Nienna

I was diagnosed with depression about six months ago. After my diagnosis, I preferred not to take medication for a while and believed that returning home would do me good. I didn’t just go home, I put myself to use and began working at a superspecialtiy hospital dedicated to Neurosciences. It was there that two things changed my perspective. Being exposed to real patients experiencing chronic illnesses, including depression, and all the while, being isolated in a corner all day, working at my laptop, began to gnaw at me. Home was not the answer, as I realized 2 months in, and with the resurfacing of my symptoms, I visited another doctor, this time taking medication seriously.

I’m still on tablets. I still suffer terrible attacks during the days leading up to my period, because at those points my hormonal levels drastically vary. I go to a therapist now and with the knowledge that working at an institute for mental health provided me, I am able to understand my condition better and see the need for a combination of treatments. The greatest part of this journey has been my family and their overwhelming support. While they initially couldn’t quite place this in their minds, they never really displayed discouragement in treating it, they never showed their doubts to me and only accepted it. Mental health has come a long way since my parents’ time,and I too was patient until they digested the condition I was in. The most promising part of it all, was the sheer influx of patients at the institute I worked at. Brought in by family members, most of the people belonged to poor societies. They are being taken care of by those with as little education as themselves. Help is out there and things are changing greatly.