- My Mental Health Diary
As they say, every journey needs a first step, the journey of my mental well-being began with coming out to my family about seeking therapy.
I was a 23-year-old naïve girl, struggling with my mental health.
I vividly remember that time, I was experiencing some changes in my behaviour. Sadness, which used to last for minutes, changed to days. Food that I relished felt tasteless. Anger issues came up and I felt anxious all day long. My brain was flooded with thoughts with no end to them. With all the behavioural changes going on, I detached myself from everyone, I missed being happy. I didn’t know how to talk to my family about it and was alone all this while. I knew I was unwell but the reasons bothered me. There were so many questions that needed to be answered. Then, one random morning, I decided to seek professional support and booked an appointment with a Psychiatrist. From the point of making that decision to finally calling up the doctor, it was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I was apprehensive of discussing this with my family. There were so many what-ifs scenarios running in my head.
I ignored every thought in my head and went with my decision of visiting the doctor alone.
In my first meeting with the doctor, I had a bit of clarity. I felt a little burden lifted off my chest. In further meetings, I was diagnosed with depression and my treatment started. This was one side of the story, the part which perturbed me was sharing these health concerns with my family. For a long time, I didn’t share these details with them. There were multiple reasons for hiding it from them. One of my concerns was what if they don’t understand it, what if they consider it just a phase and ask me to move on. So, it took me a few months to come out and talk to them about it. And, everything was out in the open.
My life changed after this.
My family, my parents came out to be my biggest supporter. The time when I felt lost was the same time my mother observed these changes in my behaviour. She identified the need of seeking professional assistance even before I thought about it. But she couldn’t talk to me about it, with all the what-ifs in her head. From taking care of my medications to managing my mood changes. They identified the slight difference in my behaviour and made sure I’m comfortable and happy.
This struggle was not mine alone.
We often create walls around us, we cage our emotions. Why do we create this gap between us and our family? We create notions in our mind and never try to break them, we forget that no one can better understand us than our family and no battle can be conquered without them supporting us.
The biggest lesson I have learned in these years is, no matter what we are going through in life with the support of our family we can overcome any hardships.
Reaching out and seeking professional assistance at the right time has been a crucial point in my life. If you or someone you know is struggling with any mental health issues reach out.
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By
Tanvi Jain, Mental Health Warrior, ManoShala
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