These are real people whose struggle with their mental health problems made them feel broken and alone.
In their own words, our team members share their stories of strengths who showing resilience overcame their mental health struggles. Let their stories be a reminder that you are not alone in this.
We are showcasing these stories today to try and help you feel recognised and associated. We hope that they can empower you to ask for help even in your darkest days and find ways to a happier and healthier life.
Nadia Ajmal: “…A mother needs her days off.”
Motherhood is the most demanding job on the planet. Yet, even in this day & age, enough isn’t spoken about it. Nothing prepares you for it.
Motherhood is beautiful, but it is incredibly difficult and can be really lonely sometimes.
Once you become a mother, there’s no switch off button, but a mother needs her days off! It’s the constant worry of keeping your baby safe and well-nourished, trying to make sure you’re teaching him the right things, engaging with him, so he knows he is well-loved, yet sometimes feeling that maybe you are not doing enough! Mom guilt is real.
God does give you infinite amounts of love and patience when you become a mother. But when the constant rat race of diaper changes, feeds, meals, bath routines, sleep routines are met with leaps, teething, sickness making your baby fussy and cranky – you, as a human being, can reach your limits.
I know people have it worse, and I am grateful for all my blessings. But that doesn’t take away from my struggles, or any mother for that matter. I started feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
It was easy to ignore my feelings, but I did not. I asked for help, took therapy, and thanks to my therapist, I realised the importance of healthy boundaries. I communicated, respected and made it a habit to ask my family to support me in this journey; things are better now. I have time for myself too.
Ramiz Khan: “A techie’s screen time and stress go hand in hand.”
Programming is much more than simply typing a code. It’s more about the thoughts that go on continuously in your head, even if you are not sitting in front of the screen. It can cause a lot of anxiety and even burnout. A techie’s screen time and stress go hand in hand!
Managing quality time out of work and getting off the grid was almost unrealistic with all of this. I felt tired throughout the day, and it took on my nerves- big time.
It took me a couple of therapy sessions to understand that my brain needs a break, and most importantly, it was clear that I could use some calm time.
I took therapy, yeah, but I have started doing things for myself as well to make sure I feel okay and not overwhelmed all the time. I journal every day, do breathing exercises, maintain healthy work-life boundaries, spend quality time with my family.
Self-care is a choice, and it doesn’t need any justification. It’s not that I’ve overcome everything, but what matters the most to me is that I’m trying my best.
Hebe Horley: “I won’t be held back anymore.”
Having struggled with social anxiety throughout my childhood and teenage years, I had learned to just cope with it on my own without talking about it. I always felt no one would understand how I was feeling. It continued to affect me as an adult.
It prevented me from taking up opportunities due to the fear of things going wrong or me failing.
I had never considered therapy. But as my anxiety continued, it started to make me feel depressed as well. I found I would always have negative thoughts, which would constantly consume me and cause me to doubt myself and my capabilities.
Last year, I started to speak to a therapist because I decided I won’t be held back anymore. After a few sessions, I noticed significant changes in my mindset and outlook towards life.
My therapist helped me identify my anxious thoughts and helped guide me towards finding my happier self. I feel I am a lot more in control of my life, especially my anxiety.
Elisabetta Toretti: “I am not ashamed of taking therapy.”
I’ve struggled with eating disorders, and guess what? It’s not severe enough to be termed as “a disorder” for people.
In the beginning, I had no idea I was suffering from an eating disorder; I didn’t know that it could be a real thing and was affecting so many people all over the world.
After I auto diagnosed myself just googling what I was going through, I cried of happiness!
I finally realised I wasn’t losing it; what I was suffering was real. I also cried of sadness because I didn’t know what’s next and how to overcome it.
The biggest issues for me was the stigma surrounding my entire world. I have been so lucky to have a very supportive family. Still, the environment I was surrounded with was a weird mentality where going to a therapist is a secret and seeking help is shameful. Luckily things are very different now, and everybody is much more open to talking about mental health.
What really saved me was going into therapy. I am not ashamed of taking therapy. I couldn’t be grateful enough for my therapist and the support I got from my family, not only emotional but also financial.
Ashley Lourens: “Change and growth are always possible.”
My journey with mental health has been interesting, to say the least. I grew up with family members who struggled with their mental health. This, of course, impacted their ability to provide me with the emotional support I needed to develop in a psychologically healthy way.
During my high school years, my feelings of depression and anxiety grew so big that I was eventually diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and another rather unknown disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). When I started university, I was in a very dark space, and I had no idea what to do or that something could even be done.
One of my subjects at university was Psychology. As I started to learn about Psychology, I realised what had happened in my life and how it had impacted me. While I studied for my undergraduate degree in humanities, I started attending full-time therapy. My therapist was the most incredible human, who supported me and guided me to a place of healing.
Because of my positive experience with therapy and the enormous life changes it had for me, I decided to dedicate my life’s purpose to the field of psychology and helping others transcend their difficulties and live a fulfilled life. Mental health is a part of who I am. Working for Healingclouds has been a blessing as I get to work on my passion every single day, which has taken my happiness to the next level! Change and growth are always possible.
Pallavi Kumari: “…It took me months to build trust in the process itself.”
Welcome to the panic room; that’s what I have to say about my mental wellbeing, literally!
It started a year ago while I was working from home. My people skills went down south, and making conversations seemed like a humongous task for me. I worked in phases; for some months, I would become social, or try at least, while other times I was into my own den.
I used to be a chirpy person, and now suddenly, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I clearly needed help. Luckily people around me noticed, and I am glad that my partner gifted me therapy sessions for my birthday.
Unfortunately, my first therapy experience didn’t go as I had imagined. I was not really happy, to be honest, but yeah, I felt lighter after an hour of rants. Following that, the idea of a second therapy session didn’t look promising to me.
This was the big catch in my journey of mental health. With the second therapist, I talked about my first not-so-happy experience. She told me that it is natural. We may disagree with our therapist, but we can have healthy discussions with them if anything is not working.
It took me months to build trust in my therapist and the process itself. In a nutshell, if things don’t work out, there’s a way for that too, instead of giving up on the very first failed or rather an unsatisfactory attempt.
It’s been almost six months since, and I talk to my therapist regularly. I wouldn’t say that my social anxiety has miraculously vanished, but I am starting to make fun and meaningful conversations without losing my concentration. That’s an achievement for me.
P.S: These stories are living reminders that there is hope and there is help. Let’s make healing possible.
