“It’s so difficult to describe depression to someone who’s never been there because it’s not sadness. I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it’s that cold absence of feeling – that really hollowed-out feeling.” – J.K. Rowling
A true mental health warrior, Vrinda is a 24-years-old MBA pursuer. Vrinda completed her graduation from Jaipur after which she moved to Chandigarh for her masters. Vrinda is someone who would swim oceans for her friends and family.
“Since childhood, I have been a very emotional person. Everything seemed normal, but somewhere I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t living my life in a fulfilled way.”
Vrinda wasn’t in a good position overall. This became evident by the fact that nights would scare her a lot and daytime were filled with blackouts. But as much emotional Vrinda was, so was her inability to express herself fruitfully. Vrinda always felt dissatisfied with whatever she did without knowing the reason behind it. There were days when she would be at home, unable to express her feelings, Vrinda would rush to the washroom to burst into tears.
“Our country is such that mental health is not a wide-ranged topic. Many times, we aren’t even aware of the existence of mental health, and I didn’t want to fall under one of those.”
Vrinda tried talking about her situation with some of her close friends. That is when she found out through mutual contact that she was going through depression. That explained her urge to cry all day.
Vrinda also had a huge loss in appetite and mostly found escape through sleeping too much. The depression had hit her so hard that Vrinda was being forgetful which was misjudged as being careless by the people around her.
“I started taking counseling with an urge to come out of my depression. For some time, I was on medicines and then left the procedure. But I decided to take counseling again when the symptoms came back rushing in.”
Vrinda got in touch with Kangan Vohra, a counselor from YourDOST, an emotional wellbeing coach associated with her college. With Kangan, Vrinda found warmth and assurance that he understood her issues well.
Proceeding with the counseling process, Vrinda was suggested certain techniques to work upon like meditation followed by some video links. On the brighter side, Vrinda started noticing changes in her overall lifestyle. Once drowning in her sadness, soon Vrinda had started to notice a speck of happiness in small things.
“The past never leaves you. Some things that happened in the past are often witnessed through certain events that remind you of the same again. The only solution is to get closure.”
Vrinda beautifully quoted that, “face the thing that haunts you so much that it makes you stronger”. For Vrinda, her first encounter with YourDOST wasn’t an extraordinary one. But later she felt comfortable as she proceeded with the process. As Vrinda bids farewell to her depression, she extends her hearty gratitude to her counselor.
Vrinda rates her overall improvement through counseling with a 4.5 out of 5. When we, at YourDOST, learned her story, we felt immensely joyous as mental health matters to us. Vrinda is truly an inspiration!
Vrinda’s Warrior Tips:
1. Closure is very important. Running away from problems is never the solution.
2. Guilt trips are a major reason for depression. It’s better to get a reality check.
3. Mental health is as important as physical health.
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.