“From humble beginnings come great things”.
This quote can sum up the entirety of Nandan’s life. His life is the ultimate testimony of hard work, resilience and faith that can take you to great heights.
Nandan, a 27-year-old Phd scholar, specialises in Chemistry at the prestigious IISER Tirupati. Being from a humble background, he completed his studies in various government institutions. His dedication and perseverance led him to be a student in one of the greatest institutions in the country.
“My family is my two brothers and an elder sister who is married, and we share a beautiful relationship.”
Nandan is not only an academician, but he has interests in sports too and hence likes spending his leisure time playing cricket and table tennis.
Nandan became acquainted with the YourDOST platform through his institution, where he met his therapist, Dr Shravya.
“Dr Shravya gave me enough time to explain my concerns, and she listened to every one of my issues with genuine interest.”
There’s an old saying that if the doctor is good and knows their ways, the issues are halfway to being treated. The therapist was very patient with Nandan and helped him learn about his concerns better by listing the points to work on. She then helped him resolve those issues one by one and assisted him in getting control over his emotions.
“I went to 2-3 counsellors outside of YourDOST but could not create a connection with any of them as deeply as I expected. With Shravya, the connection was organic from the very first session even though the sessions were online.”
Nandan was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder/OCD and depression, which led him to seek help from his therapist. He approached several therapists outside but didn’t feel much better. There wasn’t any clarity on his issues, and he could not experience any form of self-improvement, hence describing the YourDOST platform as god-gifted to him.
“I was suffering from depression for the past ten years and was diagnosed with OCD as well. I was stressed and distracted from my studies. I was losing focus and started feeling blank.”
Nandan had repetitive thoughts and OCD-related issues that affected him psychologically. He felt confused and stuck in a spiral of thoughts that were all over the place. He kept checking on things repeatedly and wasn’t able to think straight. His emotions started building up inside him as he felt uneasy about sharing it all with someone.
Dr Shravya offered her helping hand to Nandan to help conquer the mountain. They worked together, with various activities and techniques that helped him start climbing the summit alone. Not long after, he began observing changes in himself, and all the work started paying off. Nandan started thinking about solutions more than the concern itself and put a leash on his repetitive thoughts.
“I started moving forward with a promise to myself and Dr Shravya that no matter what, I’ll never look back.”
The path from a humble background to a PhD scholar at IISER is not an easy one, and Nandan did justice to his journey by working on himself and moving forward. He made it a point to overcome his tangled thoughts and enclosed them with a barrier. He channeled his energy and focus towards his studies and work proving to be a fighter in this long battle of mental health.
Nandan rates himself a brilliant 4.5/5 in terms of feeling better after his sessions. He feels almost 75% done on his journey to get better, and we are beyond doubt that it’s just a matter of time before this warrior places his victory flag on the top! We wish Nandan all the best on his journey of well-being.
Nandan’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Never hesitate to ask for help when needed as it is weaker to stay quiet than to say it aloud.”
2.“The belief that you can overcome anything takes you halfway through the journey.”
