Questioner: I am a research scholar. I am in my fourth year of PhD, and it is kind of my second inning. Earlier I was a teacher, I was teaching at a university, but I’ve left that and I have started my PhD.
I’ve been suffering from a condition for the last 7-8 months, I have actually been diagnosed with a condition called ‘Coccydynia’ in which I have been having tailbone pain and due to this, I am not able to sit for more than 30 minutes. So, this is the only physical condition, but what I have experienced is that, along with this physical condition, I have also experienced, in the last few months, a kind of mental stress. And this stress, I realize, is not only the case for me, but for thousands of people who are young and who want to do a lot of things, but due to their physical or mental limitations, they are not actually able to do it.
So of course, being a mature person, I know I have to engage myself positively. My question is: how to cope with this uncertainty? So, whenever I am doing my rest or taking my routine things and all, at the back of my mind, it’s always there that I have to complete my research work and some pending projects are there. So, the thing is, when we are ill for one or two weeks, we satisfy our mind, that yes, we will recover and we will get back to our work. But when it comes to 8-9 months, then it becomes a problem. So, how to cope with this situation and how to come out of this self-acceptance, to which we are not accustomed, obviously?
And the second thing, at a broader level, as a society, how we can develop an ecosystem to help people like many of us? Because personally, I feel, when I approached people, my friends or relatives, all those people who are young, they are busy in their work. So hardly they can do is, they can give you ‘Get Well Soon’ wishes and all these things. And sometimes, it also feels that they give you more of a sympathetic, instead of empathetic understanding. And then, that again, gives more negative vibes. So, in these 7-8 months only, I have been a very regular Youtuber and watching your channels, spiritual understanding, which really helps me. I am including meditation and all that, but still, I am struggling. And in general, for people like me, what you’ll suggest? What would be the coping strategy? What could be their roadmap? What should be the style, and how as a society can we evolve? Sorry for being long.
