Life is a roller-coaster journey; there are curves, crests and troughs, and I think that’s why we enjoy this ride a lot. Imagine if the ride had been straight; would we have gotten the rapture that we do now? Somewhere, we all have survived through tough phases of our life. Recently, in a reality TV show, Bigg Boss 13, Arti Singh, a contestant in the show, survived through an anxiety attack, and shared her journey through depression. A Delhi-based girl, Kanika Jaitely aka Lostpenwoman, was left in the dark about this, and faced two more attacks, back-to-back. She was diagnosed with diagnosed with depression after seeking therapy, and the PR professional and blogger then shared her journey of overcoming and surviving depression, during which, she found solace in her pen. At the age of 21, even as she was fighting depression, she suffered her first anxiety attack. Gradually, she started putting herself on priority and indulging in more ‘me’ time. She involved herself in activities that she could never think of even in her wildest dreams! She started shopping alone, spending time in the library and started binge-watching stand-up comedies and comedians on repeat.
It took me eight years to overcome her depression, or one can say that it took me eight years to fall in love with myself. Now, I believe that sometimes bad things happen for no good reason. This journey taught me how to be assertive. I don’t think I would have ever become a blogger while pursuing CS back then. This journey taught me how to love myself. It is very important to connect and love ourselves. Sometimes, we need to be a little selfish. We cannot make others happy all the time, but we can surely make ourselves proud. Don’t let people take you for granted. Tell them what hurts you, tell them that you deserve better, tell them that you have more worth. Stop hurting yourself for other’s sake when they consider you unworthy. If something goes away, let them; if something comes to you, accept it. Understand the mantra of accepting and expecting. Learn to understand yourself and what you truly thrive for.