Luc

Luc, 26, felt extremely down and no longer derived pleasure from anything. He no longer had confidence in the people around him and everything was very difficult for him. Fortunately, he got help from iPractice and regained control of his own thoughts.

“As a man, I learned not to cry and not to talk about emotions”
I didn’t talk about my feelings and always avoided them. As a man, I learned not to cry and not to talk about emotions. That went well for 25 years, but when I was 26 it went wrong. Suddenly I experienced lots of emotions all at once and felt very down.

“I couldn’t open up and I didn’t trust other people”
I could not open up and I didn’t trust other people. At one point there was no room anymore for connection with social contacts. I didn’t let anyone in anymore so I kept everything I felt to myself.

“I often gave a fierce counter-reaction that was not appropriate at all”
If someone made an incorrect comment, I felt personally offended and reacted very angrily to hurt someone back. I often gave a fierce counter-reaction that was not appropriate at all. This also happened once during treatment with the online psychologist.

“I once slammed the door out of anger. It was so hard that the window shattered. That scared me a lot.”
During the corona period, I felt really down. I sat at home alone a lot and had little contact with others. I once slammed the door out of anger. It was so hard that the window shattered. That scared me a lot and that was the moment I thought, “Now it’s going wrong, it’s time to talk about what’s really bothering me.”

“In the beginning, I felt a huge barrier to go to a psychologist”
At first, I felt a huge barrier to go to a psychologist. It didn’t feel right to open up to someone I didn’t know. I was afraid the other person would think something of me and I didn’t think it would work. I thought it was just nonsense! But at some point I started reading psychology and spiritual books, such as The Law of Attraction, De kracht van rust, and IKIGAI. That changed my mind and encouraged me to go see a psychologist after all.

“With the psychologist, I finally felt understood”
From an early age, I felt that no one understood me and I felt very different from everyone else. Yet I just went along with what others did so I wouldn’t stand out so much. As a result, I spent a long time doing things that didn’t feel right. With the psychologist, I finally felt understood and I was allowed to be myself.

“Now I know how to deal with negative thoughts and I have regained control of my own life”
My depression started with “I think he’s stupid, I think this subject is stupid and I think the teacher is stupid.” Every time I said something negative to myself, I went deeper into a dark cave. Before my therapy, it felt like I had no control over these negative thoughts. Now I know how to deal with negative thoughts and I have regained control of my own life. After all, I am in control of my own thoughts.

“I know now that I can’t change someone else, but I can change my own reaction”
I also now know that I can feel my emotions, but that I don’t have to include them in my reaction to others. Sometimes I still find this difficult, but I manage to reflect now. I now know that I cannot change someone else, but I can change my own reaction. I also manage to reconnect with others.

“At iPractice I found out that it helps a lot to write”
At iPractice, I found out that it helps a lot to write. When I feel bad, I write about it. As a man, you may not feel comfortable talking about your feelings because there is taboo. Writing about your feelings in a little book that you don’t have to share with anyone really helps a lot and I recommend it to all men.

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