The AICUF Story!

                                             DEPRESSION: A HARMFUL PARASITE I wonder how my life was before I faced you, All the experiences were bright and new. Happiness was my virtue, Positivity was the only value. I was like this in childhood, My life was surrounded with green gardens and woods. Stress free was the environment, Because I was surrounded with the love and warmth of my parents. As I grew up this contentment slowed down, Unhealthy competition was growing around. Peer pressure was never to be bound, Teenage was proving to be foul. My life was as dark as a rain filled cloud, Just like the heavy rains wanting to express my pain out loud. My mind filled with obnoxious thoughts, With all these problems I knew I was alone who fought. The cheerful soul in me had driven away, With my confidence I was no more able to slay, My talkative nature was no where, All I kn...

  Do you find yourself unable to work sometimes because of lack of motivation? The World Health Organization defines mental health as “A state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can make a contribution to his or her community.”. It is more than just the absence of mental disorders and diseases. It isn’t just about avoiding current conditions but also looking after ongoing wellness and happiness. Overthinking is one such aspect that can be deteriorating to mental health as it is but can also be a catalyst to various other problems as it perseveres. Overthinking as a habit can have a definite impact on our mental and physical well-being. To overthink is to excessively monitor, evaluate or attempt to control all types of thoughts. It is often an unconscious thought or behavior that can be self-sabotaging and can create conflict for future goals. Cortisol is a hormone secrete...

                                                                                                             ~ Belika DSouza ( SYBsc)

In the last two years, most of us would be able to resonate with this, “Life is what happens to us when we are busy making other plans!”. Amidst the plethora of thoughts are emotions that we all are managing, each one of us is trying our best to adjust and acquaint ourselves with the “new normal” way of living. Until the first wave, for many COVID just seemed to be a statistic, but it was the second wave that shook people’s psychological well-being. We all have either been a witness to the loss of a loved one or a loved one being tested positive, being hospitalized & critical, or being the victim of COVID themselves. It’s been a tough year for most of us! It is said all battles are either lost or won in the minds! With so much fear attached with COVID, been tested positive acts on your mind first rather than your body! It just makes a way for all the negative thoughts to step in! Fear of losing life, fear of not getting treatment on time, lack of clarity in terms of what needs to b...

Dear Depression and Anxiety, You’ve been loyal to me all these years, stuck by my side, broke me into a million pieces and made me weak from within, that I started questioning my existence. But let me tell you one thing today, from the day you left me on my own, it has turned out to be marvelous. From being the person who stayed awake the whole night overthinking about her own self, to being proud and taking stand for the things that are fair, we have come a long way. I vaguely remember, back in my school days, when my classmates bullied me about the way I looked, when going to a therapist meant that I’m mentally unstable, where I was reminded how to dress, sit and walk, and not raise my voice to some high decibel. I cried for hours when lights were turned off, but now those days are gone where I felt tormented by darkness, where I was trapped, not by any human being but my own grief and pain. Sometimes, I’m left alone to think, to repent on my actions, to let that harsh reality sink i...

  She became her..   She didn't like people. But craved to talk to them. She pleased them, praised them, compromised for them. Felt guilty every time for asking things for herself. She had a voice, beautiful yet couldn't speak for herself.   She loved them all, that love made her vulnerable. That love broke her to tears every night, as she cried in silence. Silence was all she had, or what she thought she did. Vulnerability, overthinking, and constant need for assurance got the best of her. She cared a lot for what people thought. Not people in general but the people that she loved.   Slowly she started writing down her thoughts, analyzing and overanalyzing, as it was one of her expertise. She couldn't find the reasons why she was the unpleasant one. She searched for her mistakes, only to find that it was never her fault.   The realization struck hard; the renaissance began. Small steps she took, as she acknowledged herself again....