Healing Is Not Linear

Healing doesn’t happen overnight; in fact, it is a gradual process that unfolds over time. Healing involves growth, patience, setbacks, learning, and unlearning. It’s important to acknowledge that healing looks different for each individual. Whether a person is healing from trauma, grief, or even navigating anxiety and depression, healing should be dealt with care.

What Does Healing Mean in Mental Health?

Healing is often misunderstood; it shouldn’t be seen as some type of destination you reach and then all of a sudden you’re okay. Instead, healing should be looked at as a process, and there are steps to take. Healing involves:

• Confronting painful experiences and talking about them

• Creating boundaries

• Building healthier relationships

• Learning to manage symptoms

• Developing healthy coping strategies

Why Healing Is Not Linear

Some people believe that once they start therapy and focus more on their mental health that they will see a change immediately, but that’s not how healing works. Healing often comes with ups and downs, so it’s not a straight path. Some weeks you may see progress while other weeks you will go through setbacks, and that’s normal.

Tools That Support the Healing Process

• Therapy

• Writing your thoughts in a journal

• Community support

• Compassion

Final Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace

Healing takes time. Some days will feel like breakthroughs, others like breakdowns—but both are part of the journey. Allow yourself to grow slowly, to rest often, and to ask for help when you need it.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to be healing. You just have to keep going.