“At a time when I was stuck in an indefinite loop of thoughts and couldn’t find my way out, therapy at YourDOST gave me a structured plan.” -Somashree.
A plant grown in a mesh pot, where the amount of soil, water and nutrients are controlled is the perfect environment for it to grow. However, when the plant outgrows the pot, it is generally replanted to a bigger pot or the ground, where the environment is entirely new. If not properly cared for, there is a high chance for the plant to with away.
The trick to help the plant grow is introducing it to the new environment slowly and gradually so that it gets accustomed to the new surroundings. The same is the case with humans, a sudden change in the surroundings can have a significant effect on us, hence being aware of the change and getting mentally prepared is the key to a healthy life.
Meet Somashree, a warrior who withstood the turmoil of changes in her life and faced each situation with admirable courage!
The 30-year-old implementation analyst at Phreesia grew up in a typical army family, as her father is a retired Indian Army veteran. Her mother is a homemaker and she also has a younger brother.
Growing up, Somashree had a secure environment around her as she was brought up in an army household and society. She had little to no interaction with the outside world per se and had a “cultural shock” when she stepped out of the secure boundary after her father’s retirement.
“I always loved reading books as a child as they were my escape from the real world around me. I also love cooking, and teaching is a passion which is very dear to me and helps me forget my pain.”
Somashree was introduced to the YourDOST platform through her company as they collaborate with the organisation as their official mental health partner. She met Ms Rineeta Banerjee on the YD platform, whom she chose to be her therapist for the days to come.
“Growing up reading books and escaping from reality, somewhere around the path I knew I would need therapy in the future. I chose Ms Rineeta as my therapist because I knew she would understand me personally as a modern woman with similar ethnicities.”
At a time when the inner child should transform naturally to the ways of adulthood, Somashree found herself struggling with the change. Staying alone away from the family, being a girl and proving her worth to society, made her deal with emotional turmoil.
“I started therapy for a brief time owing to the conflicts between my parents and not knowing how to deal with it. However, I was sceptical and stopped sessions abruptly.”
Ms Rineeta was the perfect mentor for Somashree who held her hand through tough times and made her walk the path of life with a dose of confidence. Initially, it was tough for her to open up to a stranger, even though her being a professional, but gradually came to terms with therapy and started opening up about her concerns.
“I began the good and bad sides of myself with Ms Rineeta and started expressing more of myself. I was stuck in an indefinite loop of thoughts and therapy was my way out of it.”
Somashree’s family began the quest of looking for a suitable groom for her and she started talking to new people whom her parents selected. She recalls meeting new people from September 2022 to June 2023 and was on the verge of burnout. She started being underconfident and her personality was changed due to the pressure of marriage.
“I convinced myself that good things take time and therapy is a slow process that will show results in time. This is where my therapist came into the picture and helped me get a structured plan to get out of the dilemma.”
Somashree started seeing changes as she began standing up for herself and voicing her concerns. She began giving her 100% towards therapy and went from crying in sessions for months to boldly facing her fears.
“Ms Rineeta asked me to write letters to my mother as an activity to let out my suppressed feelings and emotions towards her. We share a love-hate relationship and have regular conflicts with her. However, I understood that we were different people who grew up in different eras so certain things may be difficult for us to come to a common ground.”
Somashree began experiencing positive changes within her as she started speaking up confidently and voicing her opinions wherever needed. She realised that not everyone can be satisfied with her actions and she has to let go of the grudges without holding herself back.
“I started voicing my opinions as contrary to the past and started letting go of things that were etched in my mind as I realised I couldn’t hold on to things forever. I had pressured myself to be the “good girl” as taught to me from childhood, but I started exploring myself and broke out of the pseudo personality.”
Somashree recalls pushing away the one person who she thought to be the best for her due to her need for validation from others. She was lucky enough to get that person back in her life after she realised her mistake and is planning to get married soon.
Replanting a plant in new surroundings can yield two results. Either it withers away or it grows well, depending on the care it receives. Somashree helped herself grow better in a new environment by identifying her weaknesses and working on them unapologetically.
She succeeded in growing into the best version of herself with the help of her therapist and is extremely grateful to have found the path of healing.
Somashree rates herself a 3.5 out of 5 in terms of feeling better after sessions and we are positive that the path ahead of her will take her to a complete 5 in no time!
We at YourDOST are proud of Somashree’s journey of determination and wish her all the best for her future!
Somashree’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Be your unapologetic self, even if it means making some people unhappy as in the end it’s all about you.”
2.“Talk it out and voice your opinion to grow as a person.”
3.“Strive towards polishing your personality into the best version of yourself.”
