Vikas Bokka is a 23-year-old student pursuing his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Rourkela. He is currently interning at a firm in Odisha.
Vikas comes from a protective family, and his parents always had the idea of having a ‘perfect son,’ which made him feel less deserving.
He adds that this was also why he could open up and speak his mind to his friends but not his family. Eventually, with the academic demands and the nature of his work schedule, he couldn’t have any close people in his immediate surroundings. Vikas started connecting more with people online.
“I’m not an introvert or an unkind person; I shower love on the people I care about enormously. Still, I was lonely during college and tried to make friends, but that also ended badly.”
Keeping all of his emotions within himself, Vikas started feeling overwhelmed. He explains that he also faced rejection from someone he liked, which was heartbreaking. Thinking deeply about his issues, Vikas decided to talk to his college counselor. However, he found out that there was available only once in a while, which could hamper his goal to find continuous progress.
Vikas mentioned to his mentor in college that he did not have a proper space to express his emotions. The mentor got Vikas in touch with the well-being cell, who introduced Vikas to the YourDOST platform. The college had partnered with the platform to provide mental health support for the students.
He created the login ID through his college email and started taking the therapy sessions. Surfing through the experts, he connected with Khushi Agarwal.
“I was new to therapy, and it took time for me to understand that we need to travel with the same psychologist to have a better experience. Once I took regular sessions with Ms Khushi, I could see myself having a space to vent out in every session.”
Vikas elaborates that Ms Khushi was a great listener. She gave him the comfort and judgement-free zone to share even his darkest secrets, which no one in his life knows about.
Vikas shared with the therapist about having continuous crying spells and negative thoughts whenever he felt extremely low. Although he never acted on them, the negative thoughts were affecting his mental health a lot. He couldn’t handle them alone, and he began having anxiety attacks.
“Whenever I had these attacks, I had difficulty breathing, and I would sense my heart rate increasing. It was horrible.”
Vikas explains that the counselor suggested exercises and breathing techniques to help him deal with the anxiety issues. She also suggested balloon and muscle relaxation techniques to help him sleep better. He also started journaling to work on his emotional state.
He adds that he also wanted to work on detaching himself from the people who weren’t good for his mental health and feel independent. The counselor helped him focus on that during the sessions.
Eventually, he started letting go of the things that weren’t in his control and also stopped getting any anxiety attacks. He elaborates that having someone to express his feelings made him feel much lighter.
“I wouldn’t say I’m entirely independent and don’t overthink at all, but I became more capable of taking care of myself and prioritising my feelings rather than others.”
Reaping the benefits, Vikas thanks his therapist for giving him hope and making him believe that he deserves to be valued. He expresses that Ms Khushi was the friend he never had.
He looks forward to continuing his sessions and has also suggested the platform to his friends, who have started seeking therapy from the YourDOST experts as well. As he strives to live in the moment and holds himself responsible for his happiness and balance, he rates himself 3.5 out of 5.
We are happy about the progress Vikas has made, and we wish him all the best for the future.
Vikas Bokka’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Don’t listen to the stigmas about therapy, and take care of your mental health.”
2.“Everyone deserves love and peace of mind; give it time, and it will come your way.”
3.“Allow yourself some time to heal the hurt and pain.”
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