::how does that make you feel?

The titles most likely to populate my Netflix queue are those belonging to television shows.

Lately, the show of choice has been In Treatment.

Each episode, with very few exceptions, portrays only a therapy session.

Most often, it is the dialogue that is called upon to retain the viewer's interest, which I always find intriguing.
And the actors who breathe life into this dialogue are superb.

Having been "in treatment" - in psychotherapy - for several years myself, I can attest to the realism and gritty truths exposed in each session.

When I was diagnosed with "major clinical depression" at age 19, there was a painful stigma attached to counseling/therapy.
I thought it meant I was "crazy," that I was irrefutably weak and mentally feeble, that I simply could not "handle my life" the way "normal people" could.

After spending brief stints in therapy over the years, I have come to realize that quite the opposite is true.

Without any trace of arrogance or boastful intention, I can truly state that I believe most people who choose to examine their lives in therapy are actually quite brave. Strong. Exceptional.
Dissecting one's own behavior, identifying patterns, noting unhealthy habits, dredging up painful memories, implementing healthier strategies for living...these are all difficult tasks.
They are not the sort of pursuits sought by the faint of heart.

I enjoyed therapy because it forced me to live consciously, thoughtfully.

It acknowledged the darkness, but always pointed toward Hope.