Trigger Warning: Self Harm
“Until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life”- Iyanla Vanzant.
At 21 years old, Yashita is on a journey of self-improvement. She describes herself as a creative soul and expresses her creativity through arts, crafts, and digital art. She also strongly advocates for mental health and is pursuing her BSc from Delhi Technological University.
Yashita grew up in a nuclear family with her parents and older brother. Her brother, she mentions, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at a young age and has lived with it all through her life.
For young Yashita, this was one of the primary reasons to get into the wellness field. With her awareness of children with special needs, she wanted to pursue a career where she could impact their lives somehow.
As a child, Yashita remembers being an introvert and struggling with a fair bit of social anxiety. While she could keep up the pace in academics, her teachers often brought up her introverted nature to her parents.
“They would always complain that I don’t speak in class and ask questions.”
In India, high school is when decisions about careers, streams, etc., are questioned. After 12th, students traditionally appear for competitive exams, attempting to get into top colleges for engineering, medicine, etc.
Yashita’s first preference was MBBS, and she spent the time studying for her entrance exams during the pandemic. She even took a drop year to prepare for the exams, but an MBBS degree was not meant to be.
Studying for a competitive exam like NEET can be stressful. For Yashita, the added layer of pandemic, lockdown, and uncertainty made it even more challenging.
“I was anxious, burned out and would struggle with impulses of self-harm.”
After the end of the gap year, she decided to pursue a degree in psychology, as it was still one of her primary interests. She moved to Delhi for her college and, for a few months, was able to manage these thoughts better.
However, certain situations and instances again left her anxious and overwhelmed. When thoughts of self-harm started to return, she knew she had to do something to combat it.
Since her college had a subscription with YourDOST, she opted for counseling. While she had contemplated therapy before, a significant barrier she faced was limited financial resources to afford it. She felt like a conversation about therapy, counseling, etc., would not give her the result she wanted with her parents.
Since students can avail counseling sessions for free once their college has a partnership with YourDOST, she decided to give it a try with the support of one of her friends.
She mainly took sessions with two counselors, Ms Priyanka Jaiswal and Ms Tanaya Dhok.
Ms Priyanka Jaiswal recognised Yashita’s low self-esteem and gave her a few exercises to combat it. One was a set of daily affirmations that Yashita had to repeat to herself daily, and the second was a thought diary, which she asked Yashita to use whenever she felt negative emotions.
These two exercises helped her understand her thought patterns better. It also helped Yashita restore some of her confidence. At that time, another suspicion Yashita had about herself was that she might have ADHD.
When Ms Priyanka referred her to her second counselor, Ms Tanaya Dhok, who is a clinical psychologist, she was diagnosed with ADHD. To combat her symptoms, Ms Dhok offered her practical tricks such as using a physical calendar and maintaining a diary, which helped her stick to schedules.
Yashita rates herself a 3 out of 5 in terms of feeling better. As she journeys into the psychology and mental health field, we at YourDOST wish her all the best.
Yashita’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed. Therapy can provide valuable insights and solutions.”
2.“Mental health challenges are temporary, and with time and effort, things can get better.”
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.
