“No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope.” – Peter Parker, Spider-Man.
In the movie Spider-Man, the protagonist Peter Parker is seen juggling his responsibilities as a superhero and dealing with the pressures of high school. Similarly, many students struggle to balance their academic duties and personal challenges and the journey of facing expectations, overcoming self-doubt, and finding one’s path can be overwhelming.
Today, we bring you the story of Khaja Hussain, a 21-year-old student from Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, who is in his third year of B.Tech in Civil Engineering at G. Pulla Reddy Engineering College.
“I do not have many hobbies but I enjoy playing chess, watching movies, and reading books.”
Despite his hobbies and calm demeanour on the outside, Khaja was struggling with his deep worries and insecurities that he struggled with every day.
Khaja first heard about YourDOST through his college, which partners with the organisation as their official mental health partner. At a time when he felt completely overwhelmed by his future, this partnership offered him a lifeline.
Khaja was assigned to Jumana Khan, a counsellor at YourDOST and from their very first session, he felt a sense of relief.
“I told her my problem in detail, explaining what had happened in the past and what I was thinking about. I was constantly worrying about the future.”
Jumana listened patiently and guided him to focus on living in the present instead of being consumed by worrying thoughts of the future. Khaja’s depression had reached a point where he couldn’t attend classes or exams. His OCD diagnosis as a child made things worse as he was stuck in a loop of overthinking for days at a stretch.
“I was depressed and I didn’t know what to do with my life. I was unsure if I could succeed in civil engineering or if I should change my career. These thoughts became so disturbing that I considered stopping my education altogether.”
During this time, he liked to remain isolated from social interactions and did not talk to anyone. Fights erupted between him and his parents when they asked him to continue his studies, and he began locking himself up in his room for days at a stretch, thinking about all the doubts and worries he had.
Jumana used different techniques to help Khaja cope with his challenges. She introduced him to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sheets, box breathing, grounding techniques, and Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation (JPMR) technique. These methods involved relaxing and tensing certain muscles in the body to reduce stress, along with positive affirmations.
“Every day, my counsellor suggested that I talk to myself in the mirror to gain self-confidence.”
After some days Ms Jumana suggested that start taking counselling from a clinical psychologist to overcome my headaches concern. The counselling sessions brought about significant positive changes in Khaja’s life.
“I am now easily talking with my friends. In the past, I wouldn’t mingle easily or talk to other students in my class but after counselling, I realised that education is not the only thing in life. We should not worry about the future all the time and enjoying the present with our friends and family is what real life means.”
This shift in mindset led to increased confidence and a more positive outlook on life. Today, Khaja is immensely grateful to Ms Jumana for her unwavering support and understanding.
“I’m extremely thankful for Ms Jumana as she understood me in-depth, as no one else did. She was there for me throughout my journey and I couldn’t ask for more.”
In terms of feeling better, Khaja rates himself a 4 out of 5, acknowledging the substantial progress he has made while recognising that growth is a continuous journey.
His journey highlights the importance of seeking help and believing in oneself, and we at YourDOST could not be more proud, and wish him the best for his future!
Khaja’s Warrior Tips:
1.“You are what you think! Never think that you are weak. Always tell yourself that I am strong, I gave my best, and I can!”
2.“Stay away from the people who inject negative, toxic words into your mind and always surround yourself with your well-wishers and your supporting people in hard times.”
