An inside job

Anxiety and stress at the workplace can be crippling, particularly in today’s high-pressure corporate culture. And the stigma around men opening up about mental illness is shaped by its own set of patriarchal diktats. Entrepreneur Nikhil Taneja leads Supriya Thanawala through his uphill climb to personal and occupational success and proves that showing vulnerability is the first step towards taking control

- Supriya Thanawala

He was at the helm of his career in the film and television industry a few years ago when he had his first panic attack. Like most people who suff er from anxiety, Nikhil Taneja, who was then 30, did not understand the symptoms he was facing. “I’d sweat a lot, my heart would pound and race all the time. I’d have trouble breathing too. I thought it was something to do with my heart, but when I went to the doctor, I got diagnosed with anxiety,” he wrote once on social media — where over the last two years, he has become increasingly vocal about his struggles with mental health — and later in the press, where he has also opened up. Today, the 33-year old Taneja is in a better place and has successfully co-founded Yuvaa, a company that creates award-winning video content on mental health — for the 15-35 demographic — that very often goes viral. But the story of his journey to recovery is one he won’t easily forget.

Commonly described as a natural and healthy bodily reaction to stress or fear, anxiety can grip both men and women alike when things get overwhelming. Yet, psychologists today are increasingly finding that there are more men than women who are seeking therapy for anxiety.