“I always wanted to seek therapy, for my personal growth. Only a push was needed.” – Believe it or not, these are the words from a 29-year-old braveheart who is a textbook definition of an ‘extrovert’. Now y’all must be thinking, how come extroverts need therapy? Is it only meant for introverts? Well, the answer is NO! Let’s dive into Riecha Raj’s life, the true mental health warrior.
Hailing from Ranchi, Riecha has always been an outspoken kid. From taking part in cultural events from school days to being a dancer and being an avid reader – Riecha is an allrounder!
“When it comes to talking to others about personal things, I’m very shy. But to everyone’s surprise, I have many friends and I love to roam around as well.”
Riecha always wanted to be the boss of her own life, and so, to fulfil her mission, she became a teacher at a young age where she was teaching to fourth and fifth graders in her early days.
As years passed, Riecha took a step in the corporate world by joining one of the companies as a Talent Acquisition Specialist and has been in the same field since. Though Riecha believes there was nothing “fundamentally wrong” with her, she always found the therapy process very insightful.
“One of my family members was an addict. So, as I grew up, to avoid that environment, I resorted to making more and more friends who ended up being the similar kind.”
In order to run away from the toxic environment, Riecha ended up being a part of it, externally. As days passed, she realised she was becoming less confident and what shocked her to the core was her sudden inability to not being able to perform in front of anyone! For someone who owned the stage, Riecha was now feeling demotivated by this change.
“I then moved to a new city, and my confidence sank even more. I began to take a back seat – something which I’d not usually do. This altered behaviour of mine made me lose connection with many people.”
With triggers like this, Riecha had finally gotten the ‘push’ she needed to begin therapy. Riecha got to know about YourDOST – an unbiased, anonymous, and pocket-friendly professional guidance and voila! She was overjoyed to begin her sessions.
“I was initially sceptical of whether online therapy would help me or not, but as I began therapy with Mr Abrar Raza from YourDOST, I instantly got what I was looking for.”
Most of us might want to meet with a counselor or therapist face to face to build a rapport, but as Riecha had lost the touch of being fully free around people, she chose the chat option to connect with Abrar. “I didn’t want him to see me and judge”, said Riecha. Abrar listened to Riecha completely and also gave her a few suggestions but due to some circumstances, she couldn’t reconnect with him. She then got connected with Sohini, who provided her with amazing techniques to work with.
“I discussed with Sohini I was feeling underconfident and not like myself. The positive reinforcements and affirmations she gave me worked like a charm.”
Riecha began to give things a chance she usually won’t or had forgotten to give over time, owing to the therapy sessions. She even used to think meditation doesn’t really work, but now thinks otherwise, as Riecha feels it’s very useful now.
“I don’t make decisions by myself but these counselors showed me a way to try.”, says Riecha as he extends her hearty gratitude for the counselors from YourDOST and proudly says how she’s a true believer in therapy now. She calls her experience a slow and steady one, and we couldn’t agree more!
Though Riecha feels she’s at a 3.5 out of 5, in terms of feeling better post-therapy, we feel she’s a true fighter and a mental health warrior who knows when to seek help, sought the right help and emerged victoriously!
Riecha’s Warrior Tips:
1. Sometimes all you need is that little push to go above and beyond and prioritise yourself.
2. Counseling can also help you eliminate bias.
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.
