Becoming a scientist, having a doctoral degree had been my dream since I was a kid. I fought really hard, convinced my family that I would take up biotechnology as my majors in my Undergrad. They were little skeptical about my decision but on seeing how determined I was, they agreed. Back then, either becoming a doctor or Computer science engineer were the only career options we had in India. Studying biology in engineering was out of scope.
In 2014, my life was completely turned upside down. Everything I had known before was never to be again. I had been diagnosed with Lyme disease and began treatment immediately. During treatment, my entire life was changed. I had to move out unexpectedly, my relationships with those around me were deteriorating rapidly, and death surrounded me as I grieved loved ones. I felt as if my life was over and I had nothing to fight for.Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs)
According to the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, the term body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) represents a group of related disorders including hair pulling, skin picking, and nail-biting.
I am writing to share a personal story of how a young man close to me suffered from mental illness and saw no other way out and took his own life. He was a well-respected member of the community and was passionate about many organizations, ADAA being one of them. It was his wish, in lieu of flowers that donations were dispersed among those organizations. 
