How I Came Out Of Depression

I was working for an MNC in Mumbai. It was a well-diversified company having business interests in diverse domains. It also had operations in foreign countries. I was working for their project management division. I enjoyed working for them because I got a lot of freedom when working with them. Due to the freedom, I could perform beyond my potential. Before this job, I had worked in Indian companies, which did not give me international exposure. I wrote meeting minutes, decided agendas, created technical documents. I was a project coordinator in this company. I was very happy. However, fate had other ideas. During the six monthly appraisals, I was given a negative appraisal and booted out of the company. I was not given my full and final dues.

I was heartbroken. I had lost the best job of my life. I had to resign because my immediate reporting authority did not want me in the company. I felt like the sky had fallen down on my head. I was depressed to such an extent that I quit having food and water. I was the sole earning member of my family and now that I had lost my job, I did not know what to do. I could not show my face to my wife who respected me and loved me very much. I thought after this incident, the respect she had for me would wane. However, that was not to be. Her reaction to the incident was very positive. It was as if somebody had placed a train carriage on my shoulders. My body became heavy, my mind revolted and my limbs seemed unmovable. It was like I was caught in heavy rain with dark clouds all around. I had to stand there in the dark as icy cold raindrops fell on my head.

She took the front seat in the car of life. She took up a job with a retail store within one month of my being booted out of the company. Having done that, she then gradually endeavored to get me out of my depression. Since, I understood what was happening, I started reasoning with my mind, started distracting it and started writing. It was tough but I decided to deal with it. It was not easy for me to deal with. However, for my wife, it was as if nothing had happened. She goaded me into going for parties, took me out for movies, and coaxed me to go out to eat. All this to improve my mood. I would resist each time, but, she always found a way out to convince me. In our five years of married life, she had come to know me so well that even I did not know myself so well.

During this period, I decided to help her in the kitchen. If I could not contribute monetarily, I could at least contribute physically. I helped her prepare food in the morning before she went for work. I did the household chores. Every time I withdrew into a cocoon, she brought me out by giving me some work to do.

When all this was happening, my wife decided to ask me to write. Writing was therapeutic. It proved good for me. It brought me out of depression. She asked me to write because she knew that I was an introvert and writing would help me. Once I started writing and expressing my hurt on paper, I felt better. All the angst that was filled inside me came out on paper. I could sleep better. My depression had subsided. I could now think clearly. Thanks to my wife of five years, I could start a new life afresh with her. After three months of my being booted out of my MNC job, I started looking for another job. All this was possible due to my beautiful and tactful wife. Before this time, I did not know that she possessed the skills to bring me out of depression. This incident not only brought us close together, but, it also helped us forge a strong bond between ourselves.