In the movie ‘Inside Out,’ Riley’s emotions, “Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust,” work together to navigate the ups and downs of her life. Just like Riley, we all have moments when our emotions take over and we need a little help finding balance again.
This is the story of Harsha (name changed), a 22-year-old student doing her master’s in civil engineering at the renowned IIT Bombay.
Harsha grew up in a close-knit family of four: her parents, her younger brother, and herself. She shares a normal, open relationship with her parents.
“I was very obedient as a child and was often set an example for my younger siblings and cousins which wasn’t always good. Being the eldest, I felt the pressure to set a high standard for the others.”
She recalls having a very enjoyable childhood as she fondly remembers vacations spent at her grandparents’ house and the great friends she had.
“My hobbies are painting, writing, and reading. I also like travelling.”
Harsha first heard about YourDOST from her institute, which partners with the organization for mental health support. Here she met with her counsellor, Ms Divya who made a stong first impression on her.
“It was a very nice session because I was very anxious at the time. My main issue is anxiety and overthinking, and she was able to help with that. She told me that it’s completely normal and it’s great that even with this level of anxiety, I am still doing my daily tasks. She is very goal-oriented and started suggesting what I can do from the very first session.”
Harsha started the sessions because, for almost a year, she had been plagued by negative thoughts. Even if she was walking, she would think if she was going to fall down the stairs and hurt herself.
“For 24 hours, minus sleep hours, all I could think of were negative thoughts playing over and over again in my head.”
This constant negativity started being too exhausting for her, leading to frequent breakdowns. It affected her ability to focus on anything, especially her relationship, which was her own decision and not backed by her family. Even small problems became huge in her mind due to her anxiety and overthinking.
“If there was a small fight in my partner’s house, I would think about it for hours. I would wonder why their family was not exactly like ours.”
To tackle these issues, Ms. Divya suggested several activities and techniques and she recommended journaling in three parts.
“Through journalling, I began checking off completed tasks, questioning the rationality of my thoughts and started gratitude journaling. Ms Diyva also encouraged me to practice mindfulness, spend time on her hobby of painting, and engage in physical activities.”
One positive change Harsha noticed was a huge reduction in her breakdowns. She also learned to see her situation as manageable and began accepting each situation as it was.
“Ms Divya came like a ray of hope in a very dark time, a light in the darkest hour. I don’t know what I would have done without YourDOST and I’m truly grateful for them.”
Harsha rates herself a 4 out of 5 in terms of feeling better and views improvement as maintaining consistency.
We at YourDOST are positive that Harsha is on the right path and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours!
Harsha’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Accept that anxiety and overthinking can happen to anyone and it’s okay.”
2.“There is always a way out or a solution to problems, no matter how difficult they seem.”
