There Is No Cure For Mental Illness & 5 Other Lessons I’ve Learned From Being A Therapist

There is no cure for mental illness, and I wish there were. As a therapist, I listen to people all day, sit with them as they share their gut-wrenching stories, and do my absolute best to offer comfort and validation as they disclose painful feelings of hopelessness and desperation. Session after session, I witness the entire emotional spectrum of humanity. And session after session, I learn more about myself and the infinite world around me.

In school, they teach training therapists all kinds of cookie-cutter techniques to understand human behavior. Professors pepper us with textbook knowledge and a fundamental awareness of how to diagnose and intervene with mental health. We’ve read the books and the manuals, and we know the tools to engage in an effective session.

But my education never prepared me for the abundance of lessons my clients would teach me. The school never showed me the in-between magic of mental healing, the awkward growth and hidden beauty that both client and therapist experience simultaneously.

There is No Cure for Mental Illness

This is not meant to be depressing. In fact, in some ways, it can be inspiring. Mental health problems don’t disappear into this finite vortex of yesterday. Instead, the issues ideally feel less intrusive and less overwhelming. You learn how to deal with them appropriately and effectively.

I think many therapists (including myself) wish there was a cure. In my years of doing this work, I’ve learned that it’s not the “taking away” the problem that matters. Instead, the art of healing lies in the actual coping with the problem.

Gratitude Goes Such a Long Way

I’ve worked with people society has given up on, and I’ve worked with people bogged down with trauma and shame. They’ve been violated, victimized, beaten, and bruised in every physical and mental way a person can be. And, yet, despite all external circumstances, despite all these hardships and obstacles, what’s one of the most significant signs I see in resilience?

It’s gratitude. Gratitude for even the smallest of things. Gratitude for when something goes right. Is it cliched? Sure. Does that matter? After all, if you’re in a better mood because of it, who cares?

That saying, look at the glass half-full. It has its place in healing and growth.

We’re All Terrified

Everyone. You. Me. The person standing in front of you at the grocery store. The buff man at the gym who looks invincible. Fearlessness is a facade. We’re all moving through this universe, terrified and uncertain. We’re all calculating our next move, doubting it, obsessing over it, wondering how it will impact us.

Fear is part of our consciousness, and it’s part of our survival. If you’re scared, lean into it, rather than try and resist or get angry with yourself. Remember, feeling afraid doesn’t matter. It’s what you do with the fear that counts. Are you going to make a move or not?

Boundaries Are Hard

They’re uncomfortable and strange and awkward, and even though they are necessary for our mental well-being, most of us don’t want to do them. In theory, asserting your needs seems relatively straightforward. But, in my many discussions with many different clients, boundaries feel terrifying.

You question if you’re being “mean” or too harsh. You worry about rejection and abandonment. And, you wonder if you’ll even be able to follow through with what you say. In my experience? The healthier the boundaries, the healthier that person. But, that doesn’t make them any easier to set.

We All Feel Inferior in Some Way

Whether it’s in school, work, relationships, or financial state, we all feel inferior somewhere. At times, most of us struggle with the proverbial game of catch-up. Social media enhances inferiority at a level we’ve never experienced before in our society.

Social media reveals a 24/7, never-ending scroll of highlight reels designed to show off someone’s absolute, greatest moments. Research shows that a quarter of Americans are online all the time. Of course, we feel inadequate. Of course, we struggle to see our worth. If you think you’re the only one feeling inadequate, find solace in this: I’ve never worked with anyone who’s felt 100% confident in everything they do.

Yes, it’s imperative that clients learn from me, WIth that said, I remain humbled and appreciative of them for the lessons they continue to teach me about human behavior.

The Broken Can Heal

I’ve worked with some incredibly sick and traumatized individuals- people who the rest of the world has given up on, people who’ve given up on themselves.

With that said, healing is possible, and I know that because I witness it every day. Even though there is no cure for mental illness, there is hope, and there is faith- and that is where the miracle in this work lies.