Aradhya (name changed) is a 22-year-old corporate employee in Bangalore. She completed her bachelor’s in fashion technology from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore. She is also a content creator who enjoys posting lifestyle updates on social media.
Aradhya was born and raised in Delhi, as her parents moved from a small town after their marriage. She considers her younger sister her best friend and confidant. She explains that even though their relationship was complicated when she was a teenager, as Aradhya grew up, she felt they understood each other better.
During school, Aradhya recollects being a hyperactive kid who was scared of her parents and teachers and did not have many friends until fifth grade.
“My parents worked hard to get where they were when we were born, so there were many expectations on us, too. Since I was a very naughty kid, they used to yell and beat me as they also didn’t know how else to discipline me.”
She adds that they weren’t abusive, but the conflict between their expectation and her personality hindered Aradhya from developing a connection with her parents. Aradhya says she felt more loved by her uncle as he took tuition for her daily when she was a kid.
While her parents used to work late and Aradhya and her sister spent most of their time alone, she appreciated that her uncle was authoritative and affectionate to her.
As she grew up, Aradhya became an ambivert who placed her trust in a handful of friends rather than a large circle. She adds that academic validation was something she always pursued.
Aradhya says that she was praying for an opportunity to explore the country, and that’s when the pandemic hit and kept the world on hold. She adds that the lockdown favoured Aradhya as it allowed her family to spend more time together and understand each other. It also paved the way for her to join her undergraduate studies at NIFT, Bangalore.
Aradhya came to Bangalore during her second year of college after the lockdown was lifted. Although she used to be comfortable with a minimal number of friends, Aradhya started having trouble finding a genuine connection with people in college.
Despite her personality, she tried to be a part of a larger group of friends, which got complicated. During the same time, she was also having issues in her relationship. Both these situations made Aradhya feel lonely and confused.
Aradhya was aware of her college’s partnership with YourDOST through the newsletters she received.
“The fact that it can be anonymous and I can choose when I want a session felt more encouraging, so I made an appointment with the expert available.”
She explains that she started opening up in her first session because she felt the counselor was attentive and friendly. Aradhya says she felt comforted and could let her emotions out in the sessions.
Aradhya describes that college life became hard when her friends spread rumours and gossip about her behind her back.
“I declined to work on an academic project with one of my friends from the group as she and I weren’t a good fit. Due to this, all of them ghosted me and spoke mean things about me.”
At the same time, Aradhya learned through a third person that the person she was seeing wasn’t honest with her. She adds that he was her comfort person for four years, and they have dated on and off for all those years. This ended up hurting Aradhya even more.
Aradhya describes being lonely and feeling suffocated in her thoughts. She explains that it drove her more towards drinking and smoking, which she knew wasn’t a healthy coping mechanism.
“I started getting anxious and cried till I couldn’t breathe. My roommate found me, made me drink water, and took me for a walk. I’m grateful to her for that day.”
Even though Aradhya’s family was supportive, she explained that she felt more comfortable sharing her issues with her counselor. She says that with the guidance of her therapist, she eventually started letting go of the people who hurt her and started focusing on herself.
The counselor also suggested that Aradhya indulges in self-care activities such as journaling, sleep routines, and self-help podcasts.
“My therapist asked me to make a list of things I loved to do but stopped doing. That brought out a lot of activities, from singing to fashion, that I used to do in school. I started doing them one after another like she suggested.”
Aradhya explains that she could better process her emotions and focus on her priorities by working on herself. She credits her counselor for helping her realise that other people’s actions do not reflect her personality; they reflect theirs.
“I could connect with my counselor emotionally. She always used to match my energy in each session. During the last session with her, I hugged and thanked her for all her help.”
As Aradhya rates herself 3 out of 5 in terms of improving and feeling better, we wish her luck for the future and are glad to be part of her journey.
Aradhya’s Warrior tips:
1.“Talking to a therapist is like talking to a best friend.”
2.“Instead of overthinking our minds, talking to an expert can benefit our mental health.”
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