Hi, I am Noel. And here’s my story of Survival.
Survivor Series: Noel John
It took me a couple of years and some amazing human beings in my life to realise that my excessive worrying about things and panic attacks weren’t ‘just stress’ or normal tension and I think this is a matter that often lies in the blind spots of a lot of people. One major problem about anxiety (be it any level) is how it tells you that ‘you can manage’ each time a wave hits, thus making you shut the door on everyone who is ready to hold you. Also, I believe that Anxiety – how it manifests – is different for different people. For me if it is palpitations and feeling on edge , for you it could be irritability and sleeplessness .
When it comes to healing, therapy is the most important thing and I can’t stress more about it. Some complementary activities I do include yoga, meditation and exercises for at least 30 minutes a day and also limiting social media to maximum of 1 hour a day. Also, I’ve been lucky enough to have some invaluable humans in my life whom I can’t thank enough when it comes to listening and holding me through all of this.
Survivor Series: Noel John
And for those of you who are going through similar issues, here’s something I have learnt from my experience. Professional help has no substitute. Consult a therapist for your internal conflicts and remember that your mental health doesn’t and shouldn’t carry your family’s honour or the neighbourhood aunty’s ‘worry’ about your rishtas (prospective marriage plans/relationships). These are just half baked things you can sell for 2 rupees. That being said, I want to say something that not many pay heed to when they say ‘get help’ very loosely. Honestly, from my experience, ‘getting help’ is not an easy step to take at all. I believe the first step towards fighting mental illness is not seeing a therapist but being ready enough to take that leap of faith. Also, there is nothing like one therapist and he/she is a ‘size that fits all’. You don’t feel right with one, change with another. So to everyone out there struggling with their mental health, don’t get bound by any timeline for healing. Just be kind to yourself, unpack your feelings and acknowledge them and most importantly, take ONE step at a time. Trust me, this is worth fighting against!
— Noel John–
Comments (0)