“Find your genius and then become a strong advocate for it!” – Lara Hones-Webb.
Sayandeep, a 21-year-old compassionate person from West Bengal, is determined to win his case for Science. He is pursuing his integrated MSc, specialising in Biology, from NISER Bhubaneswar. He is a curious guy whose passion revolves around Science and an occasional love for cooking. He spends his recreation period researching diverse things and becoming a better advocate for himself daily!
Sanyandeep was born and raised with regular Indian family values, with enormous love and fondness.
“We have quarrels or misunderstandings like any other family, but we also work on them to solve them!”
Growing up, he was reserved, introverted, and afraid of people. He used to be a very punctual kid in school who always managed to keep his scores high just for appearances, but he had no interest in schooling. Later, as he grew, he developed an interest in physics, which made him love education and knowledge.
“My love for physics led me to a dream of becoming a scientist; since then, I’m putting in all the efforts to be the man of science!”
He wants to show the world that he is set to win over without having to wait for judgement day! Although things were great when Sayandeep’s college started, he felt unable to focus on the things that mattered and felt himself slowing down after a few months. He understood what could be the reason and decided to take action.
“I have ADHD and general anxiety disorder. I used to take therapy routinely but stopped when I felt I was slightly better.”
Sayandeep had discontinued his course of therapy without his previous Therapist’s acknowledgement. When he realised that his difficulties were reoccurring, he was initially unaware of his opportunities as he was in a new city for college.
“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.” – Susan Cain.
He knew he should approach someone trustworthy to help him without stigmas. The college staff played a crucial role in guiding him, and he approached one of them to weigh his options.
“In my college, they assign mentors to students. My professor, who mentored me, told me that if I had any difficulty with anything, I could get to YourDOST”.
His college, the National Institute of Science Education and Research(NISER), subscribed to YourDOST. Once he was aware of that, there was only one thing left to do to raise the bar for himself — book an appointment with the experts on the platform.
He contacted his assigned counselor and restarted working on himself. Despite being good with words, Sayandeep could not always open up to someone outside his close circle about his problems.
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Suess.
Knowing his hesitation, Sayandeep’s counselor, Ms Tanaya Dhok, comforted him by assuring him that their conversation was confidential and that there would be no judgment from her side.
“I could feel Ms Tanaya’s kindness and compassion in her smile even through a virtual call; she was extremely empathetic, which made it easy for me to tell her everything in my mind.”
Even as a teenager, when Sayandeep was taken to therapy for the first time by his parents, he felt a lot of discomfort in sharing his thoughts and emotions with someone unknown to him. His fear and doubts created multiple constraints in his head.
“I used to be afraid that if they said something terrible, it would hurt more.”
With time, Sayandeep felt that the Therapist made his journey more manageable. With each session, he felt his internal disputes put on trial, and he found his inner self starting to feel heard and prevailing over challenges. The process was not always smooth, but the gradual progress was reassuring.
“After therapy with YourDOST, I understood counselors were the best people in the world. They never judge and always nudge you to logical solutions.”
He found the guidance from therapy more appropriate than the popular quick hacks. He felt his counselor gave many reasonable techniques to cope with anxiety and his difficulties related to focus.
One of the techniques Sayandeep felt more helpful was making his deadlines and commitments into physical timers.
“I forget my schedules and deadlines. She made me use alarms or reminders to make my deadlines into physical and real ones. That helped a lot!”
He makes his case by pointing out how he managed to remember the interview with YourDOST, and he credits Ms Tanaya by saying that it was all because of her therapy techniques!
“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still!” – Robert T. Kiyosaki.
The counselor also suggested that he incorporate short walks and frequent breaks to organise his bustling schedule and avoid burnout.
“The application of these techniques was also fun. I try them, then I fail, then we both discuss applying them better as a team till I succeed!”
As Sayandeep takes the file to prepare for his case, he thanks his counselor for helping him regain attention towards his priorities.
“I haven’t failed; I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison.
He feels more confident and can concentrate better on his studies, too! He felt his way to inventions and discoveries could be void of cognitive obstacles along this process!
“We think we’re alone in this journey and feel bad for ourselves, but when there is a helping hand, it does not feel that bad.”
He rates himself 4 out of 5 in terms of improvement and believes he is walking towards holistic growth with therapy! This growth is not just academic or professional but also personal and emotional. We are glad he is in a better mental state and proud of him for seeing the inside of the courtroom and prevailing by breaking the invisible barriers!
Sayandeep’s Warrior tips:
1.“People should be more logical when facing problems and seek professional help if things don’t work out.”
2.“Life is not always a fantasy; life is real. We might feel down sometimes, but we should consider it a roller coaster ride and keep moving forward.”
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.
