Annamika is 24 and works on the communications team of the non-profit Antarang Foundation in Mumbai. She was born and raised in Bangalore and moved to Mumbai in 2018 for her undergraduate studies. Since then, Annamika has been on the journey of being independent.
Annamika comes from a nuclear family of her mom, dad, and younger brother, all of whom she holds dear. Annamika spent most of her childhood with her stay-at-home mom, as her dad was often away for work. Despite that, she describes herself as someone shaped by the personalities of both her parents.
“From my dad, I learned to be logical and leadership-oriented, and my mom showed me how to be empathetic and caring towards our loved ones.”
She adds that the fondest childhood memories are when her dad implicitly showed his love by supporting her in his interests. She says that her dad gave her those tiny moments when he would bring her presents like storybooks whenever he travelled for work.
With all the nurturing and love received from family, Annamika grew up to be a person with a perfect blend of socialising skills and having her own space. She explained that she loves to hang out with her acquaintances, spending at least one day a week with them. She also gives herself a day to recharge for the week as part of her self-care. Apart from this, Annamika also likes to read, paint, and indulge in a few photography sessions to unwind.
While Annamika has navigated various challenges throughout her life, she encountered a challenging phase during her early 20s. She explains that she was seeking ways to manage and resolve her issues. She was introduced to therapy through conversations with friends and acquaintances, which she adds became a helpful resource for finding a way forward.
“When I heard people talk about Therapy in my circle, I discussed it with my parents and gave counseling an attempt. It was helpful, but with my pay scale, it created a trickle-down effect, and I had to phase it out.”
Annamika explained that the fee for therapy put her under financial constraints, and she couldn’t keep up with the expenses. She initially reduced the number of sessions and eventually stopped proceeding with the sessions.
After a while, Annamika joined Antarang Foundation as a new employee, where she became aware of YourDOST’s partnership with them.
“I was thrilled about my company as they prioritised mental health. It was part of our employee well-being package and made things easier for me.”
Annamika added that she felt the platform was easy to use. She logged in with her work mail and could connect immediately to get started with the first session.
“My first session was interesting. I generally used to overthink a lot. I didn’t know how to deal with specific thoughts, and I would agonise over it. My counselor was a great listener and challenged my thoughts, which helped me put together the pieces in my mind.”
Annamika credits her counselor with helping her find the proper techniques to deal with these thoughts and situations. Her counselor made her segregate her thoughts by identifying each one and then reflecting on them consciously. She was also asked to use the rubber band technique to snap out of obsessive thoughts and bring her back to the present.
Annamika also says her journaling and breathing exercise habits were encouraged in the sessions, as they helped her be consistent.
“All of the techniques I learned in Therapy stuck with me well. It was beneficial; I used to be scared to make decisions. After a few sessions, I have started making pros and cons lists for significant things, as my therapist suggested. It helped to know which are the best choices for me.”
Working on herself, Annamika explains that she has decided to continue on this journey of self-reflection as she has started noticing changes in her life. She acknowledges that, in the long run, she is on her way to attaining more self-awareness.
“Having someone to point out our patterns helped me clarify the causes of my thoughts and actions. Speaking out my mind also helped me filter out the clutters in my head.”
She is also delighted that her counselor constantly evolves ways to help her by accommodating Annamika’s needs during the sessions as they continue the process.
As Annamika tackles her life situations with therapy, she rates herself as 3.5 out of 5 in self-improvement. She also became a great advocate of counseling and wrote articles on how Therapy Benefits a person’s growth.
We are proud of Annamika as she grows new leaves in the flourishing branches of her life and wishes her all the best in her journey of self-awareness.
Annamika’s warrior tips:
1.“Therapy is not just for people facing a particular situation; it also creates a self-awareness learning journey for everyone.”
2.“When we feel we aren’t moving forward, it is easy to get lost in our thoughts and seek Therapy rather than searching the Internet for hacks because therapists are people who have learned and practised principles revolving around mental health.”
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