TW: Mention of Self Harm
Close to nature and art, and from the city intricately woven with architecture, music and theatre, comes Megha Mitra. A young and dynamic 21-year-old, who has always been profoundly interested in the world of Mathematics and Science, and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree from IIT Madras.
Apart from her academic interests, Megha defines herself as a calm and reserved person, who likes to stay in her personal bubble, always enjoying the solitude. Her bucket of hobbies includes classical music, taking long walks in nature and “me time”.
She has a medical and counseling history; dealing with childhood trauma and now academic stress. Things really began worrying her during the lockdown.
“I knew something was off and so I started working out thinking things would get better, but soon it turned worse.”
The act of doing “nothing” holds immense power, it makes a person kinder and being alone with your thoughts often helps in processing your feelings and emotions better. But there are often times when it makes you feel desolated and the mind wanders to spaces of loneliness.
The lockdown only added to a lot of uneasiness among the people.
Similarly, the lockdown period put immense pressure on Megha from all aspects of her life. Anxiety started boiling and panic attacks became frequent. Things were uncertain and the future seemed blurry.
“A lot of thoughts were racing in my mind, but I was not able to share them with anyone. I didn’t know how to deal with the nerve-racking stress, so I took a blade and cut my hand.”
A frightening series of events including panic attacks, self-harm actions and anxiety; all fueled by STRESS! She did not share all this with anyone as she believed that asking for help was seen as being weak. She often thought to herself, “I don’t want people to think that I am weak.”
But with things getting a little out of her control, something had to be done.
Disturbed by her own thoughts and feelings, Megha decided that this could not go on like this. She needed to take control of the situation, and not let the situation take control of her.
She reached out to YourDOST through her Institute’s association with the platform.
“My professors encouraged me to go for counseling, and that has been one of the best decisions I took for myself. YourDOST is exactly what our generation is seeking.”
Megha connected with Mr. Krishna Sathian through chat sessions and later on shifted to audio and video sessions.
She recalls that her counselor’s first impression of her was quite impactful – “Mr. Krishna was extremely empathetic and solution-oriented.”
Scepticism rose before the first session, but Megha was able to extinguish her mind and enter the session with a clean slate.
“ It was difficult but the improvement did not all come in one day.”
Megha was recommended a few techniques to work on herself. Breathing exercises helped her whenever her anxiety began snow-balling. Her counselor provided her with articles and other reading materials to familiarise her more with anxiety issues.
Journaling was suggested to channelise her negative burst of emotions. The stress release ball helped in calming her nerves during stressful times.
Small and simple activities like painting, singing, and hugging her parents, replaced her self-harm impulse. She claims to be a much happier person now.
“It is still challenging to follow up, but now I regularly work out and follow through with things.”
The journey has not been easy, many ups and downs took a toll on her, but Megha was immensely determined to improve each day.
Trust and consistency are the key determinants of a successful journey of transformation through counseling. Megha stood by firmly and regained control of her life responsibly.
“I am so thankful to my counselor, she is the definition of a perfect human being to me – she is empathetic, and empathy is all I needed. She is my perfect friend, sister and most of all she is home.”
Today Megha has seen a steady improvement in herself. Her panic attacks have almost vanished, she has a better grip on her anxiety and has built a better sleep schedule for herself.
She has broken free from the stigmas attached to counseling and therapy, and she advocates mental health counseling.
She calls her improvement the journey of self-realisation and has rated herself a whopping 3.7 out of 5, in terms of getting better each day.
Megha’s Warrior Tips:
1.”Don’t be harsh on your mind and brain, seek help.”
2.“At the end of the day, you are a human being and we need each other to thrive.”
3.“Free yourself from the pain together with someone.”
