"What is wrong with me?" is often the main question people come to therapy to answer. They assume that there is something fundamentally wrong with them that explains why their life is the way it is, why they feel as awfully as they do, or why they cant just be normal. But this is the wrong question!
"What has happened to me?" is the better question.
Symptoms of anxiety or depression are not who you are. It is a signal that you are struggling - not something wrong with you. This struggle is often a result of things that have happened to you. This may be the result of trauma you faced or negative life events that are weighing you down, including abuse, neglect, racism, bullying, etc. Often when we begin to explore what has happened to you, we can see why you are struggling based on the things you have experienced.
The purpose of therapy to understand what has happened to you that has made you question yourself - that made you think something is wrong with you. We work to clear the noise out of your head to have a clear picture of what has happened and how to heal yourself. The number one thing to work on is the self judgment that is haunting you. As long as you think something is wrong with you, you will never be able to see the context of your life and how to move forward.
So drop the question of what is wrong with you and instead think about how all that has happened to you may have affected how you. You will begin to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and build self compassion. This understanding will lead to courage to begin to change your life that honors your true self and your values for how you want to live!
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