Pre-Overt
I am a small business owner and I barely make enough money to cover my expenses. I am trying hard to put as little as possible on the credit cards, but therapy is non-negotiable to me right now. If my mental health fails, so does my business, my household, me.
With the Overt Foundation, I hope to eliminate one of many financial stressors. I hope to increase my mental resiliency for what I need to be a successful mother and breadwinner/business owner. I hope to be able to improve my symptoms of anxiety and depression
During Overt:
I had a good couple of weeks and I was able to fully appreciate my progress and how good my brain has felt. My therapist is really helpful about bringing my attention to my progress and achievements over a short time.
My work is stressful but I have been feeling less anxiety lately. I’m excited to keep progressing.
I’ve been appreciating that my therapist listens to me really well. I appreciated being open about my struggles this week.
There are some weeks that are harder than others, but overall I’m learning how to recognize my feelings and keep strong. My therapist did a visualization with me at the end of an emotional session and I actually found that helpful in calming down before I had to go to work.
During one of my last sessions, I felt my mood has been so much better. Like, better than it has been in a year. I have felt so much less depression this week.
Journaling, talking about my feelings and exercising have all been helpful for me along this journey.
Post Overt:
I have been able to take myself and my emotions and needs more seriously. I have learned to prioritize myself and my health. Even though there are intense stressors in my life, I am able to navigate difficult emotions and situations with more grace and calmness.
I’ve learned that I might need more time to process something than other times, and that is a neutral and normal need. I don’t always fully understand why I feel a certain way, but I now know how to pay attention to my body’s cues and feelings to help navigate difficult experiences.
I do feel like everyone on the team was very forgiving and patient with me, and I appreciate the professional and kind nature of the Overt Foundation team and the people that helped me along the way.