My Baba Became My Anchor During Mental Health Struggle: Mitali Sankhe

While talks around mental health continue to remain taboo in several Indian households, there are some families who are torchbearers of change in this regard.

If it had not been for Mital Sanke's father, her mental health would have worsened by now, leading to an illness, but she is here telling her story proudly today and she couldn't be more grateful.

Mitali shares with SheThePeople her mental health journey, how her father helped her cope with anxiety, and why it's important for families to understand their children's state of mind early on.

Mitali Sankhe Story

“I was always a happy kid, full of life. I wanted to become a chartered accountant and started working really hard towards my goal. But, somehow, destiny frowned at me. Despite all the efforts, it wasn’t working! One night, it occurred to me that maybe this was not the right career path for me.

So, I quit my CA final year! It was a shock for everyone but they respected my choices. By the time I completed my studies, life was sorted. I had a steady job and was about to get engaged to my boyfriend. But then came the Pandemic! Mom started keeping unwell and I couldn’t see her like that. I was stressed all the time. There were times when I could not stop my tears and my mind was always in a confused state. All this took a heavy toll on me and I started getting anxiety attacks.

My condition was getting worse with every passing day and I had no clue what to do. One evening, Mom and I were resting in the same room and she asked me to pass her a glass of water twice but I did not respond. She called Dad in a panic and he freaked out when he looked at me. I was trembling, and unable to say a word! He hugged me to calm me down and the night passed somehow.

The next day, the first words from Dad’s mouth were ‘Come, let’s go for therapy’. I was scared and refused. But Baba said, ‘Kuch nahi hai Gudiya, trust me!’ I agreed but was still sceptical.

After a few sessions, I could finally think straight. I decided to quit my job. I had no courage to put this across to my boss, but to my surprise, he assured me that I could rejoin anytime. It was a relief. But, the storm wasn’t calm yet. My engagement broke as we drifted apart, but it ended on a happy note. We just wanted different things in life, which was all right! People said I was weak to get therapy. I ignored such comments and continued to put myself first. After many months of hard work, I finally parked my mental illness far away.

Today, I am an Astrologer and a Professor just because I have my Dad and Mom by my side. Sometimes, things and people who matter the most are just not meant to be. People still sometimes tell Mom that it's not right that I am not married yet! But my dearest Maa smiles it all off!”

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