The news came like a cold wind...

My beloved auntie was in a mental institution. A flood of questions cascaded over my mind, crashing one after another.

How could this happen to a person who had never shown a hint of mental illness? How does someone go from living an amazing life to being trapped behind those walls?

Hollywood's portrayal of a mental institution does not do it justice. Nothing could prepare me for what it actually feels like to step inside a mental institution. It’s a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, with patients roaming the halls, sometimes screaming incoherent gibberish. I knew if I didn’t get her out of there quickly, it would be a downward spiral to nowhere.

When I sat with my Auntie, she spoke of voices—relentless and cruel saying horrible, harmful things to her in her mind. Her thoughts were tangled in negativity, an unyielding loop of despair. I explained the concept of "like attracts like." From one of the courses, I did at Wayshowers College. If we think negative thoughts, we attract negativity; conversely, if we think positive thoughts, we attract positive energy into our lives from the universe.

It’s a simple concept, one that most are familiar with, yet it’s not always easy to implement, especially when you’re caught in that downward spiral. I shared with her how I combat those negative thoughts when I’m outdoor climbing, high up on a cliff facefacing fear head-on. Every lead climber knows the feeling: you’re well above your last piece of protection, fingers beyond fatigue and peeling off small sweat soaked holds, the ground far, far below. A fall—known as a whipper feels inevitable. When the negative thoughts start creeping in, my left leg begins to shake uncontrollably, my breathing becomes erratic, and tunnel vision sets in, narrowing my field of vision to a small area around my head.

By using the power within, not the power outside of myself I learned to shift that negative spiral. My first step is three simple positive words: “successful, powerful, confident” that I repeat at least three times or until the feeling of being overwhelmed with negativity switches to feelings of positivity & freedom. Almost instantly, the shakingstops and my vision clears. I now have clear direction, larger holds seem to materialize that were previously just outside my area of tunnel vision. This allows me to shake out the lactic acid in my arms, take a few deep breaths, and place the next piece of protection a “quickdraw”.

Auntie listened intently, as I explained how our thoughts are the seeds of our future. If we plant negative seeds, we grow despair and fear. But if we choose to plant seeds of positivity and hope, we will have a meaningful life with joy and strength. The universe responds to our mindset; it mirrors our inner thoughts.

Conclusion:

As I left the institution that day, I hugged my auntie, together we repeated those three words “successful, powerful, confident.” Her eyes sparkled with a hint of hope, a flicker of understanding that perhaps, just perhaps, there was a way out of this darkness. Sometimes, it’s not about escaping the walls around us but dismantling the barriers within us. And it starts with a single positive thought.

Two days later, I received some great news my auntie had been released from the mental institution.

It was as if a glimmer of sparkling white light had guided her home. Her journey was just beginning, but the first step to Freedom had been taken.

We look forward to supporting you on this journey.

✨ Reach out today and let’s begin ✨

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By Brett OBree

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Wayshowers College - Blog #anxiety

Breaking Through The Darkness

The news came like a cold wind...