How to Live Uncertain

Near the end of my time in the army (and for years afterward) I struggled with anxiety and depression. I cycled through mental health providers — three of them up and left their careers while they were treating me. I was in a bad place for quite a while, and it hurt me as well as those around me. With help, I eventually got through it. Now, helping others find the help they need is an important project in my life.

This is why I’m not going to try and be clever, as I often do when writing. Instead, I want to shed light on a very important message — It’s okay to ask for help.

One of the best places to ask for help is the OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center (TOATC). With 130 staff members and growing, it is the largest outpatient center of its type in the Mountain West. They are, of course, experts in treating obsessive compulsive and anxiety disorders, but they also treat body dysmorphia, PTSD, and a host of other related disorders.

“You don’t need to suffer in silence. There’s help available.” — Lynne Sill, COO

Like me, most people seeking help go through many counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists attempting to find something that gets them to a manageable state. Around here, that search is usually over once a person finds their way to TOATC.

A 35 percent reduction of problematic symptoms is considered a successful outcome in this field. TOATC is twice as good, with most patients seeing a 70 percent reduction in symptoms.

“You don’t have to suffer any longer. There is a way out with the right treatment.” — Paul Peterson, CEO

What does TOATC do differently? Their standard of care is evidence-based exposure therapy. This protocol leans into discomfort and designs custom exposures that teach patients how to act differently when confronted by perceived threats. Even children as young as 5 years can use the same system as adults to learn the skills to overcome their triggers.

Paul Peterson, who founded TOATC in 2015, expressed that “mental health” is just “health,” that the disorders they treat are as much physical problems as mental ones. It’s like the Matrix — the mind makes it real, and then the brain misfires. In his own words, “An enlarged heart isn’t treated with a dream journal. Mental health is a physical issue.”

LIVE UNCERTAIN

Life is uncertain. TOATC aims to arm patients with the tools to embrace life and learn to live with discomfort. Sound odd? Maybe, but it was immediately familiar to me, as being comfortable with discomfort is an important part of the military and strength training — both areas I am intimately acquainted with.

 “It’s not about thinking differently, it’s about acting differently.” — Leah Jaramillo, Senior Director

The OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center has helped thousands of people get their lives back. If you feel controlled by fear, anxiety, or obsessive thoughts, they have the skills to help you begin healing.

I strongly encourage anyone who struggles with these challenges to start by exploring TOATC’s website. They have a plethora of resources to get you started, including free online tests, reading material, video content, podcasts, and a lot more. Then I want you to call them and see how they can help you (or a family member). There’s nothing to lose if you do, and they accept most insurance. Just because no one else can do your inner work for you doesn’t mean you need to do it alone.

1-801-298-2000 The OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

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