Sagar, 20, is currently pursuing his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious IIT Roorkee. As we speak with him about his journey, he tells us how he is still in the process of getting to know himself better but has definitely come a long way too. He reminisces about how he used to think of himself back when he had just joined college.
“I was very uncertain about myself and my calibre which led to a lot of self hatred. I was also unable to concentrate because of which my academics also suffered. My parents and relatives had a lot of expectations from me and I couldn’t seem to live up to those. This is when I started feeling completely useless.”
All of this added to Sagar’s already low self confidence. When you don’t achieve the things you want, your ambitions are also doused a little – Sagar could see this happening to his own dreams and aspirations. He found himself settling for less and hated himself for it. Sagar was also struggling with self esteem issues which invariably made him shut people out of his life.
If anyone tried reaching out to me, I would resist. I would just not be my authentic self in front of them.
Because of this, he also faced difficulty in developing long-term interpersonal relationships.
“Despite everything, I was lucky to have found some extremely nice people during my journey who went out of their way to be there for me and accepted me the way I was. I felt like my authentic self in their presence. It was a real blessing for me.”
Initially, he was a little hesitant to seek support from a professional counselor. However, it was with the help of these friends that he finally decided to reach out to YourDOST.
The very first expert that he connected with was Ms. Salma Banu. She helped him get through some of his toughest days and come to terms with certain losses. She helped him understand the power of therapy!
Before this, I had been a little skeptical about therapy. I thought that I was a very able person and didn’t need anybody else’s support. Therapy changed my worldview completely.
He further talks about his current therapist, Ms. Anna Sam, and how he came to associate with her.
“I tend to introspect a lot and I was looking for someone who would give me a psychological take on my thoughts and help me build on those.”
Hence, he was looking for a clinical psychologist and found his fit in Anna.
“She heard me out and gave me a very different perspective on everything, which is exactly what I was looking for.”
She also introduced him to certain techniques which helped him become a better version of himself. One of these included guided imagery and meditation, which has been really helpful for Sagar.
One very interesting exercise that she recently suggested was asking my friends about what they like and despise about me and further working on those feedbacks to better myself.
This exercise did not only help him learn more about himself but also strengthened his relationship with his friends.
Sagar has seen some major improvements in himself but what he loves about the whole process is the growth. His sessions always end on a positive note and he finds himself looking forward to the next one. He also loves how there are constant follow ups when it comes to therapy which keeps you in a loop of constant self improvement.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t seek therapy even today, is because they’re afraid they’ll be judged. A person who seeks therapy is considered weak and mentally unstable, and people often think there’s something wrong with them. But Sagar wants to change this narrative by making sure that we do not segregate mental health from physical health.
Don’t think of it as going to a healthcare professional, see it as seeking out a friend who won’t judge you for anything. Your perception towards therapy will change automatically.
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.
Sagar’s Warrior Tips:
1. Finding an Expert who’s right for you is very important
2. Trust the process, and enjoy it
3. Counseling is more like meeting with a friend than connecting with a healthcare professional
