I’m Good Because I Got Through Growing Pains

By- Ruksar Nisha

I’m good because I have learned to deal with life’s ups and downs. Whatever gets thrown my way I learn to get past it no matter what roadblocks. In high school of junior year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but before being diagnosed with that I went into this depressive state from eleventh grade to half way throughout when I was a junior. I was on anti-depressants and the doctors didn’t know what was wrong till one week in March after a blood test, doctors told me I had an underactive thyroid. I would have to say those years were the toughest parts of my life, especially with the struggle of my depressive state and the lack of energy I didn’t want to do anything. But after that things started to turn around, being on the right medications and getting the proper support from my family and just transiting back into a normal lifestyle was somewhat different.

At times I still would feel not myself but after talking with some friends and learning how to deal with it I got myself back on track. I started by keeping myself busy, staying outdoors, playing soccer most of all, and doing things that I enjoyed doing which made me happy. Music and yoga really helped me to de-stress after a long day of school, work, and keeping busy outdoors, chores, and other things. After being hit with such news I tried to integrate and change my lifestyle so that I never turn back into the person I was several years ago. Thinking I was depressed and going to therapy was something I didn’t enjoy, my parents gave me a hard time also and thought it was just my way of getting attention from them or of them feeling I was trying to hard with all the AP classes I was taking.

Once I started college I decided I needed a lifestyle change, I started getting up earlier and going for runs and after my run I would come back and meditate for twenty minutes and then do some intense yoga, it really helped with the stress. I also changed my ways of eating, no more junk food, I tried to stay healthy and also avoid the foods that were not good for my underactive thyroid. I also started to spend more time with friends, in study groups, hanging out during the weekends, going shopping, and just enjoying myself finding ways to stay healthy and happy. Where I am today is because of all the struggles I faced before, I found a way to get past them and now I have changed into a better person, I think positively and also think about things that are good for me and will benefit me in the long run.

I think at this point mental healthiness is very important for everyone, it helps overall for everyone. It makes life easier and also makes people happier knowing they are good. To know that you’re not on an emotional roller coaster, in life and know that you are healthy, mentally, and in all other aspects. There is no true way to end mental health, the only thing we can do is manage it, to make sure that we are the best that we can be.