“There are far better things ahead than we leave behind.” – C. S. Lewis.
Meet our warrior of the day, Prabhat, a 29-year-old PhD scholar from IIT Madras.
Prabhat is originally from West Bengal but has moved and adapted to different cities all his life due to his father’s transferable job in the West Bengal Power Development Corporation. After completing his B.Tech at IIT Durgapur and his Master’s at Jadavpur University, Prabhat returned to IIT Madras for his PhD.
Prabhat’s home consists of his parents and his sister. While his relationship with his immediate family is stable, he has a somewhat broken connection with his extended family.
“The three of us, my parents, my sister, and I, are close, but I don’t have much of a connection with my extended family.”
Prabhat also loves playing sports, especially football, which he plays at IIT Madras. He also enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and playing the tabla. However, he admits that his hobbies took a backseat when the demands of college life increased.
Prabhat learned about YourDOST from his institute, which partners with the organisation as its official mental health partner. Here, he met Ms Ahana Dutta, who went on to become his trusted counsellor.
“At first, I didn’t believe mental health should be taken seriously, but that changed when I started talking to Ahana. She helped me see that mental health issues can be addressed and improved.”
Prabhat’s need for therapy arose from emotional turmoil. Throughout his life, he had a tendency to suppress his feelings, focusing solely on his academic and personal goals.
“Stuffing feelings in the closet was the major problem I faced.”
He was used to prioritising his tasks over his emotions, leading to a buildup of unresolved feelings.
The turning point came when Prabhat entered a relationship that initially brought him immense joy. However, when the relationship ended abruptly, it opened a Pandora’s box of emotions he had long suppressed.
“I was on cloud nine, but when it ended, it felt like everything had come crashing down.”
At the same time, Prabhat was struggling with his PhD work. He had made no progress for nearly eight to ten months, and his relationship was his only source of happiness. When that ended, he found himself unable to cope.
“It was hard to deal with everything falling apart at once.”
Prabhat’s relationship with his parents also deteriorated as they misunderstood his situation, believing he had taken the wrong path.
“I stopped my day-to-day work. I wasn’t eating properly, I wasn’t thinking properly. I even had to take medicines to sleep.”
In his sessions with Ahana, Prabhat found solace in expressing his thoughts and feelings. She encouraged him to write and share his emotions through the YourDOST messaging system.
“She listens carefully and tries to come up with ideas to resolve my issues.”
This process helped him understand his feelings and find ways to cope with his emotional turmoil.
Ahana also taught him breathing exercises to calm his anxiety and provided techniques to manage his mental breakdowns.
“Whenever I feel panicked, the breathing exercises help me calm down.”
Sharing his concerns and talking to Ahana made them seem less daunting and reduced the weight on his shoulders. Over time, Prabhat noticed positive changes in himself. He became less shy and more confident in social situations. This improvement was mainly due to his own efforts to put himself in challenging situations and support himself.
“I’m grateful because I might have quit my PhD without her. I have become more focused on my work and have regained my motivation to complete my PhD. Therapy has given me the strength to stay put and pursue my goals.”
In terms of feeling better, Prabhat rates himself as 4 out of 5. For him, improvement means achieving his goals and feeling good about his accomplishments.
“Whatever I do in my life should feel good to myself, not meant to be for others.”
We at YourDOST could not be more proud of Prabhat, and we wish him all the best in his endeavours!
Prabhat’s Warrior Tips:
1.“It’s okay to feel vulnerable. Don’t push your emotions away; talk about them.”
2.“Open up about your feelings, whether good or bad. Seek help from experts to navigate your emotions.”
Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.
