I am finally able to make peace with the idea that I am who I am

When I came here I was an internal mess. I had been hospitalized twice in the past four months and had hurt myself days before my intake.  I was sort of looking for a quick fix, a place that would cure my depression and make everything better, and that’s something of what I expected Skyland Trail to be. Of course, as most of you could probably tell, Skyland Trail wouldn’t be my magical cure, but a place where I was truly challenged to learn and use behavior therapy to live with the person I am and the world around me. Progress for my stubborn self has been slow and steady, yet I’m standing here today ready to face and accept whatever the world will offer me next. 

My journey with mental health is not yet over; this is just the first intensive phase of recovery. Despite having come a long way since I got here, I still have many more milestones yet to reach, many skills to hone, and many experiences to mindfully observe. I’m not free of problems, concerns, or stressors, and I know I never will be, but thanks to Skyland Trail, I am finally able to make peace with that fact, and the idea that I am who I am.

I’d like to thank my treatment team for helping me on this phase of my journey. This whole facility is really unlike any other I’ve been to before and has truly pushed my limits and made me into a much stronger and wiser person than I was three months ago. And for that, I am hugely grateful to Skyland Trail.