From Trauma And Despair To Rebuilding Our Family Together
Rishabh: Our father introduced our family — my mother, younger brother Ritik, sister Prerna, and me — to the world of Soka in 2011.
Life at home during childhood was extremely difficult because of my father’s alcohol addiction.
Financially, we struggled even for basic survival.
There were days when arranging two proper meals itself felt uncertain.
I became severely malnourished, lost my eyesight temporarily, and contracted multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, Ritik was battling emotional turmoil of his own.
But through all of this, my mother never stopped chanting.
Her lionhearted daimoku became the force that kept our family alive.
Slowly, things started moving.
We received scholarships.
I recovered from my illness.
Ritik’s treatment for bipolar disorder began.
And in 2016, I entered engineering college with a determination to rebuild my life through faith and action.
“I Started Hating My Own Life”
Ritik: I had actually been a good student in school.
But in 2016, I was bullied repeatedly because we were poor.
The humiliation affected me deeply.
I began failing in the same subjects where I had once excelled.
That year, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Then in 2019, PTSD was added to the diagnosis.
Doctors told my parents I might not even clear my Grade 12 Board exams.
Still, somehow, I pushed through and passed.
But internally, I had begun resenting my own life.
I constantly compared myself with others.
I felt broken.
Depression became so severe that many days I could barely move from bed.
I suffered manic episodes, paranoia, and emotional breakdowns.
The psychiatric medicines were extremely strong.
I lost 26 kilograms within a month.
I vomited almost everything I ate.
Even moving my fingers properly became difficult.
Then came another crushing setback:
I failed the entrance examination for a prestigious film school — something I had dreamed about deeply.
One Crisis After Another
Rishabh: Around the same period, our family faced one disaster after another.
My father lost a legal case against our landlord
We were forced to vacate our home
The police manhandled us
My mother contracted tuberculosis
Property attachment warrants were issued
Arrest warrants were issued against my father
We fell into severe debt
Then in 2021, I contracted tuberculosis again.
A painful breakup followed.
The startup I had joined went bankrupt.
And then I lost my grandmother — the person I was emotionally closest to.
At one point, it genuinely felt as if life was collapsing from every direction.
Turning Toward Mission Instead Of Blame
During that phase, one thing deeply transformed me.
I began reflecting on Ikeda Sensei’s unwavering faith in young people.
I realized I could either:
Continue blaming my father and circumstances
Or become someone who transforms suffering into value
I chose the second path.
Even when I struggled to breathe, coughed blood, and experienced chest pain because of TB, I forced myself to continue advancing.
I determined to do at least one activity every day.
I began meeting YMD members and student division members regularly.
And gradually, something remarkable started happening.
The youth around me began reporting victories.
One visually impaired YMD started his own business
Another completed his PhD and became a professor
One won national medals in weightlifting
Another challenged drug addiction through regular gongyo
While encouraging them, I myself became stronger.
Three Daimoku At A Time
Ritik: A senior leader once encouraged me very simply:
“Just keep moving forward.”
At that stage, even chanting for long durations felt impossible.
So whenever I woke up from medication-induced hypersleep, I would sit before the Gohonzon and chant just three daimoku with one determination:
“I will report victory to Sensei.”
That became my starting point.
Gradually, I decided not to allow my illness to define me.
I united with fellow leaders to revive our struggling district.
We tried creative ways to encourage members:
Handwritten invitations
Daimoku WhatsApp groups
Regular chanting calls
Personal follow-ups with inactive members
At the same time, I challenged myself intellectually.
I:
Read novels and journals
Listened to podcasts
Took online courses
Learned more than 20 software tools
Watched films from across the world
Every single day, I asked myself:
“Did I waste any time today?”
The District Began Transforming
As our determination strengthened, the district atmosphere completely changed.
The YMDs started reporting major victories:
One became a permanent professor after completing his PhD
Another overcame confusion about career direction and joined a competitive course
Another’s mother recovered and he secured admission into his desired college
The discussion meeting attendance, which had once dropped to just two people in February 2023, rose to 26 by November 2024.
Our Family Finally Began Healing
Rishabh: Slowly, our family itself began transforming.
None of the warrants against my father were executed.
He gradually:
Started repaying debts
Overcame alcoholism
Resolved a 17-year legal battle amicably
Took up a job again
He was also diagnosed with bipolar and personality disorders and finally began proper treatment.
For the first time in years, harmony slowly entered our family.
Personally too, I experienced a major breakthrough.
After facing more than 130 job rejections, I secured a role as a data engineer with a 100 percent salary hike.
Today, I lead a team of senior engineers and was recently recognized for my work ethic.
“I No Longer Show Signs Of PTSD”
Ritik: Gradually, my racing thoughts stopped.
My panic reduced.
I became emotionally stable.
Today, I no longer show signs of PTSD.
I also revived a small venture I had started earlier, which helped me become financially independent.
Then came another unbelievable breakthrough.
I secured a top rank in the entrance examination for one of India’s best filmmaking institutes.
I am now studying there.
Seeing my transformation from a deeply depressed person into someone hopeful and determined, one of my friends even decided to begin practicing.
A Guidance That Became Real
Looking back now, I realize something deeply important:
Faith did not magically erase our struggles overnight.
Instead, it helped us:
Stand up repeatedly
Transform fear into courage
Convert pain into mission
Support others despite our own suffering
Most importantly, we stopped asking:
“Why is this happening to us?”
and started asking:
“How can we use this suffering to encourage others?”
Key Takeaways
Mental illness does not define a person’s future.
Consistent small efforts can rebuild even a shattered life.
Encouraging others often becomes the path to healing oneself.
Family karma can transform through persistent inner change.
Hope can return even after years of despair.
Moving Forward
Rishabh & Ritik: We now determine to become responsible contributors to society and strive toward BSG’s vision of one million happy members by 2030.
Through our own victories, we want to prove that no suffering — whether mental, emotional, financial, or physical — can defeat a person who continues advancing with faith, courage, and compassion.