Sharadha (name changed) is a 24-year-old data engineer at an IT company. She recently completed her postgraduate studies from the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT).
Sharadha grew up with her family in Rajasthan after moving from her native city in the neighbouring state. She explains that her residence and family dynamics changed throughout her childhood because her father was in the army.
“My father used to travel a lot. I lived in my native for eight years with my parents and two brothers and then 3 years with my mom alone after my brothers married. Then, my grandparents joined us after they got sick.”
Sharadha elaborates that during her 10th grade, due to peer pressure, she got into a relationship with someone she wasn’t genuinely interested in. Later, Sharadha found it hard to move away from the person.
Because of their age gap, she couldn’t share with her brothers even though they were always there for her. She felt the only way was to move cities and decided to pursue her intermediary away from home. Before Sharadha could move, her parents became suspicious about her relationship and confronted her. She confessed as she hated lying to her parents.
This changed things for Sharadha, as her parents became strict after that, even though she was honest and focused entirely on academics. Her parents moved with her and looked after her daily to keep her from repeating the same situation.
Sharadha adds that she was a social person who went out every day during her school days, but as she grew up and joined college, she started spending most of her time in a hostel. She was homesick and found comfort in solitude. She also has a knack for making people laugh during a conversation so they enjoy her company.
Eventually, Sharadha’s relationship with her parents improved, and she moved to Gujarat for her master’s. She recollects being very outspoken at the beginning of college and making friends quickly. She also met her partner during the same time, and when things went well, Sharadha was faced with another difficult situation.
“At the beginning of the first semester, I met a guy who wanted to date but didn’t want any commitment. I learned later that he was double timing me and another person, so I got out of it and moved on, but he started ruining my reputation with my classmates, blaming me.”
Sharadha elucidates being anxious about the whole situation, and she also started having mental breakdowns as she had nobody to give her emotional support. Every friend she made in college stopped talking to Sharadha due to this issue, and she was also facing quarrels with her partner.
Amidst all this, Sharadha noticed the mail from her dean’s office regarding their college’s subscription to the YourDOST platform as part of their student well-being programs. She booked her first session with the available experts.
Sharadha explains that the counselor was an excellent listener and made her comfortable sharing her painful emotions. She recollects feeling heard and opening up about every issue.
“During that phase, even a minor discomfort would cause me a lot of mental pressure. I started biting my nails more with anxiety, and my days were horrible.”
The counselor suggested Sharadha use box breathing exercises to help her with her anxiety issues and find a healthy coping mechanism instead of biting her nails. She was also encouraged to practice gratitude journaling. Sharadha explains that the techniques helped her escape distractions and calm her mind.
With therapy, Sharadha started focusing on how she responded to a situation rather than how other people would perceive her. She also found the confidence to face any problem and process it calmly.
“The sessions slowly healed me, and I’m thankful to my counselor for making me feel at home. She was like a friend that I never had.”
As she develops the attitude to improve and grow exponentially, Sharadha rates herself 4.5 out of 5. We are proud of her for standing firm and working on herself.
Sharadha’s Warrior Tips:
1.“When things get devastating, therapy is a place where we can express our emotions.”
2.“Therapy can help us be mentally strong, which can help us tackle any external situations. ”
Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.
0 Commentaires