Chronic Illnesses and depression – A true story

Chronic illnesses have a way of bringing us down. Pratyusha (name changed), a mother of two, shares her experiences with chronic skin disease and depression.

"For two years of my life, a chronic skin condition kept me from living my life to the fullest."

When my skin pigmentation first manifested, I was a busy wife and mom. Between 2011 (when it first cropped up) and 2013, I met a variety of doctors, but the condition persisted. In addition, as were staying in a remote location, that made it difficult to access the right care that I needed. There was a lack of both unbiased advice and a patient-centric system, which made things all the more challenging.

Not seeing any results over a long period started getting me down. The depression deepened as my skin condition got worse. I felt very shy of being among people, and preferred to remain isolated, cutting myself off from the outside world and avoiding social gatherings.

My family and close friends were a tremendous source of comfort and support during this difficult period. They noticed what I was going through and offered to help me cope with it. My husband and son were my primary caregivers at home.

A major turning point came upon getting in touch with Medicounsel (http://www.medicounsel.com/). The experts at Medicounsel diagnosed my skin condition as LPP-lichen planus pigmentosus, and set me on a further course of treatment. This not only influenced my recovery to a great extent, but also boosted my self-confidence and made me believe that I can actually be cured. It certainly helped me regain my lost self-confidence.

Now, my condition has improved a lot. This has given me a lot of courage to get my life back and return to my old routines. I would just like to say that it is not easy, but holding on and having faith in yourself will make you heal faster.

Trust in those who love you – family and friends, and you will find it easier to cope.

Meghana Joshi is a Biomedical Sciences major and writer, specializing in Science Communication. She has run her own socio-environmental venture to promote natural products, fostered abandoned animals, and co-authored ‘ROOMIES/FOODIES,’ a memoir-plus-recipe book for Indian students abroad. She now works at Mirai Health and is based in Pune, India.

Dr Aakash Ganju is a healthcare consultant and entrepreneur, focused on increasing transparency, access, and convenience to health providers and consumers. He is the Ceo of Mirai Health and lives in Mumbai, India.