Tension, turmoil and eventually self-actualization: these are the three words which summarize my story of recovery from depression. However, let’s start at the beginning.
Greetings to the reader of this story. I’m a 21 year-old boy from Karachi, studying engineering. My story begins in the year 2016, a time in my life which I remember as the golden period of my adolescence. I was 18 years old at the time, and had just passed out of college after completing my A-level exams. With a great group of friends, a loving family and a promising career as an engineer to look forward to, I could not be more thankful for everything I had. Little did I know that all of this was simply the calm before the storm which would completely overturn my life.
It was a few months later, a time when I had not quite gotten over celebrating my admission into engineering university that the symptoms first began to appear. What began as only minor mood swings soon developed into a considerable degree of depression. Gradually I became socially reclusive and withdrawn, my interactions with friends and family becoming less frequent by the day. My social circle however was not the sole aspect of my life that was affected. Soon I could no longer muster the will to attend classes at university any longer. My repeated absences from class did not go unnoticed and resulted in me being barred from appearing in 3 out of 6 exams at the end of my first semester due to insufficient attendance. At the same time I was being inundated by phone calls from my classmates as they sought to inquire where I had been during my continual absences. Everything I had toiled so hard for seemed to be crumbling around me, particularly as I could barely understand the reasons behind my current condition, yet alone explain them to someone else.
My family was not beyond the effects of all that was happening, with my parents at a loss as to what had happened to their usually lively and animated son. Then like a ray of light penetrating through the darkest of clouds, the advice of a trusted relative regarding seeking professional help set me on the path towards recovery. It was slow going at first, with my first two therapists unable to establish any concrete diagnosis for my condition. Despite me gaining valuable insight regarding the underlying causes of my depression: the stress I had experienced during my two years of college coupled with a dramatic change in environment as I entered my freshman year at university, I did not have the knowledge required to counteract these difficulties. That’s where ‘The Recovery House’ comes in; after nearly a year had elapsed since the onset of my symptoms, I came to know about a psychiatric rehabilitation institution, namely ‘The Recovery House’. After only a week spent attending their morning program, I learned far more than what I had known up till then regarding managing my condition. With consent from my parents, I took a semester’s leave from university and continued to attend the sessions at The Recovery House (TRH), where professional psychologists and doctors disseminated knowledge regarding the management of different mental conditions that I believe you could scarcely find anywhere in the country. At the end of my third month attending sessions at TRH, I felt a remarkable change within myself and with the continuing support of my family and regular follow-ups with my therapist, things have been going much more smoothly ever since.
So, to anyone out there who may be struggling with depression or any other mental condition, please never give up hope or be afraid to seek professional help. With the right balance of will-power, a balanced lifestyle and perhaps medication, living the life you want is never out of the question.