Hi There; I'm New Here and Stuff

[Kuma]

Thanks a lot to those who have replied to me and welcomed me. I've looked at this website for some time before registering and you guys seem to be a very close-knit and supportive community here.

And yes, Kuma, I am currently seeing a new therapist for my anxiety who seems to be helping more than any other ones I've been to which is a pretty good sign lol. Still, sometimes it feels like therapy is such a slow process in achieving positive results

Yea, therapy can be a slow process. It is also not a spectator sport. Just "showing up" at therapy rarely works. Change is hard. (Nearly everything worthwhile is hard). The therapist can provide guidance and perspective. But there's a lot of personal effort, taking risks, moving beyond your comfort zone, etc. involved. A good thing is that, at age 17 or so, you are not so set in your ways that you can't change. And of course with a long time ahead of you, it is well worth the effort.

One final point: Don't expect to be free of all stress. That would be expecting too much. There's stuff that's inherently stressful, including SAT/ACT, AP classes, college applications, and even some of the senior year social stuff (prom, graduation, etc.). As my therapist told me, "being human is not easy." So I don't think the goal is to eliminate stress. That's not realistic. A better goal is to handle stress better.

Good luck to you. I suspect you will overcome this stuff and do well.