Surging from the shadows: The healing journey of Aarohi

The Dephts of an Unfathomable Psyche

As difficult as it is to get answers about the human psyche, time and again it more or so explains itself thanks to real life characters who stay on the front lines and fight battles that remain invisible to many. Let me narrate to you this true tale of Aarohi (the name has been changed in order to respect confidentiality), a girl who had become used to suffering in absolute silence until one day she managed to find the strength within herself to eventually overcome it.

This woman in her early thirties, Aarohi, was very bright and compassionate and lived a successful life. She was an assistant marketing manager at one of the top companies and her coworkers praised her for being level-headed and being able to deal with any issue logically. However, it is not as if everything was hunky dory, because on the inside, a dishevelled April’s mind was also battling a number of unsatisfactory problems that continue to remain unresolved.

The Hidden Scars

One can trace the origins of many of Aarohi’s present-day problems back to childhood experiences. She was the eldest among three siblings in an affectionate household with parents who were devoted teachers and shared a close-knit bond. Yet, such is life, as the ‘why’ in her case, is the fact that she stood by and watched her mother suffer quietly. In times when her mother was quietly suffering, her father was present but had a very volatile aggressive personality that led to a lot of yelling in their home. At the time, Aarohi was still in her room hugging her younger siblings as their parents fought vicariously around the house.

This instability had a lasting effect on Aarohi. By her teenage years, she started struggling with a conflict phobia and strove for perfectionism in all her endeavors. She told herself that all she had to achieve was perfection, and she would be able to avert further conflicts.

As for Aarohi, she completed her degree, secured a terrific job soon after, and was doing well in her twenties. People thought her life was picture-perfect. But in reality, she struggled with severe subconscious issues of failure and dependence on others.

Deprived Of Love

Aarohi was definitely the epitome of all kind of issues with trust. At around 25 years of age, she was staying with a man named Karan and loved him to death. The words loving and caring would aptly describe him, but overbearing to the core-that he was. This sent waves of insecurity in Aarohi's life which already existed.

She had to be told that relationships do undergo ups and downs, but most of the time she had to look after the relationship because Karan would ditch her like the others. Such a belief system made Aarohi quite skeptical of Karan, and so made her emotionally detach from him. It is Karan, who broke up after 2 years of persevering with the relationship.

Separation broke her into pieces. She took full responsibility for herself and became drowned in self-loathing. Professionally she gathered herself up but personally, everything around her seemed to be breaking to pieces. She cut herself off from her social life and support and buried herself within her work just not to face the reality of her feelings.

Seeking Help

She required professional counseling post a panic attack in her workplace. While attending a routine meeting, Aarohi had this overwhelming sense of dread. Her heart was racing as well as was her vision blurring, and she could hardly breathe. The manager was an excellent mentor and was empathetic, hence encouraging Aarohi to take some time off and seek professional counseling.

Reluctantly, Aarohi agreed. She started therapy with a psychologist who specialized in trauma and anxiety disorders. And with some sessions, she would finally begin peeling back the layers of pain she had packed away since childhood.

She tells that her therapist explained her that fear of conflict and abandonment had actually colored her thinking. Aarohi realized how she had been living in a state of constant hypervigilance, waiting for something bad to happen. She learned about the cognitive distortions of these irrational thought patterns feeding into her anxiety, and she began working on changing them.

Rebuilding Trust

Therapy even enabled Aarohi to open up concerning her feelings about her past relationships. She contacted Karan with no intention of rekindling the relationship but with a need to apologize and break free. To her surprise, Karan was pretty gentle while talking with her, stating that he appreciates her efforts toward healing. Their talk opened pathways for change within Aarohi; she realized that people, just like Karan, do forgive and understand.

With the passage of time, Aarohi also started to share her problems with the family. Her younger siblings, who are now adults, also expressed their opinions about the childhood they had, which made Aarohi realize that she was not alone amidst all that she has been through. Her mother also felt that she could have created awareness about such conflicts prevailing in the house much earlier. These conversations were helpful in regaining a sense of belonging and trust in the family that Aarohi lost during those times.

A New Chapter

After a year of therapy, Aarohi felt a sea of change within her. She started setting clear boundaries at work as well as outside the workplace; she ensured that she did not overdo things to impress people. She also pursued long-abandoned hobbies- painting and trekking, which kept giving her great joy.

One evening, Aarohi went to a social get-together with one of her friends, where she met Rohan—a software engineer with a passion for good storytelling. Rohan was unlike Karan. He did not try to solve the problems or heal Aarohi quickly. He listened. He spoke of his own journey in terms of ups and downs through life.

Over time, Aarohi began to feel secure with Rohan in a way that she never had with anyone. Their relationship happened so organically without the implications and the fears there were against her earlier relationships.

Road Ahead

Today, Aarohi continues to work on her mental health. Aarohi finally learns that healing doesn't follow a straight line - it is an upward curve with many dips and peaks. She goes to therapy sometimes, uses mindfulness techniques to manage her anxiety, and writes in a journal to process her thoughts.

Her life with Rohan has now evolved into a relationship based on trust and respect. She does not view vulnerability as a weakness anymore; it is a sign that allows her to be on a different level of connectivity.

Conclusion

Aarohi's story is the epitome of the human mind's resilience. It brings home the message to all of us that even the deepest wounds can heal themselves with time, effort, and support. Confronting her fears and getting help repossessed life from the shadows of the past in Aarohi.

The depths of the mind can have pain, but these also have tremendous strength and the opportunity for growth in there. Aarohi's journey shows that even amidst pain, light, healing is always available to reach.