I was going through pretty frustrating days of my Ph.D. I was struggling with my work; my papers were getting rejected; not many people were interested to talk about my work at conferences. I used to end up crying almost every night. Long hours of work in the lab and time taking erroneous simulations were coiling up depression inside me. My distance relationship with my boyfriend and the would-be husband was also affected. There came a time when I started feeling demotivated to work and even stopped going to the lab. I felt that something was miserably wrong inside me.

One day I called SWC and they called me back within a few minutes asking if I needed any emergency help. I was hesitant to show my weakness in front of someone unknown. I replied that I needed some regular help. Ms. Lavina Lewis gave me an appointment to visit her at the aforementioned time. She asked me some small things to change in my life. She asked me to talk and in fact I started crying in front of her as if I have not cried for so long. I was feeling that I found a friend in her. She asked me to do some work on my daily routine for living a healthy life. The SWC team asked me to contact them anytime if I felt miserable.? I felt that I could rely on someone on campus.

I started following her instructions as far as I could do. Life started changing. I felt better. I started putting more work into my Ph.D. I started being calm and patient with my relationship. I did better in my life.

I have finished my Ph.D. in the regular time and could publish my work in some reputed journals. But more than that I started enjoying my journey as a Ph.D. student on the campus. It is only because Ms. Lavina and her team have always supported me with their positivity. I am so much thankful that the IITB campus has such wonderful counseling and mental health team.? I strongly encourage my fellow students, who are suffering because of mental stress, who want to talk or share something which they can't share with anyone else on the campus, to please contact the SWC team. They will be really good friends who can hold you back when you are on the edge!

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Thanks for always being there for me SWC !!!

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