On diagnoses…

⛈ Does anyone else love that some of the best sunsets are before or after a storm? ⁣⁣

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Today I asked my client to draw anxiety and she drew a lightening storm. I asked her to share with me what is it about the storm that resembles the anxiety she experiences. She told me lightening ⚡️ feels like a shock/jolt like a panic attack she recently experienced and sometimes it feels like she’s drowning in the rain/water. 🌧 ⁣⁣

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Together we discussed how storms, like anxiety, eventually pass. And just like thunder and lightening, sometimes anxiety can feel closer or further away. ⁣⁣

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And we have to take steps to weather the storm, right? Just as we grab our rain coats, rubber shoes and umbrellas, we have tools to grab when our anxiety (depression, etc) storm feels like it’s rolling in. That way we can stay safe and at a distance from the gloomy grey/stormy skies. ⁣⁣

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I think we all ought to remind ourselves what WE are NOT a diagnosis. But sometimes that diagnosis feels SO consuming like the looming rain, thunder and lightening ⛈. But our strength comes from how well we weather the storm.