Mental illnesses are scary monsters that can’t be seen but hurt us in the same way physical illnesses do. They are harder to detect and even more difficult to talk about. Which is why we need discourse around the topic to increase awareness and help those who are suffering on their own.
Recently, a law student Anushka Kashyap shared her 6-year-long battle with depression and anxiety so that she could reach out to others like her. She wrote, “Depression is a disorder, not a decision. These are wounds that never show on the body but are more painful than anything that bleeds but it’s okay, no storm is gonna last forever and no matter how many times I had to fight this battle, deep down I knew I would win and I did and so can you 
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She revealed that she was called a ‘prostitute’ by the boys in her school due to her choice of clothes, her independent lifestyle, and her outspoken personality. Furthermore, a strained relationship with her mother and an abusive partner who broke her trust contributed to her mental pain. She highlighted a particular incident where she realized that this fight was hers alone and there was nobody who would help.
She added that there were two types of people in her life: the first asked her to sort out her problems and then contact them and the second brought the same toxicity to her life. For all those who want to help, she listed out 3 things one can do that are more than enough.
She further recalls that there were days when she just gulped down medicines with water and lay on the bed as she couldn’t eat or sleep. Someone who goes through a mental illness does not know what they’ll feel moment to moment or if they’ll feel anything at all.
Speaking about what helped her get through the illness, she shared that she made a conscious decision to work on herself with the belief that she deserved much more than the disrespect and abuse she was getting. Her commitment to her own healing was what brought her out of depression.
She signed off by saying that if she could win the battle, anyone can, all they have to do is hang in there and fight.
Kudos, for sharing your journey with everyone, raising much-needed awareness on what mental illness looks like and how healthy people can help.