I am twenty-four years old and have suffered from depression, anxiety, and post-trauma stress for seven years.

I grew up in a broken family, and at seventeen, I decided to prepare for one of the toughest engineering entrance examinations in my country. After a year of hard work and anxiety, I failed the exam and ended up in more stress.

My relatives looked down at me, and my family was disappointed. I managed to join a local university to pursue an undergraduate course in engineering, but soon, life took a turn when some of my classmates started bullying me. Already feeling hopeless, I gave in to the suffering caused by people around me, slowly losing the will to live.

Darkness clouded my soul, and I felt incomprehensible things in my head. My anxiety caused nightmares, including one time when I saw my soul waking up in hell, filled with pain and suffering. I started having suicidal hallucinations, and the depression only grew darker and slowly overtook my will to live. I walked toward the path of self-destruction, facing thoughts of suicide every day continuously for several years.

But my hope prevailed as I listened to Pastor Joseph Prince’s sermons. Listening to his testimony gave me hope throughout this journey. Last year was the year of healing for me. I started getting better and made some good friends. Pastor Joseph Prince’s sermons continue to give me hope to move past the trauma and suffering and to believe in God’s grace over my life.

Angel R | India