For someone who expressed, “I love traveling! It calms my mind down” is no longer intrigued with the idea of going out or going on a trip. For someone who loved cooking, baking, and being with friends, is suddenly oppressing herself from socializing.
Can you guess why? Probably not. Because human minds are complex and need to be taken care of with utmost priority.
This is the story of twenty-three-year-old Tia (name changed) who slowly cooped up in her cocoon, instead of being out in the world, like she used to. Working at a social networking company based out of India, Tia suddenly found herself anxious on a daily basis. Upon close observation, she realized that she was not able to deal with many things which happened over a year.
“My breakup had an adverse effect on me. I even argued with two of my best friends and that was very bitter. On top of that, my workload was increasing rapidly and I was getting anxious.”
After working for 12 to 14 hours a day, Tia found herself stressed out and more of a machine than an actual human being. This kept on happening, but she didn’t pay much attention, until one day when she realized, “Monotony is doing more harm on me than making me productive”.
Along with a dreaded work-life and upset best friends, Tia found herself getting very vulnerable and started to bottle her emotions rather than opening up to someone. Tia stopped cooking, baking and even reduced her binge-watching hours. She understood that many things needed to be changed but did not know how to.
“I became a control freak and started spiraling with negative thoughts. I did not find solace in the activities I used to love.”
As a solution to the chaos she was in, Tia decided to strike a conversation with two of her friends, but soon it turned into a venting place – and not a healthy one. Tia realized there can be no good coming from sharing one friend’s thoughts with the other and vice versa. But, Tia badly wanted to talk to someone and tackle the situation in a better way.
“I wasn’t doing well with either of my best friends, so I decided to reach out and make a new friend. I was fortunate enough to have YourDOST as my company’s emotional wellness partner and I did not wait any longer to reach out.”
Tia got connected with YourDOST counselor Ms. Madhuara Saha and immediately ‘clicked’ with her! Tia was very happy to be around someone who would listen to her without any judgments. From the first session itself, Tia understood that Madhura is not just a counselor, she’s more of a friend, thanks to Madhura’s active listening skills and unbiasedness.
“Are you comfortable sharing that with me?”
“Oh, is that bothering you? Do you want to talk about that?”
It was the magic of such empathetic questions which made Tia feel very secure around Madhura. Tia even mentioned that whenever she’d go out of line or encourage negativity, Madhura used to stop her and try to mend her thoughts. Tia appreciated how Madhura never looked at the time while the session went on, as she knew that Tia needed to be heard. The solution-focused approach to tackle the issues and the phenomena of ‘setting boundaries’ when it comes to work-related issues helped Tia majorly.
“I started seeing my life from a different angle. This was very much required. I learned to say no when my work would get out of my hands. I even reconciled with my friends, and slowly things are getting better with them!”
Tia feels extremely grateful to have Madhura as her counselor and says, “I have found my match!”
Today, Tia is a calm and composed person who is ready to tackle any challenge that may come in her way, through therapy. Upon asking the question of rating her overall improvement out of 5, Tia happily rejoiced and answered, “A solid five!” and surely, we second that without a doubt!
Tia not only did benefit from the counseling, she continued taking sessions with YourDOST, as she believes that counseling not only helped me solve my issues but also made her a better person. On a regular basis, Tia sees people around her who are extremely under stress but do not seek professional guidance and that saddens her heart. She urges everyone to start working on themselves and seek counseling!
From all of us at YourDOST, Tia, you are a ray of hope in a world full of negativity and chaos! You are a true inspiration for people around you. We wish you the best of success!
Tia’s Warrior Tips:
1. Talk about it! Once you talk, you will realise it can be solved and that it might not even be that big of a deal as it was in your mind.
2. Talking to a friend helps for some time, but if you want to eradicate a problem from the roots, you must reach out to a professional counselor.
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.
