Sameer*, a 20-year-old student came to The Min Research Foundation with complaints of being aloof, having a general lack of concentration, and being aggressive and angry towards his parents. Having spent his schooling years in the Middle East, he wasn’t very close to his parents. An above-average student, he found it very difficult to please his parents as his parents had high expectations from him without guiding him or nurturing him.

Once he moved away from home to join a liberal arts school, his complaints showed up affecting his classes and social circles. His father’s monitoring and keeping a constant eye on him via telephone calls did not help him. On top of all this, he fell severely ill with a viral fever which caused homesickness. Quitting college halfway through the year, he came back home only to feel unhappy and have a low mood most days.

Feeling tired and sleepy for most of the day, and eating too little… he didn’t seem to be himself according to his mother. Before his adjustment difficulties which set in during his adolescence, he was well-dressed and oriented to time, place, and person.

When he came in to seek help, he seemed receptive to sorting out his issues and getting back on track. Through therapy, Sameer* learned different ways to reduce his existing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Using a kind of therapy called Mindfulness-based Cognitive therapy which brings around a change in the thought pattern of the person, we helped him navigate his past issues and set small achievable goals for him each session. By giving more meaningful emphasis to his present, his past issues were dealt with care and had the constant support of the psychologist.

(*names changed for anonymity)