From Socially Anxious to Self-Confident – How Counseling Helped Ankit

Man is a social animal, but what happens when we feel conscious and find it hard to interact with others? Let’s take a glimpse into the mind of Ankit, a 23-year-old IIT Guwahati student. Ankit has always been aloof, with his small clique of close friends. Ankit’s life was going on smoothly until he found himself spiraling with negative thoughts and unable to help himself.

When the Covid-19 pandemic took our lives on toll, people like Ankit struggled and found it hard to freely interact with others.

“I realised that I wanted to be left alone. I thought I might even be depressed. IIT pressure was killing me, and as an add-on to all this, my father’s health was tumbling.”

Life at home wasn’t a pleasing experience for Ankit, as his father was going through a health emergency. Simultaneously, due to his introverted nature, it was getting harder for Ankit to communicate to new people and make connections. Soon after the lockdown was lifted, Ankit moved back to Guwahati and tried to cope with the new changes.

“I had freedom, but I did not know what to do with it. I was studying in IIT, but the sense of pride was just not entering my mind, and I felt like a loser.”

We often find ourselves in a situation that we think is not best for us, but everything happens for a reason, right? Ankit, too, thought he is not doing well in classes and has not made new friends. Ankit drowned in the sorrow of self-doubt caused by social anxiety. His goal to excel in his studies was also slipping away from his hands. 

“I knew I had issues related to my self-esteem but didn’t know it would get worse by time. Lucky for me, my mentor from the college asked me to check out counseling services offered by YourDOST, and without thinking twice, I reached out to them.”

Ankit connected with YourDOST counselor via chat option, owing to his social interaction issues, but soon he shifted to counseling via audio calls. As the counseling began, Ankit wanted to talk to the counselor but found it very hard to open up. He used to be straightforward with his answers and hesitated to ask more questions. But as the session went by, his counselor made him feel safe and gave him space to open up freely and discuss his issues.

“My counselor mostly asked me to be patient about everything and take things slowly.” 

With finally being able to achieve the freedom and confidence to discuss openly, Ankit discussed various topics, and later it was identified that he, in fact, was not depressed but had anxiety, specifically social anxiety-related issues. To which, Ankit’s counselor advised him to meditate regularly and take cold water baths whenever he would feel pressured or anxious. Along with this, he was encouraged to make longer conversations with peers, and it helped Ankit be fearless and be more confident.

Today, Ankit is on the path to be self-confident and working hard each day to make the most out of opportunities around him!

Ankit’s Warrior Tips:
1. It was tough for people to talk about relationships ten years ago, but now, everyone is open about the idea. The same goes for counseling and therapy as well. It is the right time to end the stigma.
2. If you find it difficult to start the conversion, try out the ‘online chat’ option. Once you feel comfortable, you can switch it to audio sessions as well.

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.