Trigger warning: Mention of bullying
Somesh (name changed) is a 20-year-old student committed to enhancing the narration of his story by working on himself. He is pursuing his B.Tech in Computer Science with a specialisation in data science from Bennett University, Greater Noida.
Somesh was born into a joint family in a developing town near Noida. Even though they separated as he grew up, all the families lived on the street, next to each other as neighbours.
Although he had a pleasant childhood, Somesh faced certain issues in high school. His fellow students bullied him, and Somesh mentions the incident traumatised him to a greater extent and broke down his confidence and self-esteem. He recollects making excuses not to go to school because of his bullies, but his parents used to think Somesh hated to study.
“I used to feel insecure during that phase and fumble a lot. I didn’t know how to express it to my parents, and my school teachers or management never cared about bullying and mental health. We never had in-house counselors, and our discipline teacher would punish us even if we retaliated against a bully.”
He adds that he used to see the person who bullied him outside school, and he remembers being intimidated by the person. Somesh says he used to look at Somesh as though he enjoyed bullying. These actions of his classmates hurt him a lot.
After surviving all these, Somesh graduated high school, and he still felt fear just thinking about his school days. He would have mental breakdowns and was not able to move forward. He wanted to seek therapy as he tried to come out of his trauma and didn’t want to be in such a situation again.
One of his friends suggested that Somesh try the YourDOST platform, as her college collaborated with them. Although Somesh was impressed with the features and choices of experts on the platform, he didn’t know how to explain his reason for therapy to his parents.
As he was waiting for the right moment, one day, a situation presented itself for Somesh to open up to his mother.
“I was on a call, and my friend was sharing his experience of bullying in college, and my mom overheard and empathised with him. I thought it would be a good window and told her about my trauma.”
Even though he didn’t share in-depth with her, it felt nice for him to open up finally. He approached them and discussed about seeking therapy.
As they agreed, Somesh started taking sessions on the YourDOST platform. He explained that taking the first step was challenging and overwhelming, but after finishing his first session, he felt terrific about it and decided to continue.
Somesh connected with Ms Navya Chauhan during his second session and continued with her throughout his process. He found her friendly and empathetic and felt comfortable sharing with her.
“Therapy started being an eye-opener for me as I began realising the impact my past was creating on my present life.”
As he proceeded with life, Somesh received an email from his college about their subscription to the YourDOST platform. He got excited about it, logged in, and booked a session with Ms Navya on the same day.
Somesh elaborates that therapy has changed a lot in terms of his fears and the triggers that made him have breakdowns.
“My major trigger was when people intimidated or demeaned me. Anything slightly similar to my trauma situation happened around me. I used to get triggered, and my therapist led me to realise that it was all the fear of that memory I was having.”
He adds that his counsellor helped him desensitise the reaction or stimuli he had to the recollection of the memories of his trauma or the person who bullied him. She also made Somesh write down a journal daily and emphasised that he should note his emotions rather than the events that happened.
“I could feel the progress in handling my emotions, and I wasn’t overwhelmed. The counselor also gave me some breathing techniques for having a better sleep routine. These helped me a lot.”
Somesh explains that he is gaining his confidence and self-esteem back. The intensity of his fear or insecurity has gone down significantly, and he doesn’t feel scared of his memories anymore.
On his journey to feeling better, Somesh thanks Ms Navya for helping him find the best version of himself and making him feel comfortable throughout the process.
As he rates himself 4 out of 5 and works on himself daily, he feels delighted to accept his past and move forward. We are proud of Somesh and have complete faith that he will succeed.
Somesh’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Therapy is the best place to talk to someone when you’re overwhelmed and do not want to be judged.”
2.“Therapy helps to find a deeper understanding of yourself.”
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.
