When you’re brave, you empower others around you to be brave too.
Amol, 25, has already seen his share of ups and downs at this young an age. But his determination to ride through these waves smoothly is a testament to his bravery and invincible spirit. His story is bound to both empower and inspire you.
An M.Tech student at the prestigious IIT Roorkee, Amol is a kind, affable and intelligent man. He first approached YourDOST for guidance in August 2019, although his struggle started much earlier.
It began with my B.Tech in 2011. I would often compare myself to my peers, and experience feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, and hopelessness.
But life went on. Fast-forward to 2015, Amol had just joined his new job. But his mental health wasn’t in good shape.
I used to wake up anxious, and with a weird stomach ache. I lost some 25 kgs within the first 6 months of my joining. But I chose to ignore it all.
Sometime after this, Amol quit his job. Unfortunately, finding another job proved to be a challenge. He went through a year of unemployment, and his condition only worsened. He finally decided to seek professional help when his girlfriend too noticed that there was something amiss.
In 2017, after my girlfriend noticed me displaying certain signs of depression, I decided to go for a Psychiatric consultation. I went to a place I could afford at that time – a government hospital. It was overflowing with patients, and there was no privacy. The consultation proved to be only superficially helpful.
Amol joined his second job in the same year. There, for the first time in a very long time, he met some supportive individuals. They showed him that he wasn’t inferior in any way and could get better, something that he had always felt but never believed.
Unfortunately, 2018 brought another setback with it, when Amol found himself unemployed again. It was at this time that he decided to attend a ‘Vipassana’ camp, which proved to be quite helpful.
‘Vipassana’ gave me a taste of peace, and completely changed my perspective. On my return from the camp, I took up a part time job and started preparing for the GATE exam with the help of a friend.
In 2019, with some savings and help from his friends, Amol went for a psychological assessment and got a definitive diagnosis.
I was told that I displayed dependency traits as well as borderline tendencies. What stood out was my tendency to overthink. I was also very fearful about maintaining my relationships and faced severe difficulties when it came to decision making.
Amol continued to receive Psychiatric care but found it difficult to meet with a therapist.
I had no way of finding out exactly which therapist would prove to be helpful. Plus therapy in Pune was very expensive for me to be able to afford it.
Whatever help he was getting was put on hold very suddenly thanks to his admittance call from IIT Roorkee which was very sudden & unexpected.
5 rounds of admission went by without me receiving a call. I felt bad but started looking for a job. Out of the blue, I got a call in the 6th round.
Amol had to move to Roorkee with hardly a few days in hand. Once there, he continued to struggle with regulating his mood and decision making. Hence, he decided to meet with YourDOST Expert, Dr. Seema Sharma on campus.
He still had concerns about how to share what was on his mind with her.
I had been in therapy before, but was still very unsure about how to approach a therapist and share what’s on my mind. I mean I knew the difficulties I was facing, but how do I convey them to the therapist so that they may understand what exactly I was going through.
But Dr. Seema turned out to be the quintessential therapist.
I just sat there and talked. She not only understood me but also made me identify my good qualities.
She also clarified that psychological assessments don’t reveal everything about a person, especially their good qualities. Over the next few sessions, he learned various techniques to help with his anxiety.
Dr. Seema would give me simple exercises, like breathing exercises, to use whenever I was in distress.
As his therapy continued, he started to feel much better about himself.
She told me that my journey till now is proof that I am adequate and capable of achieving the life that I desire. She encouraged me to have faith in myself and trust my mind.
Amol is finally on the road to recovery. His self-esteem is far better, as is his mood, and anxiety is much more manageable. As he puts it himself, this journey isn’t over yet.
Counseling is a process. I can’t say that I’m 100% alright now. But I’m much better.
So, does he have any advice for others who might be in need of professional help but haven’t sought it yet?
See, it’s simple. Some of us may be better at expressing ourselves than others. But in the end, we need to find someone to share with and we must share. It is our responsibility to make sure that we get better and we must do everything that’s in our power to achieve that.
It takes a lot of courage to openly share something so personal. We are really grateful to Amol for not only trusting us but also sharing his story to inspire others who’re still unsure if counseling can help them or not
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.
Amol’s Warrior Tips:
1. Don’t judge yourself. Look into your past and you will get enough proof that you’re more than adequate as a person
2. Don’t lose faith in yourself
3. Trust the counseling process
