“Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter’s soul.”- Vincent Van Gogh.
Life is like a painting and sometimes, the canvas gets messy and chaotic, with colours splashed everywhere, making it hard to see the bigger picture. However, with patience and the right guidance, those random strokes can turn into a beautiful masterpiece.
Meet Megha (name changed), a 21-year-old engineering student from Pune who is associated with Katalyst India through an educational scholarship.
She has spent her entire childhood in Pune with her parents and younger sister. Her grandparents, uncle, and aunts live in their ancestral home in the village.
“My family is pretty close, but as with any other family, they have their share of problems too.”
Megha loves art and crafts, painting, and reading books. These hobbies used to make her happy, but lately, she found herself struggling with family issues that affected her studies and made her feel anxious.
“I had some critical family issues that made me lose concentration in my studies and made me feel anxious. I couldn’t understand the changes going on inside me.”
The situation at home got worse with financial problems and regular fights between her parents, adding to her stress and anxiety.
“I was unable to handle the pressure and soon reached a breaking point. I was experiencing sleepless nights and cold sweats and was completely unable to focus on my studies. I realised that I needed help and went to a clinical psychiatrist who advised me to talk to a psychologist.”
This led her to YourDOST, a platform she learned about through Katalyst India, an NGO that provided her with a scholarship and partnered with YourDOST as their mental health partner.
Soon Megha started her therapy sessions with Ms Shreya, who made a great first impression.
“She was very understanding, solution-oriented, and made me feel very comfortable. She listened to all my concerns with deep patience and concern.”
During their sessions, Ms Shreya introduced Megha to various techniques to manage her anxiety and regain her focus.
“I wasn’t able to concentrate much, so she helped me with worksheets and activities that helped me regain my focus levels. Among these techniques was the 54321 grounding technique and journaling, which helped me express my emotions and thoughts freely.”
The therapy sessions brought positive changes in Megha’s life. She was able to talk about her concerns from childhood and understand their root causes. This systematic approach helped her deal with her issues in a positive way.
“I began painting and practising my artistic skills again. I started feeling more confident and positive with each day.”
Megha credits her success in academics to her therapist and expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her for everything!
“Thank you so much for motivating me on my journey Shreya! She helped me in ways I couldn’t have done myself, and the credit for my success in academics goes entirely to her.”
In terms of feeling better, Megha rates herself a solid 4 out of 5, having started at a 1 before her sessions. She envisions improvement as achieving emotional stability and controlling her feelings and concentration levels before acting on them.
We at YourDOST are confident that Megha is well on her way to reaching her full potential and wish her the best in all her future endeavors!
Megha’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Even when feeling low or depressed, always believe in yourself and start learning or doing something new to stay engaged.”
2.“Problems are not always in our hands, but we can make our lives better by seeking help when and where needed.”
