Hey everyone! My name is Sanskruti Patil , and I’m a doctor.

I recently graduated, and I’m on my way to creating what I hope will become a worldwide source of motivation and inspiration for anyone struggling to cope with today’s fast-paced, competitive world—or a quiet garden for those who just need a little escape and support.

Before I start sharing my thoughts, I thought you deserved to know a little bit about your author.

I’m an MBBS graduate doctor from India. I’ve been through my own struggles, faced them head-on, and emerged stronger. Now, I lead a happy and fulfilling life, doing what I love most. So, it’s safe to say—I KNOW what I’m preaching here on my blog. And as a doctor myself, you can trust the source. Everything is legit!

Now, here’s my story:

I was always the “smart kid” growing up. I was praised for my academic successes, which seemed effortless to everyone around me. But the problem was—I made “being smart” my identity. I based my entire self-worth on it. If I didn’t succeed, I wasn’t smart. And if I wasn’t smart, I wasn’t worthy as a human being. This was the conclusion my big brain reached.

Things started to change when I got to medical school. Suddenly, success wasn’t just about doing well—it was about not failing. Before, tests and exams only made me nervous. But now? I was afraid.

Everyone in my life had developed huge expectations of me because, if I got into medical school, surely I couldn’t fail, right?

I topped my class in my first year of college. On top of that, I became the General Secretary of the college. So naturally, I had to keep up those expectations. The immense academic pressure plus being the president of the student council? Piece of cake, right?

That’s when my mental health started to decline. I didn’t realize it at the time—I just kept going, running on fumes, chasing perfection, trying to do everything with passion. I ignored my mind’s requests to slow down. But my mind was strong. It kept up with the impossible expectations and steep goals I had set for myself.

The days passed, and I graduated.

And then came the next phase: “The Prep Phase.”

Two of the biggest exams of my life—NEET PG and INICET—were waiting. These were for securing admission into post-graduation courses.

Keep in mind, I was already mentally fatigued. So much so that I even started wondering if becoming a doctor was the right path for me. But I had already become one, so I thought, why stop now? My whole sense of self-worth was tied to being smart and achieving goals.

So began my journey, just like thousands of other aspirants. The pressure was unreal—like nothing I had ever experienced before. My mind fought hard not to slip, but I hit rock bottom. I slipped into clinical depression.

I started having panic attacks. I couldn’t sleep at night, even though I was exhausted. The stress kept me awake. The stress made me study like a crazed robot. For two whole years, I became an academic zombie.

On some of my worst nights, I even thought about ending everything. But deep in my heart, I knew I was meant to live—I was meant to do great things. So I kept going.

And you know what? I became successful.

I got into prestigious institutions. I got into JIPMER, a world-renowned national medical institute. Everything was going well. My mental condition had improved.

Then I got even better news—I secured a post-graduation branch of my choice at Sion Hospital, Mumbai, an old and prestigious college in my home city!

All my Indian medico buddies know how huge these achievements are.

But then came a reality check.

Soon after joining Sion Hospital, my mind gave up. I had horrible nights and even worse panic attacks. As it turns out, I hadn’t healed at all—I had just ignored my condition and pushed it down deep. You can’t run away forever. The only way out is to face it.

This time, the panic attacks were the worst. I lost control of my limbs, almost choked—I couldn’t even breathe properly. We decided to get treatment and psychotherapy. But every time I returned to the hospital, it triggered my anxiety.

So, with a very heavy heart, I made probably one of the hardest decisions of my life—I quit post-graduation.

That was a cannon event in my life. It took me a long time to come to terms with my decision, adjust to my new life, and focus on getting treated for my mental health.

Depressing, right?

Well, here’s the good part!

Now, I am a very happy, practicing doctor. I’ve made it my mission to help all the lovely people who might be struggling just like I once did. I want to tell you this: Things CAN AND WILL GET BETTER!

In this little corner of the internet, I’ll be discussing and providing solutions to all sorts of mental health concerns for people from all walks of life. I hope to raise awareness about these issues in today’s world.

You’re not alone.