I was scared when I first walked into the Psychiatry Department at a Government Hospital. The hospital was overcrowded. Everywhere I looked, there were people in pain, waiting for treatment and hoping to feel better. My hands were shaking. Crowds were already hard for me. And because of what I was going through at the time, it was difficult for me to trust anyone.
When I met the consultant doctor, I shared everything I had been experiencing. She gently explained that I needed to be admitted, as I had been struggling for a long time. The idea of being admitted frightened me.
The resident doctor in the ward was incredibly kind and supportive. What stayed with me was not just her medical expertise, but her warmth. She listened carefully, spoke to me with patience, and made me feel that I was not alone. Other doctors I met were equally caring, and together they helped me understand that my mental health matters just as much as my physical health.
At that time, I wasn’t sure whether psychiatry could help me, or whether I would truly get better. But I chose to trust the people who were treating me. I took my prescribed medicines and focused on moving forward one step at a time. The improvement was gradual.
After discharge from the hospital, I noticed positive changes along with some difficulties with the medicines, including changes in my sleep and in how I felt physically. I began learning more about my treatment and continued with it.
I have always loved drawing. One day, while searching for references for my sketches, I realised that I could look at a sword without the fear I used to feel. It was one of the first moments when I understood that something inside me was changing. After several months of steady progress, I could look at a gun without the fear that once had such a hold on me.
Before treatment, I had grown emotionally distant. Being surrounded by patients, families and healthcare workers changed the way I saw others. I began to understand that everyone carries struggles that may not be visible. It also awakened in me a desire to help others and to create real change for people who are suffering.
The biggest lesson I took from my journey is a simple one: speak up.
Please do not keep your struggles hidden. Talk to your parents, trusted elders, friends, loved ones or a qualified professional. Reach out to trusted healthcare services and helplines whenever you need them. Problems that are ignored can become harder to carry, while speaking about them can open the door to support.
Mental healthcare is not only about diagnoses and medicines. It is also about trust, patience, connection, and the courage to ask for help. I am continuing my treatment as advised by my doctors. My story is not about becoming perfect. It is a story about healing, faith, support, and refusing to give up. And sometimes, that is where recovery begins.
Arya Raikwar
Bhopal, M.P.
