Manan is a 27-year-old corporate employee in Bangalore. He finished his dual degree course at IIT Madras and moved to Bangalore to pursue his career. He is currently working in Junglee Games as a software development engineer.
Born in Gujarat, he grew up with a nuclear family consisting of his mom, dad, and elder sister. Manan adds that he used to be close to his mom, as she was always there for him in any challenging situation. He spent his childhood and early teenage years in his hometown before shifting to Chennai for college.
Manan explains that he is a selective introvert. He says he is exceptionally social in one-on-one conversations but stays quiet in groups.
“I’m rebellious and always stand for what I believe in. I can speak for hours defending my perspective, but only to a few people I’m close with and never in front of an audience. I also have this habit of having one friend I trust and share everything with.”
Manan elaborates that even though the person he has been friends with changes from one phase of life to another, the idea of having just one go-to person hasn’t changed.
As a kid, Manan was interested in academics and stayed up to date with technology news. This hobby became a passion for competitive coding, which he pursues in his free time. He also occasionally enjoys cricket, listening to music, and learning to sketch with the help of his friends.
While life seemed perfect on the surface, Manan was struggling with his battles within the walls of his mind. He was diagnosed with clinical depression when he was doing his undergraduate studies. He tried to approach therapy then, but somehow, it didn’t work out as the therapist, and Manan couldn’t match each other’s vibe.
After a while, when he started a new job, all of Manan’s well-wishers suggested he restart therapy and keep an open mind about it.
“I sometimes get overwhelmed and confused about what is happening to me and how my mental health affects my body. It gets tough to ground myself during such situations.”
Experiencing the symptoms of depression over many years, Manan started seeking therapy like his inner circle suggested. When he joined Junglee Games, he became aware of their partnership with YourDOST and decided to continue therapy with the experts on the platform from then on.
“With my doctor’s advice and everybody’s concerns, I had accepted that I needed a mechanism to cope with my condition. Eventually, I started integrating therapy as the external help needed to break the loops of my negative thoughts.”
Manan explains that he connected with Ms. Dolci Pandey and Ms. Rashi Golani on different schedules because he liked both of their approaches. He adds that both were great listeners and gave him sufficient time to express his concerns.
“Ms Dolci’s approach was more towards relieving me from the emotional roller coaster I was having, while Ms Rashi’s was towards building habits slowly and steadily. Despite the different techniques, both have been empathetic and kind to me from the beginning.”
Manan explains that when faced with a difficult situation, it becomes difficult for him to control himself and find a way to get out of it. To help with these issues, the counselor told Manan that breaking out of negative self-talk becomes the first and foremost priority as it can make things harder for Manan.
“The therapists made me realise that negative thoughts are like a vehicle with high-power accelerators and no breaks. The loops will keep on going without an end.”
Understanding this helped Manan see his true reflection instead of the image he made up in his mind about himself. It prevented him from entering any more vicious circles. The therapists also taught him simple habits such as doodling to express his emotions and have a proper channel to let those feelings out. He also started stretching and breathing exercises to reduce the impact of his condition on his physical health.
Integrating these learnings into his day-to-day life, Manan started experiencing some positive changes within himself. Although he felt relieved for some time, he adds that the effects are still fluctuating.
“Therapy is not a one-day process; I understand the long-term commitment it required to get to the root cause of my issues. I hold myself accountable for continuing to work on myself and improve.”
Through this journey, Manan adds that the two experts have given him hope and made him feel that he is not alone and they are there to help him.
As he rates himself 2 out of 5, he looks forward to changing his life towards a healthy direction. We are proud of Manan for being a true warrior, staying strong through this process, and having faith in himself.
Manan’s Warrior Tips:
1.“In Indian societies, many people still consider discussing mental health to be taboo. Educating them becomes very important.”
2.“Mental health is not something to laugh at; we need to drop the curtains and seek a therapist when needed.”
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