I’ve always been an intense person, but recently my stress and anxiety has reached new heights, so my mom, who goes to a therapist herself, found a therapist for me to help sort out my increasingly disorganized and frenetic thoughts.
Every Thursday I now go to this doctor and dump my anxious thoughts on him. He is paid a whopping sum upwards of $300 an hour. In return, I am given a mostly clear mind, a prescription for Zoloft, and a side of guilt.
I feel guilty for making my parents pay that much for something most kids learn to cope with themselves. Those who need help the most often lack the financial means to receive it, have unsupportive families, or are impeded by a variety of other factors.
It’s a privilege to be able to take prescribed medicine and have a personal emotional consultant. It’s a privilege to have a family who recognizes that I need the help. It is a privilege that my biggest problems are caused by stress from academics and sports.
I don’t face a debilitating disease, abusive parents, starvation, homelessness, war, or even common adult realities of caring for children, taxes, putting food on the table, or even having a full-time job.
It’s a privilege to be able to call what may be to some a minor issue a major problem.
Because of the nature of the anonymity in Speak Now stories, Denebola has no way to verify the information and narrative represented in the above post. If you have a concern with the piece regarding any issues, especially anonymity, please contact editorsinchief@nshsdenebola.com.
If you had experiences that are similar to those represented above and would like to reach out to someone who could help, please contact your school counselor directly (contact information can be found here) or the Project Interface referral network at William James College (https://interface.williamjames.edu or 888-244-6843).
Respond to the prompt “Applications: What I Did and What I Should Have Done Differently” by clicking here.
