Karan (name changed) hails from the City of Joy, Kolkata. He resides in Mumbai and is pursuing his PhD at the prestigious TIFR.
When people think of a PhD, they think of it as the pinnacle of academic achievement. It is often a journey that involves sacrifice, dedication, and passion, and that is precisely the path that Karan has walked.
As a child, Karan was more introverted than some of his peers. He spent most of his time with his small and cosy friends. He describes being a shy person all through his childhood.
He shares a good relationship with his family, which comprises his father, mother, and sister, who is five years younger than him. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and reading books to unwind.
When Karan started his academic journey, the one thing he remembers changing was his parents’ expectations of him. During his undergraduate studies, he experienced a lot of psychological strain because of the pressures from academics and his parents.
While he managed to navigate that phase of his life with the help of multiple psychiatrists, he faced another unique problem when he entered graduate school. His advisor, who seemed polite and approachable during their first meeting, was the opposite.
The advisor turned out to be very difficult to work with and was emotionally abusive. Every interaction with his advisor left Karan feeling distressed and undervalued. During the first few interactions, he mostly felt surprised due to the sudden changes in behaviour.
As time passed, Karan made it a point to skip interactions with this advisor whenever he could, just for his mental peace. However, this also led to Karan losing interest in his work.
“Even in social settings, thoughts about my advisor’s remarks would come up and would ruin the entire situation.
Adding to the other issues he was also facing, Karan was also diagnosed with bipolar tendencies. His doctor prescribed him mood stabilisers, which he was taking over a year. While that was helping him manage his mood, he still felt overwhelmed with his thoughts and feelings.
This is when he decided to seek help. His institute had partnered with YourDOST, allowing him to reach out to experts. He logged onto the platform and booked a session with Ms Tanaya Dhok.
In his sessions with Ms Dhok, Karan uncovered strategies for managing his emotions and reactions. The first exercise she introduced was perspective-taking.
“I understood that my advisor’s behaviour reflected their issues rather than my worth, which helped reduce the emotional impact of negative interactions.”
She also suggested some grounding activities, which helped Karan focus on the exact emotions and feelings he was experiencing whenever he felt overwhelmed. She also asked him to follow a few breathing exercises to bring more calm into the present moment.
As a result of these exercises, Karan could better regulate some stressful situations. He also worked on developing a healthier sleep schedule, which was instrumental in building his resilience.
Karan rates himself a 4.5 out of 5 in terms of feeling better. We at YourDOST wish him the best of luck in his academic journey!
Karan’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Whenever you feel trouble brewing with your thoughts and mind, getting a second opinion is always better.”
2.“Being stuck in your head can convince you of the wrong things. It would be best if you found a healthy way to release your thoughts.”
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