Ishaan* was highly suicidal from a young age. A 29-year-old who struggled with suicidal thoughts ever since his school days found himself in a difficult position when his sister-in-law died by suicide. When he started talking to one of our psychologists, he revealed that he usually notices a significant increase in suicidal thoughts once every five years which severely impaired his daily routine and mental health. 

He also revealed that he had a recent breakup with his partner as his parents weren’t supportive of his relationship. This significant event and his sister-in-law’s sudden death re-ignited his suicidal thoughts and behaviors. His interpersonal relationships with his family members were also estranged due to several factors leading to conflicts which just got worse post his breakup. Not just family members, but he seemed to have difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships in the other aspects of his life too like his friends, office colleagues, and acquaintances.

Once the therapeutic process began, our psychologist implemented various therapeutic techniques like Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy, Schema Therapy, some social skills training, and others. With the help of cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy, Ishaan* was able to gain insight into his social anxiety and overcome it along with helping him understand his triggers which lead to his suicidal ideation. They also worked on his conflicts and issues with his interpersonal relationships which involved anger, anxiety, and some depressive symptoms. They worked on his negative thought patterns, set goals, and worked on anger management with the help of schema therapy, a kind of therapeutic technique that combines a variety of techniques from other therapies. 

As the sessions progressed, you could see that Ishaan* seemed to feel significantly better while his professional life was still impacted. Therefore, after two months of intensive therapy, they decided to work on his professional as well as personal relationships so that he can function as a better person. 

(*name changed for anonymity)