What began as the darkest chapter of my career turned into unexpected growth. Losing a job I once loved forced me to redefine success, rediscover balance, and rebuild confidence. "Despair and Development" traces that transformation — from rejection and uncertainty to renewal, resilience, and the surprising freedom of starting again.
“Devotion and Despair” traces a year of extremes — the joy of marriage and the heartbreak of professional collapse. It’s a story of resilience under pressure, of love holding steady when identity fractures, and of learning that sometimes devotion demands letting go of the things we thought defined us.
“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.” ― JRR Tolkien
For over a year, I avoided sitting alone with my thoughts — drowning reflection in noise, work, and music. "Avoidance of Self Discovery" explores why silence can feel unbearable, how constant stimulation masks deeper truths, and what happens when we finally dare to listen to the chaos within.
We all crave control — but life rarely plays by our rules. "Fear of the Unknown" explores how anxiety about the uncontrollable can quietly dictate our choices, limit growth, and fuel self-doubt. Blending science, reflection, and personal experience, it offers strategies to unlearn fear and embrace uncertainty as a path toward purpose.
Grief is universal — but should it ever be considered a mental illness? "Is Grief a Mental Illness?" explores the debate surrounding Pathological Grief Disorder, questioning where natural mourning ends and clinical diagnosis begins. Blending science, empathy, and reflection, it challenges the medicalization of emotion while advocating compassion, counselling, and open conversation.
Social anxiety and loneliness are deeply intertwined — one fuels the other in a quiet, painful cycle. "Social Anxiety and Loneliness" explores how fear of judgment can isolate us, and how isolation, in turn, harms our minds and bodies. Blending science with empathy, it highlights why connection is vital for survival.
Behind the prestige of a doctorate lies a silent struggle. "There Is a Heavy Cost to Getting a PhD That Nobody Talks About" exposes the psychological toll of academic life — the isolation, perfectionism, and stigma that too often accompany it. Blending data and personal experience, it urges academia to confront its hidden mental health crisis.
Anxiety often hides behind opportunity. It’s that trembling mix of fear and hope we feel when standing at the edge of change. But what if anxiety isn’t just a warning — what if it’s a sign we care deeply about our future? Don’t silence it. Learn from it.
Your past may have shaped you, but it doesn’t have to define you. Whether childhood trauma or heartbreak in adulthood, healing begins when you challenge negative self-talk and reclaim your story. With reflection and self-compassion, you can step out of the darkness and build a future guided by strength, not pain.
This is mental health. 