“You may feel guilty for leaving your family behind, but you’ll never regret moving forward.”– Anonymous.
This is the story of Srishti (Name Changed) Chauhan, who despite facing multiple obstacles on her way; still rose like a diamond. As a 23-year-old, Srishti has already seen many facets of life. She grew up in Rajasthan and she loved to sketch and paint! Though after growing up, her inclination towards painting went awry and she chose the Science stream to pursue her further studies.
Srishti often found herself alone and isolated from other family members, and so, she started pouring her heart out in a journal. The main reason behind Srishti’s introversion traced back to the family issues she observed since early childhood.
“I have always witnessed fights and quarrels in my family. Since childhood, I have observed how each family member was going through something or the other.”
Little did she know, the family issues scarred her for life. She somehow managed her schooling in an abusive environment in her home. Advancing her career, Srishti started with her college with expectations to lead a peaceful life. But as much as she craved to stay focussed on her studies, the issues wouldn’t leave her back. One fine day, Srishti received a phone call from her 4-year-older sister which shook her to the core. Her father had abandoned the family.
“This was a time when everyone in my home was fighting with each other. One day I got to know about my sister that she had a brain tumour. My life was flipped, completely.”
Srishti was taken aback by another news that tore her heart into pieces. Her beloved elder sister was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Following this heart-rending news, Shristi’s days turned dark with no hope of light. Srishti was not alone as she had a friend to share all her troubles with. But when her friend declared that it’s not possible to keep listening to the issues, Srishti reached a point of saturation. It was time for her to take a step immediately.
Srishti’s behaviour changed drastically. She had developed serious trust issues even with her family. She chose to stay put as sharing gave her a feeling of getting judged.
“I was going through intense episodes of anxiety. I was so depressed that I couldn’t talk to anyone.”
Srishti approached YourDOST who helps people find the best version of themselves through her college, NIT Puducherry. Since the first session took place via an audio call, Srishti felt uncomfortable opening up.
“First when I talked to the counselor, she started asking too many questions which made me anxious.”
Later, as the sessions advanced, she came to a point where gelling along wasn’t an issue for her. Her counselor guided Srishti with various breathing techniques to release her anxiety. Not only that but Srishti was suggested to get back on her abandoned hobbies. More importantly, Srishti was starting to communicate with her parents which changed the entire game.
“Now I don’t get over-emotional. I choose logic. I use logic to break down my issues and tackle each one of them individually. I don’t take anything by heart and don’t get scared of things easily. I have developed a logical perspective to the situation.”
Srishti started to feel restored again. She felt calmer than before and she got control over her anxiety. Not only did she pick up on her studies again, but her communication efforts brought fruits to her life. She sketched and wrote with the zeal she initially carried.
“My counselor helped me understand that I have to overcome what happened and now I had to move on.”
Srishti took the opportunity to offer gratitude to her counselor by thanking her for changing her life and teaching her and importance of logic. Some scars in our life can create a huge impact until and unless they are pulled out from the root. Srishti chose to make a change and get stronger to handle situations in her life. We, at YourDOST, are confident that this newfound strength will help Srishti tackle anything in life.
Srishti rates herself at a solid 5 out of 5 in terms of feeling better post counseling, after being able to choose logic over emotions. She chose strength over despair. She is a true warrior!
Srishti’s Warrior Tips:
1. If you’re going through something that is not right, go get help. Don’t sit in silence.
2. Counseling is a slow process. Don’t give up and let it find you.
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.