Over 13 years ago, when all my peers were preparing for the board exams, I was contemplating suicide and even attempted it. I was barely 15 and absolutely oblivious to the fact that whatever unusual things I was experiencing could be the sign of a mental disorder.

At 26, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and mild Schizophrenia. That's right. It took 11 long years for my "condition" to be diagnosed correctly. It was only after the diagnosis that my proper treatment began, something that did wonders for me and made me wonder that if I had got this support right from the beginning, would I have to go through 5 suicide attempts, 12 electroconvulsive therapies wherein electric shocks were given to my brain, and more importantly, countless other terrifying moments which I spent thinking that I was a hopeless case with no light at the end of the tunnel? Most certainly not.

But, more importantly, the question is- did I realize that I needed medical intervention and support at the age of 15? Again, the answer is-Not really. Neither me, nor my parents had imagined that my condition warranted a medical help.

Unsplash

The lack of awareness about mental health, social stigma attached to mental illness, fear of alienation and shame discourages a person going through a tasking phase to seek help. As someone who has benefited immensely from therapy, I'd tell everyone who's going through a difficult phase that- ignore what people are going to say.

Acknowledging the need for a professional help is the first step towards taking care of your self. Taking care of your mind as is an important as taking care of your body. It doesn't make you any less capable than others.

Unsplash

And you must remember, seeking a professional help for mental health doesn't make you a "mental" or a mentally sick person. It's just about taking care of your mind as much as you would of your body. While serious genetic and chemical anomalies like Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s etc. do certainly need medical therapy, but even if you’re struggling with basic things in your life- such as facing difficulty in getting out of bed in the morning, feeling low on energy all the time, having trouble dragging yourself to the bathroom for showers, not being able to go to work or meeting and socializing with people- taking a professional can turn your life around for better.

If you're having a tough time getting over your ex, going through a phase of unemployment, having trouble getting over the loss of a loved one or if you often get bullied and find it difficult to stand up for yourself, there's no shame in seeking a professional help. Mental health therapy is only going to turn your life around and for the better.

Unsplash

Now the question arises- exactly how does a therapist help?

Motivating you, making you feel positive, sympathizing with you – these are the last things a good therapist will do. Over the course of our lives, with our experiences, we all develop prejudices about ourselves, and build negative thought patterns that we don't even realise. This hampers our ability to cope up with the low phases in our lives. A therapist, with professional and scientific tests, and with her conversations with you, will identify these thought patterns, break them down to understand their root and help you tread on a path to forming a positive outlook.

Unsplash

What is your role during therapy?

Talk. That’s it. Make your therapist your best friend. Bare your soul to her and discuss everything without any hesitation or the fear of judgement. It'll be cathartic for you and will help your therapist understand you better. Your therapist is professionally and scientifically trained to identify patterns in your personality and work with you to make amendments wherever required.

Speaking from personal experience, getting mental health therapy is the best thing to have happened to me. Not only it helped me fight and defeat the demon I was struggling with for more than a decade, but also helped me embark on a beautiful journey of self-discovery. Along the course of my therapy sessions, I also got in touch with my inner-self, my outlook towards life changed, and my relationship with my family and partner got healthier.

Unsplash

After seeing me suffer and struggle for a larger part of my life, my family had made peace with it. They never gave up on me, but somewhere therein, I knew that they had probably accepted that I'd never be a happy, balanced and satisfied individual that I am today.

I believe that there's no way that a knife that can cut through stone can't cut through ice. If I- someone whose stomach lining is partially destroyed due to abuse of pills, has multiple cut marks on his body, who couldn't take himself out of the dark pit of anxiety & depression, who lost touch with reality, dropped out of a well-paying job and nearly lost the relationship with his partner- can get better and bounce back with the help of mental health therapy, so can you.

Therapy isn't just for people with mental illness. A regular person who's going through a tough phase in life can also seek professional help and there's no shame in it. So, if you feel like you're no more capable of handling the emotional turmoil in your life on your own, get up and reach out to a professional who can help you come out of the darkness.