as I prepare for a new week to begin on Monday morning. It’s almost like a clear out of old thoughts and worries & making some room to tackle a new week. ⁣
⁣
Have you ever tried journalling and is it something you think you’d enjoy? Let me know! ⁣
⁣
#journal #gratitude #design #blogger #lifestyle #wellness #wellbeing #happiness #challenges #thoughts #dreams
We take Auntie and Uncle duties very seriously! 🌧💕
Well, it’s November everyone! There’s a few mo Well, it’s November everyone! There’s a few more days before we go into our second lockdown here in the UK and it’s totally normal if you’re feeling everything except OK today.

It’s a weird one cos we kinda know what to expect now but it doesn’t make it any less sucky. I’m particularly not looking forward to not seeing my friends and family properly for at least 4 weeks, the mad rush of the weekly food shop again (erm please leave some loo roll for me...) and the accompanying anxiety of not knowing what will actually happen on the 2nd December.

All we can do is take it day by day and prioritise our mental and physical well-being. We’ve made it through round one and we’ll make it past round two as well. It’s about having those little things to keep you motivated and distracted during these crappy times. For me it’s Christmas and I’m counting down to having my decorations up in a few weeks time to enjoy some festive cheer! 

#art #design #quotes #lockdown #wellness #wellbeing #important #priorities #mentalhealth #happiness #happy #graphicdesign
Happy Halloween! 🕷🎃👻 There might not be Happy Halloween! 🕷🎃👻

There might not be much trick or treating or any Halloween parties this year but if you are celebrating then I hope you have an amazing time!

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⁣ If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the ⁣
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I don’t just mean physically either, I mean mentally and emotionally. I’ve recently gone back to my web/graphic design/illustration as a creative outlet and a distraction from life which can be pretty overwhelming sometimes. I created this little graphic as a reminder of a few of my favourite ways to unwind and look after myself. ⁣
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We’ve been trying to get fresh air everyday this We’ve been trying to get fresh air everyday this week since we started WFH and carried on into the weekend, getting our 10k steps in each day. Making the most of a day that should be spent with my family and just hoping to see the back of this as soon as possible!
Missing my furry friend a lot! She’s gone away f Missing my furry friend a lot! She’s gone away for 2 weeks to have her iodine therapy (which she’s having done today) and the house is so quiet without her!
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New Blog Post Alert! 🚨 If you’ve made a prom New Blog Post Alert! 🚨 
If you’ve made a promise to yourself in 2020 - like me - to look after your mind & body a little more then you might be after some inspiration, motivation and guidance on how to do this! 
I’ve found that listening to podcasts on my way to and from work has helped hugely and my brain is like a sponge right now just sucking up all of the facts & info around nutrition, health and well-being!

Over at www.laurenfell.com I’ve shared 4 of my favourite health and wellness podcasts - I hope you find some you love!

#health #wellness #nutrition #wellbeing #podcast #2020 #goals #fitness #blog #blogger
I went to see @theovon and all I took was these cr I went to see @theovon and all I took was these crap photos...That’s because he was INSANELY funny though and I was too busy laughing my head off. Plus I kinda feel like it was a special night for us as he kindly recorded a video for Rob last year for his 30th to tell him he was going to his show! So we felt like we’d been invited there by the man himself! 10/10. Gang gang. 🐭👑
‼️ NEW POST ALERT! Swipey swipey! 👉👉 I’ve written a couple of new blog posts all about 2020 goals, habits and routines for a better me this year! I’ve decided 2020 is all about #selfcare and #selflove SO I’ve set myself some new goals to hit this year alllll to do with moi! Link in bio! 
Take a look and let me know what you’re hoping to achieve this year! ✨✨✨ #blogger #blog #health #lifestyle #uk #hampshire #mentalhealth #wellbeing #wellness #love #care #self #2020 #goals #newyear #morningroutine #habits
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#2019 #topnine #top9 #year #newyear #nye #newyearseve
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Hello! New photo of me as it’s been a while and Hello! New photo of me as it’s been a while and I have an annoying fringe now.
⁣ Win £50 to spend on planners and other statio ⁣
Win £50 to spend on planners and other stationary goodness! ⁣
⁣
I’ll admit it. I bloody love a planner/diary/notebook. I recently posted about my weekly gratitude journal but for the longest time now I’ve been looking for the perfect daily planner to prioritise everything that’s going on in my week and month. ⁣
⁣
Luckily, @malpaper have created their Daily Goal Setter planner. It’s got everything you need from spaces to jot down notes, set your goals and prioritise your daily tasks.⁣
⁣
The best part is they are offering you the chance to win a £50 gift card to spend on their products. This is the *dream* if you love stationary like me! ⁣
⁣
Simply copy and paste the link below into your web browser of choice & tell Mal Paper what your #1 goal is. It could be running a marathon, making more time for your self or maybe saving up for something special! ⁣
⁣
https://malpaper.com/pages/win-yourself-mal-paper-products ⁣
⁣
Competition closes on 28th Nov so get yourself over there!
⁣ Weekly or Daily Journalling ✨⁣ ⁣ Since l ⁣
Weekly or Daily Journalling ✨⁣
⁣
Since lockdown one I’ve been on a mission to find different ways to manage my mental health and anxiety. One way to channel my thoughts and essentially get them down on paper was to journal.⁣
⁣
I’d seen loads of amazing examples online but a lot were super pricey and for the sake of something I wanted to do once a day or maybe even once a week I wasn’t prepared to spend loads! ⁣
⁣
Luckily, Homesense came to the rescue and I found this absolute gem there at the weekend. It’s a weekly journal so I set aside some time each Sunday night to reflect on my week.⁣
⁣
It asks questions such as; describe this week in 3 words, highlights of the week, something that challenged me, something I’m working towards and 3 things I’m grateful for.⁣
⁣
I find doing this task on a Sunday really helps me declutter my brain and leave the old week behind as I prepare for a new week to begin on Monday morning. It’s almost like a clear out of old thoughts and worries & making some room to tackle a new week. ⁣
⁣
Have you ever tried journalling and is it something you think you’d enjoy? Let me know! ⁣
⁣
#journal #gratitude #design #blogger #lifestyle #wellness #wellbeing #happiness #challenges #thoughts #dreams
We take Auntie and Uncle duties very seriously! 🌧💕
Well, it’s November everyone! There’s a few mo Well, it’s November everyone! There’s a few more days before we go into our second lockdown here in the UK and it’s totally normal if you’re feeling everything except OK today.

It’s a weird one cos we kinda know what to expect now but it doesn’t make it any less sucky. I’m particularly not looking forward to not seeing my friends and family properly for at least 4 weeks, the mad rush of the weekly food shop again (erm please leave some loo roll for me...) and the accompanying anxiety of not knowing what will actually happen on the 2nd December.

All we can do is take it day by day and prioritise our mental and physical well-being. We’ve made it through round one and we’ll make it past round two as well. It’s about having those little things to keep you motivated and distracted during these crappy times. For me it’s Christmas and I’m counting down to having my decorations up in a few weeks time to enjoy some festive cheer! 

#art #design #quotes #lockdown #wellness #wellbeing #important #priorities #mentalhealth #happiness #happy #graphicdesign
Happy Halloween! 🕷🎃👻 There might not be Happy Halloween! 🕷🎃👻

There might not be much trick or treating or any Halloween parties this year but if you are celebrating then I hope you have an amazing time!

#halloween #trickortreat #hocuspocus #art #illustration #design #graphicdesign #quote
Happy Friday! ✨ #art #graphicdesign #illustratio Happy Friday! ✨ #art #graphicdesign #illustration #selfcare #selflove #wellbeing #wellness #design #doodle #cute
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