“You are what you believe yourself to be.”- Paulo Coelho.
At times, when we decide our own limitations, there are chances you mentally put a barrier around you that keeps you from growing beyond that. Our minds can make us believe what we think and that can be turned into a good or bad situation, depending on our thoughts.
Meet our warrior, Suhana (name changed), a 19-year-old student from Hyderabad, pursuing her Bachelor’s in Design at Avantika University, Ujjain.
Being a child is the best time of a person’s life. This is the age where we live without a care in the world and have no worries about the future. Suhana describes herself as being a silent and studious kid, who excelled in academics.
“I’m an only child to my parents and I’m especially close to my mother’s side of the family, as all our cousins share a deep bond.”
Suhana describes her hobbies as reading books as much as she can and writing long forms too.
Suhana learned about YourDOST from her alma mater, as they collaborated with the organisation as their official mental health partner. Here, she met Ms Shreya and chose her to be her therapist.
Suhana recalls how she felt really down at times in life and had a lot on her plate to deal with. She wanted to cry and talk to someone but didn’t know how to do it.
“I was extremely nervous as I sought therapy for the first time. However, Shreya helped me be comfortable gradually helping me open up. It felt like talking to a friend and she was very comforting as well.”
However, initially, she was sceptical about the validity of her emotions and thoughts and questioned her decision to opt for therapy as well.
“I never knew that I needed therapy, until the time I took sessions. It was a completely new experience for me and I loved the changes that showed up in me as a result.”
Suhana felt heard and understood as her therapist encouraged her to let her emotions out. Gradually, she opened up a little more, but the feelings of uncertainty still lingered somewhere in her mind.
“I didn’t think that my feelings were valid enough to be talked about in the sessions. I was confused as to if my emotions and feelings were big enough to be discussed in therapy.”
Ms Shreya helped Suhana overcome her self-doubt and confusion by assigning various activities that helped her clear her mind and get clarity on her emotions as well.
Therapists approach each individual with a unique set of techniques that are customized to fit their individual needs. It can vary from person to person as to what works best for them.
“I was asked to write letters to myself, and as I love writing, I could not be happier to do this activity. Shreya helped me with the process of figuring out my emotions by providing me with a worksheet that helped me analyse my feelings and the levels of procrastination I felt.”
Gradually, Suhana was able to figure out the reasons for her mental concerns and helped analyse her triggers well. She was able to finally pinpoint the whys and hows of her mental turmoil and learned to deal with them gracefully.
“I’m extremely grateful to Shreya for helping me out in dire circumstances. She’s very open and even shares her own experiences with me which helps me understand my situation better. She is a very approachable person and made it very easy for me to learn about myself.”
Suhana is at a great place at the moment and rates herself a solid 4 out of 5 in terms of feeling better post-therapy. She envisions improvement as the ability to talk freely about what she goes through.
Letting our inner feelings and emotions out in the open is a very courageous thing to do and fighting for something that you deserve will always come to you. As Paulo Coelho once said, when you desire something with the whole of your heart, the entire universe will be at your side to make it happen!
We at YourDOST are proud of Suhana and her progress, and wish her all the best in life!
Suhana’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Each person has their own method to cope with things and they are not wrong.”
2.“Seeking therapy when in need is a sign of strength and not weakness.”
3.“Do not wait for things to go bad to say it out, express your emotions as and when you feel them.”
